Write On: 'Physical' Showrunner Annie Weisman

The Apple TV+ series Physical, starring Rose Byrne, is set to
launch its third and final season on August 2. Set in the idyllic
but fragile beach paradise of sunny 1980s San Diego,
Physcial is a half-hour dark comedy following Sheila Rubin
(Rose Byrne) as she navigates her personal demons, most of which
come in the form of noxious self-talk and an eating disorder.
 


I talked with series creator and showrunner Annie Weisman about
writing this highly personal show that explores the dark
undercurrents of the feminine experience. “I think about things
like beauty culture and diet culture and it’s easy to dismiss
them as something women are locked in, are trapped in,” says
Annie, “but in many ways, for a lot of women, that’s all the
control they have is their appearance. One of the goals of the
show is to show a woman who feels really trapped in that way,
really torturing herself, and have her go on this journey of
discovering a way – this opening a door – into a new way to be in
her body, a new way to be in the world, and a sense of
empowerment. But I wanted to be honest about the struggle of it,
it’s not easy! It takes three seasons of this show for her to get
somewhere!”  


We also discuss her beginnings as a playwright and her journey to
making the transition from stage to television. “I didn’t
necessarily know a lot about visual storytelling – that was what
I had to learn,” says Annie. “My first television scripts were
filled with dialogue, I didn’t really understand how the camera
worked, I had characters entering and exiting in every scene. I
had to learn about the way time works in television and film.”
  


Annie also shares her advice for writing original TV pilots and
using your own authentic voice. Take a listen.