Dear Readers,

Welcome, I am glad you have chosen to drop by to read this week's interview.

Oh My Goodness, do I ever have a wonderful surprise for you this week! Where do I begin to introduce this week's Featured Writer. Do I tell you about each of his ten wonderfully written episodes for Lois and Clark The New Adventures of Superman? Should I tell you about his years as Executive Producer for it? Perhaps, I will tell you of his remarkable writing style that can warm our hearts one moment and have us in tears the next. I could tell you how he helped to bring one of the most loved Superhero into the 90's. Better yet, I will tell you that he and his writing partner, Eugenie Ross-Leming, blazed new trails for the characters of Lois Lane, Clark Kent, and Superman. Together they gave us many, many hours of enjoyment filled with laughter, love and thrills.

Now without further ado I am proud and honored to present this week's Writer in the Writer's Showcase ...

Personal Information

Name
Brad Buckner

Residence
I live in L.A.

Lois and Clark or Superman Status

How long have you been a fan of `Superman'?
I wasn't a huge Superman fan... I read the comics a bit when I was a kid, but there was usually too much dialogue so I sorta skipped around.

Which actor's incarnations of Superman do/did you enjoy most? (George Reeve, Christopher Reeves, Dean Cain...)
Dean Cain, of course.

Did any of the above have anything to do with you later becoming a writer and the Executive Producer for L&C?
Nope.

How long did you write for L&C?
Two seasons.

How long where you the Executive Producer for L&C?
Two seasons.

Would you list the episodes you wrote?
Ordinary People
Just Say Noah
Home is Where the Hurt Is
Double Jeopardy
Big Girls Don't Fly
Lord of the Flys
Battleground Earth
Dead Lois Walking
Lois and Clarks,
Family Hour.
(I think that's it...)

Which was the favorite episode you wrote? Why?
I liked "Big Girls" and "Lois and Clarks" a lot, but the fan-bashed Double Jeopardy and the family chaos of "Home is..." had moments I was really happy with.

General Interview Questions

How did you begin writing in general?
I majored in tv & film in school, then attended American Film Institute, got a writing internship at a studio, wrote tons of spec episodes that went nowhere, finally got a job.

What motivates you to write?
The usual motivations, I guess.... creative outlet... finding a unique spin on telling a story... and I get really fidgety if I haven't written for a while... and of course supporting a family's in there, too.

When did you first know you wanted to become a writer?
When I realized I wasn't cut out to be a director.

What was the first story your wrote?
The Hydrogen Man... first grade.

What attracted you to writing and what about it do you enjoy?
The first draft is the thing that attracts most writers, I think. It's all yours, no notes, no budgets, no fights with actors.... From then on, everyone gets to jump in.

What advice would you give to someone who is an aspiring to become a writer?
Write! Pick your favorite medium and submit spec versions to whomever's in charge (harder in tv & film because most things not represented by an agent go unread) Don't count on necessarily selling these things, but hope they can be a showcase of your work.

How did writing on a television series differ from other forms of writing you have done?
Series writing is great and terrible at the same time. Great because you become involved in the lives of the characters and expand these, take them to new places, and see it all produced seemingly hours after you finish writing it. Terrible, because of time and budget constraints that often make the work less than it could be.

What types of writing have you done? Which is your favorite?
Journalism, advertising, tv, film. TV's my favorite because it's fast, gets produced, and offers the most creative control to the writer.

Which characters did you enjoy writing for most Lois, Clark or Superman?
Lois and Clark were the two fun characters to write for. Superman was a more limited character except when his (Clark's) relationship with Lois intruded on his super hero stuff.

From a writer's point of view did you consult the actors on the series whiles writing your episodes?
Dean and Teri always offered input on the finish scripts... we didn't consult with them before we wrote because there just wasn't a lot of time for that.

What is your opinion about the following types of writing? Which do you prefer?
Action---- okay, but writing pure action is usually reams of stage directions and kind of tedious.
Drama--- Like it best when mixed with humor as in L & C
Humor --- Like it best when mixed with a little emotion.
Sc-fi--- Don't read or see enough of it to be an expert.

What are your current project/projects and when will they be available to the general public?
Eugenie and I are involved in a couple of tv movies and a couple of pilots as well as a series that goes on the air in January.