Episode 74: Bruce Miller and Yahlin Chang, "The Handmaid's Tale"

OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East

Host Geri Cole welcomes THE HANDMAID’S TALE creator, showrunner, writer, and EP Bruce Miller and writer and EP Yahlin Chang to the show to talk about how real-world refugee stories give the show inspiration and guidance, the ways in which writing can be both cruel and cathartic, and how the show encourages everyone—both above and below the line—to bring their A-game.

** - Please note: This episode comes with a spoiler alert as well as a content warning for a discussion of sexual violence against women and other traumatic topics. - **

Bruce Miller is a television writer and producer who, before HANDMAID'S, was well known for his work as showrunner and writer for popular sci-fi series like EUREKA and ALPHAS. For his work on The Handmaid's Tale, Miller won the 2017 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.

Yahlin Chang is a writer and producer who wrote on several series including DIRTY SEXY MONEY, PAN AM, and SUPERGIRL, before joining the writers' room of THE HANDMAID'S TALE. She was nominated for a 2021 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Drama for the series.

THE HANDMAID'S TALE is a dystopian television series based on Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel of the same name. The series portrays life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was the United States which is ruled by an ultra-religious fundamentalist regime. Faced with a world devastated by environmental disasters and a plummeting birth rate, the few remaining fertile women are forced into sexual servitude. One of these women, Offred, is determined to survive the terrifying world she lives in, and find the daughter that was taken from her.

The series—which has received multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, Writers Guild Awards, among many others—premiered on Hulu in April 2017, and is currently in production for its 5th season. Seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Hulu.

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