Cast and Creator of Justified discuss the show’s writing

Natalie Zea, Timothy Olyphant and Graham Yost

Justified Season 4 is off to a great start. They’ve introduced several new characters, and our favorite Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens has a baby on the way, a dad in jail and lots of new trouble from the same ol’ Crowder clan.

In other words, the writers of Justified season four have upped the stakes, escalated the conflict and expanded the universe of Harlan County, Kentucky. They’ve also built in a new mystery arc, keeping us in suspense with the item found in Arlo’s bag and how it connects to a dead parachutist with a bag full of cocaine.

I remember someone telling me that in a good screenplay or teleplay there should be a surprise on every page.
-Graham Yost

The famous Elmore Leonard-inspired dialogue is back, making this quite possibly the most highly stylized contemporary dialogue on television today.

At the season four premiere of the one-hour television drama Justified in Hollywood, I asked cast members Raymond Barry, Erica Tazel, Lindsay Pulshipher, Timothy Olyphant, Walton Goggins, and co-creator/showrunner Graham Yost about the show’s writing:

Good luck and happy writing,

Dan Calvisi

Related:

• Interview with Elmore Leonard and Graham Yost on Justified
• Video Interview with Graham Yost on Justified Season One red carpet
• Video Interview with the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on screenwriting
• Theme in Mad Men Season 5
• Sitcom Writing with the cast and creators of The League
• Louis C.K. on Writing TV Comedy

p.s. Look for Executive Producer Graham Yost’s next show on FX, The Americans, premiering January 30 at 10 P.M. in the U.S. I’ve seen the first two episodes and it’s great.

Click to read excerpts

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Most important, as I read Calvisi’s Story Maps,
I was inspired to rethink my current project.
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