TV: We watch it, we love it, but do we really know where it comes from? Well, maybe in the vaguest sense that it’s written, filmed, edited, and broadcast, but Vox’s (and A.V. Club alum) Caroline Framke takes a deep dive into the world of television production in a fantastic new in-depth piece. In this case the TV show in question is The Americans and the specific episode is “Clark’s Place,” which aired this week. But before it did, Framke spent five months shadowing its creation from the table read through the final edit.
From little details like where the actors are positioned during the table read to interviews with the creators, cast, and crew, Framke provides incredible access to the process of making TV. In addition to documenting how episodes are written, she also digs into the less discussed aspects of TV production like art direction, location scouting, and makeup/hair design (the first season alone featured 51 different wigs). And she details both the weeklong process of shooting the episode (which turned out to be surprisingly boring) as well as the “miraculous” world of post-production where the episode really comes together. Even for those who don’t watch The Americans, the article offers a fascinating insight into what it takes to create a TV show. You can read the full piece over on Vox.