What do TV writers do on set?

Advice from a TV writer/showrunner

I always laugh when people ask me, “Do TV writers get to go to set?” Like it’s a vacation destination.

I don’t get to go to set. I have to go to set. It’s work.

If we’re shooting on a soundstage, it’s generally comfortable enough. But if we’re shooting on location, it can suck. When I was Executive Producer of Maron, we had a scene that called for a drug dealer’s house.

We rented out what was a essentially a crack house and spent the day filming there. It was gross and made me never want to write another scene in a drug dealer’s house.

So what exactly do writers do on set?