An Interview with Andrew Orenstein & Luke Matheny from ‘Ghostwriter’

Andrew Orenstein and Luke Matheny are a pair of accomplished writers and producers with numerous credits to their names and currently, they also write and produce the Apple TV+ series, Ghostwriter, among other duties since Luke also directs on the show. Recently we had the opportunity to sit down with both of them to discuss season three of the series, which is now streaming on Apple TV+.
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John Betancourt: I would love to know, what it means to both of you to be involved and running a storied franchise now heading into its third season?

Andrew Orenstein: It feels amazing. I love the original. Luke's a good friend. I love working with Luke. So, it's really a dream come true. And I love mysteries, and literature. So, kind of a dream job for me.

Luke Matheny: I feel the same way. And as you know, in this third season, we were able to come up with a new mystery. We have a new cast and the same crew up in Toronto. And well, I think we just had a real opportunity to dig a little deeper into social issues than we had before. And because of COVID, things kept getting delayed. So, we had more time to get the scripts better, more time to plan out the shoot, more time to get everything right. And that just artistically, this is an incredibly satisfying experience for me.

John Betancourt: Now you made mention of the cast and story change. Was it always the plan to introduce new cast members and new stories as the series continues along?

Luke Matheny: I think it became evident after we got picked up. And we talked about different ways forward. And I adore the original cast, both as actors and people. But it became clear that there was, well, one… the mystery that they had, we had sort of solved with them felt pretty resolved. And it would be a little tricky to try to prolong the mystery or add implausible complications. So, there was that kind of thing on the table. And then we there was also great hunger in the writer’s room to tackle social issues that were devouring the headlines when we started writing this in the summer of 2020. And we knew we were going to have to retool our approach, which would necessitate a new and very specific cast that we just didn't have in the previous seasons.

John Betancourt: Andrew anything to add?

Andrew Orenstein: No, that’s very well said.

John Betancourt: Now since writing and literature is so important to both of you, what is it like to work on a show that allows you to pay tribute to what you love?

Andrew Orenstein: Yeah, I mean, it's pretty amazing. And one of the deeper hopes of the show, in addition to just the entertainment value is promoting literature and children. Part of the reason why I'm even a writer is because of reading some of the books that we showcase on the show. So, it really gives me a warm feeling. It's really nice.

Luke Matheny: I'm a much lazier person than Andrew. (laughter) So for me, it's very helpful to stand on the shoulders of some of these great books. I mean, it's impossible not to have a fun time adapting Wizard of Oz into a children's program, because you already have these three well-known characters with well-known problems that are emotional and relatable. And you can relate them directly to our human characters that we have. And it just lays out really nicely. And it's extraordinary fun to work on.

John Betancourt: Now out of curiosity, what kind of differences are there from a writing perspective in assembling a show that is as free as this over a traditional series?

Luke Matheny: It's sort of all bonuses for me. If it was a very focused serious mystery the whole time, for instance, that's kind of one vibe that you have to sustain the entire time. Whereas Andrew shepherd's this amazing team of writers and this writers room to give you so many different colors on the palette of light comedy, of suspenseful mystery, of serious heart to hearts, between a mother and daughter about a really serious social issue… that it's great fun and a great experience for a director because you just get to do so many kinds of scenes in the course of a day.

Andrew Orenstein: It's also really fun, from a writing standpoint to look at a whole season and map out a mystery and sort of then the arcs of each character, and then the individual episodes. And from a writing standpoint, to be able to write in one episode; mystery, drama, and comedy is not something that we get to do very often.

John Betancourt: Now, there was mention of social issues being woven into the fabric of this series as well. What kind of challenges did you run into from a writing and production standpoint in making sure that such matters were handled properly?

Andrew Orenstein: Well, on the writing side, we wanted to make sure we were very careful to get it right. And so, we worked with a team of consultants to really educate ourselves and make sure that we got it right. And then we wrote it, and then they also read it and really helped guide us on the writing front, but then the performing front was a whole other, you know challenge.

Luke Matheny: Yeah, I mean, director-ially, the biggest challenge was abject fear of getting it wrong. For instance, in this scene in this first episode, where the Nia character is racially profiled in a rather unexpected moment… the cost of getting that wrong is much greater than another goofy, jokey scene like… you have to get them all right. But that was one you really had to get right. And I was certainly very stressed out on that day. But the actress, Princess Mapp is extraordinary. And she just… everyone could tell how nervous, and anxiety ridden I was, like leading up to it. But once the monitor was -- everyone was looking at the monitor after I yelled action, and she took it over, as all actors must do, like that's the last step, no one was worried about anything. And everything we saw on the screen that day went straight into the cut. And it was, it was a very proud moment for me. And most of all, because I got to work with a great actress.

John Betancourt: What are you most excited for audiences to experience this season?

Luke Matheny: I'm always… in this this kind of programming, I'm just hoping for a truly memorable family viewing experience. That you remember watching it with your family, you remember the conversations you've had with them after it was over.

Andrew Orenstein: I agree with that, though, I also would add is I'm really excited to introduce kids to some of the books and in the case of a song, this year, because, you know, we have The Wizard of Oz and The Mouse and the Motorcycle and Charlotte's Web. And it's talking about the Rolling Stones, like I'm really excited for kids to tune into those things and discover them.

John Betancourt: Out of curiosity, is there a particular book that hasn’t been showcased yet that you’re both dying to get featured on the series?

Andrew Orenstein: I think we both kind of have the same…
Luke Matheny: Yeah.

Andrew Orenstein: Dr. Seuss, we'd love to do Dr. Seuss.

John Betancourt: Last question I have for you today, what are both most proud of when it comes to your work on this show?

Luke Matheny: I'm proud of the cast and crew for pulling off a very technically ambitious and exhausting shoot in the middle of early days of COVID, when it was just very uncertain. If we would be able to shoot it at all, let alone hit it out of the park the way this this crew really did. So, I'm just so appreciative of this cast and crew up in Toronto.

Andrew Orenstein: And I'm in addition to that, also really proud of the stories that we got to tell and, you know, tackle social issues that you don't see very much on children's television. I'm really proud of that work.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and content.

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