An Interview with Dave Digilio (Creator & EP, Traveler)

May, 2007

When we sit down to watch a television series, most of us don't even begin to think about what goes into getting the show on the air. From coming up with the concept to picking the right actors for each role, the process can be a long and tiring ordeal. Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Dave DiGilio, the absolutely brilliant mind behind ABC's action-packed series Traveler and learned how he came up with the idea for the series and what we can expect from one of the most exciting shows of the season. As Dave said to me in our interview, "welcome to your new addiction."

Q: When did you decide to become a writer?

Dave: "I first started writing holiday plays back in my old town of Alexandria when I was about eight years old. I then went to Princeton for undergrad and became a playwright there. I always knew I wanted to be in movies and I finally made the move to full-time in 1999. I started my writing career in the 2001 Disney Fellowship, which is a very cool apprenticeship program they have for young writers. You are paid an amount enough to live on for a year and you write full-time, take classes and seminars and development meetings with established writers and studio executives."

Q: What is the most challenging aspect of television writing?

Dave: "Probably the most challenging aspect of TV writing is the pace. You have such a tremendous time constraint on the process. I think anyone who questions Lost's storytelling techniques or what 24 is doing, I would love to invite them into the writers room for a week just to see how fast and furious the process is. It's a very interesting process for me because on the feature side, you really don't have that time pressure. Features are done when the script is ready. TV shows are made when production needs the script. In features, your first draft is for you alone. In television, your first draft is for the world. That's how fast the process is."

Q: How did you come up with the idea for Traveler?

Dave: "The idea for Traveler actually came from a trip to my 10-year college reunion. I was back at Princeton, looking around and realizing how much people had changed in those 10 years since I had been at school with them -- myself included. Then you start to wonder how well do we really know people. I started thinking about the questions of identity, friendship, betrayal, and from that, the idea for the show emerged."

Q: Did you have any specific actors in mind for the lead roles?

Dave: "No, it's actually one of the funs things about doing television. In the feature world, that's the first thing you think about. In the television world, it's really about the actor and the skill more than the name. We were so lucky to get these three young guys, all of whom were getting offers right and left, to star in the pilot. It was one of those things where we knew what type of actor we wanted to get, we saw a number of people for these roles and as soon as we met Aaron, Matt and Logan, instantly we knew that they were right for the show. Their chemistry is just fantastic."

Q: In a nutshell, how would you describe Traveler?

Dave: "I think it's a conspiracy-driven thriller that explores friendship and betrayal in a post-9/11 world. It's about what would happen if ordinary people were put into a situation where we were unfortunately blamed for a terrorist attack. How would we react and what would the world be like around us."

Q: What can you tell us about the first batch of episodes?

Dave: "I can tell you this, the guys are going to go on the run. They're going to leave New York. The first season takes place in the northern United States. They are going to search for clues about the identity of Will Traveler. While that's happening, every kind of friendship and bond in their life is going to be tested, including their own. I want people to know that this is not just a conspiracy show, it's not just an action show, it's really an emotional thrill ride. These characters go through a real emotional journey both individually and as friends. I also want to point out that the question is 'Who IS Will Traveler,' not 'Who WAS Will Traveler.' The character of Will Traveler figures prominently into the series."

Q: How many episodes have been filmed?

Dave: "We have eight episodes and that includes the pilot, plus seven."

Q: Do you have a game plan should the worst scenario happen and the series gets canceled?

Dave: "Unfortunately, that question is even bigger than the creator. On a personal level, yes I have a game plan. In terms of getting these episodes out, I definitely want to make sure that these episodes are available at least online. It's the kind of show that will engineer a very loyal fan base."

Q: If you could work on any other series on television, what would it be?

Dave: "I think I would probably work on Lost. I'm a devout Lost viewer. I got into it season one, from the beginning. Even though there's been a lot of criticism about the show, I think this season has been stronger than the second season. The last five weeks have been tremendous; they've gotten back to the real strength of that show which is time, the flashbacks, and the action of the present day that really gives that show a multi-layered effect. I would love to be in the writing room of Lost to learn their secrets of story telling."

Q: Anything to say to the fans?

Dave: "I would say to the fans, buckle-up because it's ride of emotion, of character and of action. Don't be afraid to engage the show. If you like Enemy of the State, if you like the Bourne Identity movies, then you're going to like this show. We will not leave you out in the wind, even if the network and the studio for whatever reason, pull the plug prematurely - I will tell the story."