American Dad! Writer Alisha Ketry on Learning & Future TV Aspirations

Alisha Ketry is always looking for new and exciting opportunities to write, edit, or act. From her time as a post-production coordinator on Showtime’s Gigolos and SundanceTV’s The Writers’ Room, she’s emerged as a writer and story editor on TBS’ American Dad! While promoting her first feature in the indie sci-fi comedy I’m Totally Fine, Ketry spoke with Bleeding Cool about the creative differences between her upcoming film and the Seth MacFarlane-created show and the future projects she hopes to take on in comedy and thrillers.

Comparing American Dad! to I’m Totally Fine

Bleeding Cool: How do you compare the writing experience between ‘American Dad’ to ‘I’m Totally Fine?’

Ketry‘American Dad’ taught me a lot. This writing industry is a very solo experience, but creating television and movies is the most collaborative thing in the whole world. On ‘American Dad,’ the best joke wins, but breaking a story together and being open to other ideas. That’s the biggest takeaway in my career is the excitement of having other people involved. With ‘American Dad,’ I work with the [other] writers, and with ‘I’m Totally Fine,’ I got to have that collaboration with the director, executive producer, and actors.

Everybody was invaluable and created a thing that became better because of those people involved. That’s the biggest takeaway is that it can feel so lonely to write on your own and then not be precious about things, hearing other people, knowing that every individual on this set is trying to make the best thing possible and do the best job that they’re doing.

Are there other genres, shows, or franchises you hope to visit as your next big challenge?

I don’t discriminate in TV with the things I love. I’ve done a Multicam with ‘Fuller House.’ I’ve done animation with ‘American Dad.’ I would love to do a live-action half-hour comedy, and I love broadcast comedy. I would love to be on something like ‘Abbott Elementary’ or do something like that hearkens back to like ’30 Rock’ and ‘Parks and Recreation.’ As far as a feature, I want to explore psychological thrillers but funny. ‘Midsommar’ is a big movie that influenced me. I thought it was hilarious, scary as hell, and creepy, and I loved it. I want to challenge myself to be able to follow those little sparks of something that interest me, so that’s where I’m at.

I’m Totally Fine, which stars Jillian Bell, Natalie Morales, Harvey Guillén, Blake Anderson, Cyrina Fiallo, Karen Maruyama, and Kyle Newacheck, comes to theaters, on-demand and digital on November 4th. American Dad! airs Mondays on TBS.