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Please, for the love of god: Stop pitching HBO executives limited series that “could be extended out if people like it,” and co*edies that are also inevitably some sort of violent crime caper. And that’s not just us saying it (although the limited series thing is extremely annoying at this point): That’s co*ing from HBO and Max executives themselves. (They’d also like to stop being pitched Succession clones, thanks.)

This is per a surprisingly candid joint interview THR conducted with the six women—Francesca Orsi (drama), Amy Gravitt (co*edy), Sarah Aubrey (IP stuff like DC co*ics adaptations), Lisa Heller (documentaries), Nancy Abraham (also documentaries), and Nina Rosenstein (late night and specials)—who oversee the network and streamer’s original programming slate, timed to International Women’s Day. Rather than the industry boilerplate you might expect, it’s actually a pretty frank conversation about the practicalities, and occasional frustrations, of making TV.

For instance: Orsi seems genuinely kind of irritated at the fact that writers of modern TV are a lot more interested in pitching miniseries or limited shows, as opposed to programs that can keep running on longer timescales. “Continually,” she responds when asked if she’s still getting deluged with miniseries pitches. “And then there are those that say, ‘Well, this is a limited, but in success we could figure it out or shoehorn it.’ No, we are looking for ongoing series, which seem to be difficult for various writers out there. We’re on the hunt.” Gravitt, meanwhile, admits that her co*edy problems are at least partially of her own making: “In the co*edy space, every pitch is some sort of crime caper co*edy, and maybe I’m partially responsible because of Barry, but I’m ready for just hard co*edies to be pitched. More hard co*edies!”

A lot of the conversation, understandably, swirls around HBO’s current, and extremely successful (from both a critical, and a ratings, point of view), The White Lotus. But even a hit like Mike White’s satire of very rich, very fucked-up people can cause problems for a TV exec just trying to chill out: “I was recently on a girls trip with a few actresses,” Orsi notes, “And it was so awkward. I love them as people and as friends, but (whew). Everybody’s vying to be in that show. Euphoria as well. The number of inco*ing calls across those is wild.”

The most fascinating bit, to our minds, co*es when the IP-focused Aubrey is brought into the conversation, as she very diplomatically explains that HBO keeps its drama slates and its material based on big Warner Bros. properties at least partially siloed off from each other—which probably helps to explain how HBO has continued to make genuinely good TV in its David Zaslav era. Aubrey: “I’m tasked with working inside the co*pany on the IP shows and I think it frees Frannie to continue to do what HBO drama has always done, which is look outside in culture and find what’s new and cutting edge. Also, things that co*e from inside the co*pany have a lot of people involved and a lot of stakeholders, so it’s just a very particular process.”