Showrunner

A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series. The position outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over the production, and the executive producer's role is limited to investing. In scripted comedy and drama TV shows, the showrunner also usually serves as the head writer (or its most prolific writer). The role of a showrunner is not present on all television series, especially outside the United States; this article describes the nature of the role where it is present.

United States

Writer Alex Epstein, in his book and blog ''Crafty Screenwriting'', defines a showrunner as "the person responsible for all creative aspects of the show and responsible only to the network (and production company, if it's not heirproduction company). The boss. Usually a writer. Traditionally, the executive producer of a television program was the ''chief executive'', responsible for the show's creative direction and production. Over time, the title of executive producer was applied to a wider range of roles—from a senior writer, to someone who arranges financing, to an "angel" who holds the title as an honorific with no management duties in return for providing backing capital. The term ''showrunner'' was created to identify the executive producer who holds ultimate management and creative authority for the program." The contract gained by the Writers Guild of America in the 2023 strike now explicitly defines "showrunner" as writers and people responsible for making hiring decisions regarding a project's other staff writers.

In a January 1990 submission to the United States Congress House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Administration of Justice, Barney Rosenzweig (Executive Vice President and Chairman, Television Division of Weintraub Entertainment Group) wrote:

''Los Angeles Times'' columnist Scott Collins describes showrunners as:"Showrunners run the show"
"Channel Island" column, ''Los Angeles Times'', 23 November 2007

In a 2011 article in ''The Australian'', Shane Brennan, the showrunner for '' NCIS'' and '' NCIS: Los Angeles'', described the position thus:

In June 2023, Andy Greenwald of '' Briarpatch'' said of the title of showrunner, "It's a made-up title, and it's not a paid position". Without an overall deal, he said, a showrunner could be paid less than a co-executive producer "because everything else that I do — from hiring the writers, to being on set and producing, to being in post for months, then doing press — is not compensated". With the end of the streaming wars and Hollywood emphasizing profitability, overall deals became much rarer. Reduced compensation for showrunners and others in the writers' room helped cause the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. In an interview that same month with '' Vox'', writer Erica Saleh, who developed the series '' One of Us Is Lying'', listed the function and structure of the personnel in WGA writers' rooms, explaining that showrunners determine the tone and genre of the show, and break down the structure of a season, its episodes, and storylines, prior to actual production of the program. Saleh listed the hierarchy of the staff on WGA shows, in order of authority:

Canada

The Writers Guild of Canada, the union representing screenwriters in Canada, established the Showrunner Award in 2007, at the annual Canadian Screenwriting Awards. The first Showrunner Award was presented in April 2007 to Brad Wright, executive producer of ''Stargate Atlantis'' and ''Stargate SG-1''.

United Kingdom

In the first decade of the 21st century, the concept of a ''showrunner'', specifically interpreted as a writer or presenter with overall responsibility for a television production, began to spread to the British television industry. "Nonetheless, the show runner production model is still less common in drama production in the UK" than it is in the U.S., scholars Ruth McElroy and Caitriona Noonan wrote in 2019.

The first British comedy series to use the term was '' My Family'' (2000–11), which had several showrunners in succession. Initially, the show was overseen by creator Fred Barron from series 1–4. Ian Brown and James Hendrie took over for series 5, followed by American writer Tom Leopold for series 6. Former ''Cheers'' showrunner Tom Anderson was in charge from series 7 to the final series, series 11.

The first writer appointed the role of showrunner on a British primetime drama was Tony McHale, writer and creator of ''Holby City'', in 2005. Jed Mercurio had carried out a similar role on the less conspicuous medical drama '' Bodies'' (2004–2006). But Russell T Davies' work on the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'' brought the term to prominence in British television (to the extent that in 2009 a writer for ''The Guardian'' wrote that "Over here, the concept of 'showrunner' has only made it as far as ''Doctor Who''").

In an interview, Davies said that he felt the role of the showrunner was to establish and maintain a consistent tone in a drama. ''Doctor Who'' remains the most prominent example of a British television programme with a showrunner, with Steven Moffat having taken over the post from Davies from 2010 until 2017. Chris Chibnall later took over from Moffat. Davies returned, following Chibnall's departure. The term has also been used to refer to other writer-producers, such as Cash Carraway on Rain Dogs, Tony Jordan on '' Moving Wallpaper'' and '' Echo Beach'', Ann McManus on '' Waterloo Road'', Adrian Hodges on '' Primeval'' and Jed Mercurio on '' Bodies'', ''Line of Duty'', and '' Critical''.

See also

* Television program creator
* Television producer
* Television crew (including Runner, a junior role not to be confused with Showrunner)
* Screenwriter
* Television director
* Producer (radio)
* News director

References

{{TV production

Entertainment occupations
Mass media occupations
Television terminology
Broadcasting occupations

Management occupations