Show runner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Show runner (alternatively showrunner,[1] or show-runner)[2] is a term used in the United States television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television series, in other words, the person who "runs" the show. The term is also occasionally applied to people in the television industries of other countries.[2]
Variety defines it as the executive producer. The de facto showrunner may, however, be someone completely different. The blog (and book) Crafty Screenwriting defines 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 his production company). The boss. Usually a writer."[3]
Another term for show runner in some production companies is line producer, similar to its usage in film.[citation needed] The show runner's responsibility is rarely shared between two or more people.[citation needed] This role is often given to the series' creator(s). However, if the show's distributor (the network or studio, etc.) feels that the creator isn't experienced enough, it will hire someone whom they know has the credentials to shepherd the show through production.
Creatively, a show runner will decide the direction that the series will take. If he or she is not the actual originator of the show, this will usually be done in concert with the creator. The show runner will have to plan out the individual episodes and how they relate to the season in production and the ongoing series.
Based on feedback from the studio and the network that is the primary purchaser (unless the show is in syndication), the show runner must tailor the series to fit scheduling and market demands. The show runner has to fit the episodes into a season budget that will fluctuate based on which markets the show has been sold into (an even greater factor for syndicated series). While he or she is hired by the studio or network, the show runner's role is as the final arbiter on the creative and financial decisions for the show. It is the show runner's mandate to fit them within the parameters specified by his or her employer.
[edit] Examples of show runners and the shows they created
- J.J. Abrams - Felicity, Alias
- Danny Arnold - Barney Miller, Joe Bash
- Alan Ball - Six Feet Under
- Donald Bellisario - Magnum, P.I., Quantum Leap, JAG, NCIS
- Greg Berlanti - Everwood, Jack & Bobby (co-creator)
- William Bickley - Family Matters
- Carol Black - The Wonder Years, Ellen
- Steven Bochco - Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, Hooperman, Doogie Howser, M.D., NYPD Blue
- James Burrows - Cheers
- Stephen J. Cannell - Chase, The Rockford Files, The Greatest American Hero, The A-Team, 21 Jump Street, Wiseguy, Booker, The Commish, Renegade
- Glenn Gordon Caron - Moonlighting, Now and Again, Medium
- Glen Charles - Cheers
- Les Charles - Cheers
- David Chase - The Sopranos
- Marc Cherry - Desperate Housewives
- David X. Cohen - Futurama
- Rick Copp - Team Knight Rider
- Bill Cosby - The Cosby Show
- Richard Curtis - Blackadder
- Greg Daniels - The Office (American version), King of the Hill (co-creator)
- Russell T. Davies - Doctor Who (2005 revival), Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures
- Larry David - Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm
- David Dortort - Bonanza, The High Chaparral
- Jeff Franklin - Full House, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
- Gary David Goldberg - Family Ties, Spin City
- David A. Goodman - Team Knight Rider
- Merv Griffin - Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!
- Susan Harris - Soap, Benson, The Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Nurses
- Dean Hargrove - Matlock, Jake and the Fatman, McBride, Murder 101
- Paul Henning - The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction
- Roy Huggins - 77 Sunset Strip, Maverick, The Fugitive, The Outsider, The Rockford Files
- Mitchell Hurwitz - Arrested Development.
- David E. Kelley - Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, Ally McBeal, The Practice, Snoops, Boston Public, Girls Club, The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire, Boston Legal
- Glen A. Larson - Alias Smith and Jones, Battlestar Galactica, Automan, Knight Rider, Magnum, P.I.
- Bill Lawrence - Spin City, Scrubs, Nobody's Watching
- Michael Leeson - The Cosby Show, Twenty Good Years
- Damon Lindelof - Lost
- Frank Lupo - The A-Team, Werewolf, Hunter
- Abby Mann - Kojak
- Neal Marlens - Growing Pains, The Wonder Years, Ellen
- David Milch - Deadwood
- Ronald D. Moore - Battlestar Galactica
- Ryan Murphy - Nip/Tuck, Popular
- Don Reo - My Wife and Kids, Blossom, The John Larroquette Show
- Shonda Rhimes - Grey's Anatomy
- Amy Sherman-Palladino - Gilmore Girls
- Aaron Sorkin - Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The West Wing
- Jay Sommers - Green Acres
- J. Michael Straczynski - Babylon 5
- John Sullivan - Only Fools and Horses.
- Michael Warren - Family Matters
- Reinhold Weege - Night Court
- Ed. Weinberger - Amen, The Cosby Show
- Joss Whedon - Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly
- Dick Wolf - Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
[edit] References
- ^ Writers Guild of America, TV Writers Booklet #1-final, Chapter Four Executive Producers
- ^ a b Davies, Russell T.. Newspaper Interview with Jonathan Wright. Monster smash (Discussion Session). The Guardian. 2006-12-22. )
- ^ Complications Ensue: The Crafty TV and Screenwriting Blog
