| 1 | [[quoteright:350:[[Series/MrRobot https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/showrunner.jpeg]]]] |
| 2 | [[caption-width-right:350: A showrunner, running the show.[[note]]In this case, ''Series/MrRobot'' creator Sam Esmail.[[/note]]]] |
| 3 | Showrunner is the unofficial title for an executive producer who oversees the creative content of the show in addition to the financial aspects. They give the show its overall tone and direction, making all the final creative decisions about what the identity of the series is. Theoretically, the buck stops here. But in practice, the showrunner is beholden to people higher-up in the studio chain of command, and can be [[ExecutiveMeddling overruled]] by any combination of the studio producing the show[[note]]this is the role of the "executive in charge of production", who despite the showrunner-sounding title is actually the standard name for the studio liaison[[/note]], the network or service on which the show will be broadcast, and even the advertisers and sponsors. |
| 4 | |
| 5 | The initial showrunner is usually the same person credited as the creator or, if it's a new entry in a LongRunner franchise, series developer. If the showrunner is a big enough name that they have their own associated production company, then that will appear as a VanityPlate in the ClosingCredits, usually ''right'' before the studio's own credit. |
| 6 | |
| 7 | For any number of reasons, from the studio/network [[ExecutiveMeddling forcibly removing them from the project]], being [[CreatorBreakdown overwhelmed by the stress of production]], or just wanting to take a break or pursue other ideas, the original showrunner may leave and be replaced by a new one. The new showrunner is usually advancing from the role of head writer, and this changing of the guard can often be a JumpTheShark or GrowingTheBeard moment if their vision for the show differs from that of their predecessor. Creators or showrunners who step down into smaller roles on the production (or even leave the production all together) may continue to be credited as an executive producer for the remainder of the show's run regardless, although sometimes they will be "demoted" to consulting producer or creative consultant. Initial creator-showrunners have occasionally been known to come BackForTheFinale, or even (given enough lead time) the entire final ''season''. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | Not to be confused with someone like a go-fer, who helps keep the show running by getting miscellaneous items like coffee or snacks for the higher ranking staff. Also see InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt for plenty of examples where the person who most visibly has their name attached to the project, is ''not'' the showrunner. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | !! Creator/Showrunners: |
| 12 | * Creator/JuddApatow: ''Series/FreaksAndGeeks'' (jointly with co-creator Creator/PaulFeig), ''Series/{{Undeclared}}'' |
| 13 | * Creator/DannyArnold: ''Series/BarneyMiller'' |
| 14 | * Creator/AlexandreAstier: ''Series/{{Kaamelott}}'' |
| 15 | * Creator/AlanBall: ''Series/SixFeetUnder'', ''Series/TrueBlood'' (seasons 1–5) |
| 16 | * Creator/DonaldPBellisario: |
| 17 | ** ''Series/MagnumPI'' (co-creator with Creator/GlenALarson, who had nothing to do with the show after the pilot) |
| 18 | ** ''Series/TalesOfTheGoldMonkey'' |
| 19 | ** ''Series/{{Airwolf}}'' |
| 20 | ** ''Series/QuantumLeap'' |
| 21 | ** ''Series/{{JAG}}'' |
| 22 | ** ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' (co-creator with Don [=McGill=]), forced out after Season 4. |
| 23 | * ''Series/NCISLosAngeles'': Creator/ShaneBrennan |
| 24 | * ''Series/NCISNewOrleans'': Creator/GaryGlasberg and Creator/MarkHarmon |
| 25 | * Creator/DavidBenioff and Creator/DBWeiss: ''Series/GameOfThrones''. |
| 26 | * Creator/RickBerman and Creator/BrannonBraga: ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' (Seasons 1-3) |
| 27 | * Creator/StevenBochco: ''Series/HillStreetBlues'', ''Series/LALaw'', ''Series/NYPDBlue'' |
| 28 | * Creator/StephenJCannell: ''Series/TheRockfordFiles'', ''Series/TheATeam'', ''Series/TheGreatestAmericanHero'' (and most of his other series, in fact) |
| 29 | * Creator/ChrisCarter: ''Series/TheXFiles'', ''Series/Millennium1996'', ''Series/HarshRealm'', ''Series/TheLoneGunmen'' (co-creator with Creator/VinceGilligan, John Shiban, and Frank Spotnitz. Characters created by Glen Morgan and James Wong) |
| 30 | * Creator/DavidChase: ''Series/TheSopranos''. |
| 31 | * Creator/MarcCherry: ''Series/DesperateHousewives'' |
| 32 | * Creator/DavidGreenwalt: ''Series/{{Angel}}'' (Seasons 1-3. Co-creator with Creator/JossWhedon, who remained on as writer and executive producer throughout all five seasons, but never became showrunner, even after Greenwalt left to work on ''Miracles''.) |
| 33 | * Creator/DavidXCohen: ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', (Co-creator with Creator/MattGroening) |
| 34 | * Creator/RyanCondal and Miguel Sapochnik: ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'' |
| 35 | * Patrick [=McKay=] and John D. Payne for ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'' |
| 36 | * Creator/MartaKauffman & Creator/DavidCrane: ''Series/DreamOn'', ''The Powers That Be'', ''Series/{{Friends}}'' (Seasons 1-3, though they remained involved as producers and occasional writers throughout the rest of the series.), ''Veronica's Closet''. |
| 37 | * Creator/FrankDarabont: ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' (season 1), ''Series/MobCity'' |
| 38 | * Creator/LarryDavid (seasons 1-7), and Creator/JerrySeinfeld (seasons 8 & 9): ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' (Larry David was the sole showrunner throughout most of its run. When David left after season 7, co-creator and star Jerry Seinfeld became the showrunner for the last two seasons.) |
| 39 | * Creator/JonFavreau: ''Series/TheMandalorian''. |
| 40 | * Creator/TimFederle: ''Series/HighSchoolMusicalTheMusicalTheSeries'' (from mid-season 1 onward) |
| 41 | * Creator/TinaFey: ''Series/ThirtyRock''. Also plays a showrunner on the show. |
| 42 | * Creator/BryanFuller: ''Series/PushingDaisies'' |
| 43 | * Creator/LarryGelbart: ''Series/{{MASH}}'' (seasons 1-4) and the one-season shows ''Roll Out'' (1973, with Gene Reynolds) and ''United States'' (1980, co-creator to Gary Markowitz). |
| 44 | * Creator/AdamFGoldberg: ''Series/TheGoldbergs'' (seasons 1-6) |
| 45 | * Creator/SethMacFarlane: |
| 46 | ** ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' (season 1-3, with co-developer David Zuckerman) |
| 47 | ** ''Series/TheOrville'' |
| 48 | * Creator/MikeBarker (until the ChannelHop to TBS) and Matt Weitzman: ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' |
| 49 | * [[Creator/{{Psychicpebbles}} Zach Hadel]] and Creator/MichaelCusack: ''WesternAnimation/SmilingFriends'' |
| 50 | * Creator/HartHanson: ''Series/{{Bones}}'' (seasons 1 to 10) |
| 51 | * Creator/DanHarmon: ''Series/{{Community}}'' (seasons 1-3; reinstated in season 5) |
| 52 | * Creator/PaulHenning: ''Series/PetticoatJunction'' (beginning of season 1), ''Series/TheBeverlyHillbillies'' |
| 53 | * Creator/BuckHenry: ''Series/GetSmart''. (co-creator Creator/MelBrooks had little involvement with the series after the pilot) |
| 54 | * Creator/StephenHillenburg: ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' during its first three seasons. |
| 55 | * Creator/LaurenSchmidtHissrich: ''Series/{{The Witcher|2019}}''. |
| 56 | * Creator/MitchellHurwitz: ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' |
| 57 | * Creator/DavidEKelly: ''Series/AllyMcBeal'', ''Series/ThePractice'', ''Series/BostonLegal'' |
| 58 | * Creator/BryanKonietzko and Creator/MichaelDanteDiMartino: ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' and its SequelSeries ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''. |
| 59 | * Creator/EricKripke: ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' (seasons 1-5), ''Series/{{Revolution}}'' |
| 60 | * Creator/NormanLear: ''Series/AllInTheFamily'', ''Series/{{Maude}}'', ''Series/SanfordAndSon''. |
| 61 | * Creator/HowardLeeds: ''Series/SmallWonder'' |
| 62 | * Creator/DanielLevy: ''Series/SchittsCreek'' |
| 63 | * Creator/DamonLindelof: ''Series/{{Lost}}'', ''Series/TheLeftovers'', ''Series/{{Watchmen|2019}}''. |
| 64 | * Creator/RyanMurphy , Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan: ''Series/{{Glee}}'' |
| 65 | * Creator/CarlReiner: ''Series/TheDickVanDykeShow'' |
| 66 | * Creator/ShondaRhimes: ''Series/GreysAnatomy'' and ''Series/PrivatePractice''. |
| 67 | * Creator/GeneRoddenberry: |
| 68 | ** ''The Lieutenant'' (1963-64) |
| 69 | ** ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' (for the first several episodes of season 1, along with "The Menagerie" and "[[Recap/StarTrekS2E26AssignmentEarth Assignment: Earth]]") |
| 70 | ** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' (season 1 only)[[note]]Roddenberry effectively - and illegally - delegated many of his responsibilities to his lawyer, Leonard Maizlish[[/note]] |
| 71 | * Creator/ShawnRyan: ''Series/TheShield'' |
| 72 | * Creator/DanSchneider: ''Series/ICarly'', ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'', and ''Series/{{Victorious}}'' |
| 73 | * Creator/SidneySheldon: ''Series/ThePattyDukeShow'', ''Series/IDreamOfJeannie'', ''Nancy'' (1970-71) |
| 74 | * Creator/AmyShermanPalladino: ''Series/GilmoreGirls'' (seasons 1-6) |
| 75 | * Creator/PaulSimms: ''Series/NewsRadio'' |
| 76 | * Creator/DavidSimon: ''Series/TheWire'' and ''The Corner'' (He also wrote the book on which ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'' was based, and later joined the writing staff.) |
| 77 | * Creator/JaySommers: ''Series/GreenAcres'' (almost invariably with Dick Chevillat as co-writer) |
| 78 | * Creator/AaronSorkin: ''Series/SportsNight'', ''Series/TheWestWing'' (Seasons 1-4), ''Series/Studio60OnTheSunsetStrip'', ''Series/TheNewsroom'' |
| 79 | * Creator/JMichaelStraczynski: ''Series/BabylonFive'' |
| 80 | * Creator/KurtSutter: ''Series/SonsOfAnarchy'' |
| 81 | * Creator/MichaelPiller: |
| 82 | ** ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' (left after season 2 to showrun...) |
| 83 | ** ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' (jointly with co-creator Jeri Taylor; left after season 2) |
| 84 | * Creator/JeriTaylor: ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' (jointly with co-creator Michael Piller for seasons 1-2; left after season 4) |
| 85 | * Creator/HeidiThomas: ''Series/CallTheMidwife'' |
| 86 | * Creator/MatthewWeiner: ''Series/MadMen'' |
| 87 | * Creator/DickWolf: ''Series/LawAndOrder'' |
| 88 | * Creator/JossWhedon: ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' (except for season 6) and ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'' |
| 89 | * Creator/BrunoHeller: ''Series/TheMentalist'', ''Series/{{Rome}}''. |
| 90 | * Creator/VinceGilligan: ''Series/BreakingBad'', and (with Peter Gould) ''Series/BetterCallSaul''. |
| 91 | * Creator/JeffMarsh and Creator/DanPovenmire: ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''. |
| 92 | * Glen and Les Charles: ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' for Seasons 1-2. (co-created with James Burrows, who was a director and not involved with the actual writing process) |
| 93 | * Creator/NellScovell: ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' (season 1 only) |
| 94 | * Creator/GregDaniels: ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' - Seasons 1 & 2 (co-created with Mike Judge), ''Series/TheOfficeUS'' (Seasons 1-4 & 9) |
| 95 | * Creator/AlfredGough & Creator/MilesMillar: ''The Strip'', ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' (seasons 1-7), [[Series/CharliesAngels Charlie's Angels 2011 revival series]] |
| 96 | * Creator/CarterBays & Creator/CraigThomas: ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' |
| 97 | * Creator/DavidCrane & Creator/JefferyKlarik: Series/TheClass2006, ''Series/{{Episodes}}''. |
| 98 | * ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' was created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen; Jed and Maurissa became the showrunners along with Jeffrey Bell. |
| 99 | * Creator/BillLawrence: ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' and ''Series/CougarTown''. |
| 100 | * Tracy Torme: ''Series/{{Sliders}}'' (co-created with Robert K. Weiss) |
| 101 | * Matt Williams: ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'' (left after season 1 due to CreativeDifferences with Roseanne Barr) and ''Series/HomeImprovement'' (with co-creators Carmen Finestra and David [=McFadzean=]) |
| 102 | * Creator/StevenMoffat and Creator/MarkGatiss: ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' and ''Series/Dracula2020''. |
| 103 | * Creator/TerryNation: ''Series/{{Survivors}}'' and ''Series/BlakesSeven''. |
| 104 | * Creator/ChristopherMcQuarrie: ''Series/PersonsUnknown''. |
| 105 | * Christopher Lloyd and Creator/StevenLevitan: |
| 106 | ** ''Series/BackToYou'' |
| 107 | ** ''Series/ModernFamily'' (initially they served as joint showrunners, with a shared VanityPlate, before deciding that they would each ''individually'' showrun alternating episodes, to prevent their CreativeDifferences from impeding production, with individual [[VanityPlate vanity plates]]). |
| 108 | * ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'' was co-created by Lauren Montgomery, Joaquim Dos Santos and Tim Hedrick with all three serving as the showrunners for the first six seasons and the first four episodes of season seven in addition to Hedrick serving as story editor before Hedrick left early into the seventh season due to creative disagreements with World Events Productions, forcing Montgomery and Dos Santos to become sole showrunners for the rest of said season and the entire eighth season, which explains [[SeasonalRot the sudden decline of quality between seasons]]. |
| 109 | |
| 110 | !! Showrunnners Who Took Over Existing Shows |
| 111 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': |
| 112 | ** Creator/VerityLambert: Seasons 1-3 ("An Unearthly Child" - "Mission to the Unknown") |
| 113 | ** Creator/JohnWiles: Season 3 ("The Myth Makers" - "The Ark") |
| 114 | ** Creator/InnesLloyd: Seasons 3-5 ("The Celestial Toymaker" - "The Enemy of the World", excepting "Tomb of the Cybermen") |
| 115 | ** Creator/PeterBryant: Seasons 5-7 (solo showrunner for "Tomb of the Cybermen" and "The Web of Fear" - "The Mind Robber", co-showrunner with Sherwin for the remainder of season 6 and early season 7) |
| 116 | ** Creator/DerrickSherwin: Seasons 6-7 (co-showrunner with Bryant from "The Invasion" to early season 7; departed early during the production of "The Silurians") |
| 117 | ** Creator/BarryLetts: Seasons 7-12 (finished work on "The Silurians" and "The Ambassadors of Death", full showrunner for "Inferno" - "Robot") |
| 118 | ** Creator/PhilipHinchcliffe: Seasons 12-14 |
| 119 | ** Creator/GrahamWilliams: Seasons 15-17 |
| 120 | ** Creator/JohnNathanTurner: Seasons 18-26 |
| 121 | ** Philip Segal: TV Movie |
| 122 | ** Creator/RussellTDavies: Series 1-4 + 2009 Specials; 2023 Specials + Series 14- |
| 123 | ** Creator/StevenMoffat: Series 5-10 |
| 124 | ** Creator/ChrisChibnall: Series 11-13 + 2022 Specials |
| 125 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': |
| 126 | ** Sam Simon: Seasons 1 & 2 (moved to a supervising role in seasons 3 & 4, and ended his involvement with the series after that). |
| 127 | ** Al Jean & Mike Reiss: Seasons 3 & 4 (although "A Star is Burns" and "'Round Springfield", produced alongside season 6, and "The Springfield Files", "Lisa's Sax", "Simpsioncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious" and "Simpson Tide", produced alongside season 7, were outsourced to them) |
| 128 | ** David Mirkin: Seasons 5 & 6 (alongside "Lisa the Vegetarian" and "Team Homer" for season 7 and "Joy of Sect" and "All Singing, All Dancing" for season 9) |
| 129 | ** Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein: Seasons 7 & 8. |
| 130 | ** Mike Scully: Seasons 9 through 12 (alongside "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation", produced for season 13 and aired in season 14) |
| 131 | ** Al Jean: Season 13 to present. |
| 132 | ** Matt Selman: Starting in Season 23, a handful of episodes per season are run by him. You can recognize them by the fact that Selman's name is the first to appear in the end credits. From Season 33, he has been promoted to full-time co-showrunner alongside Al Jean. |
| 133 | * ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': |
| 134 | ** Chris Sheridan & David A Goodman: Seasons 4ACX-6ACX Production Cycle |
| 135 | ** Mark Hentemann & Steve Callaghan: Seasons 7ACX-AACX |
| 136 | ** Steve Callaghan & Richard Appel: Seasons BACX-EACX |
| 137 | ** Richard Appel & Alec Sulkin: Season FACX-present |
| 138 | * ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'': After Mike Barker left, Brian Boyle replaced him as showrunner while co-creator Matt Weitzman still remains executive producing. |
| 139 | * Gene L. Coon assumed the role of showrunner from Gene Roddenberry after the initial batch of episodes from the first season of ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', starting with "[[{{Recap/StarTrekS1E8Miri}} Miri]]", and he continued in this role until halfway through season 2 ("[[{{Recap/StarTrekS2E25BreadAndCircuses}} Bread and Circuses]]" was his last episode as Producer). He actively produced nearly half of the show's 79 episodes, more than anyone else. He was replaced for the rest of the second season by writer/director John Meredyth Lucas, who left only because Gene Roddenberry was supposed to come back the following season, though he ultimately did not. Notably, both Coon - under the pseudonym "Lee Cronin" - and Lucas continued to write (and in the latter's case, direct) for the show even after having stepped down as showrunner. Journeyman producer Fred Freiberger became showrunner for the third season (often referred to as the [[SeasonalRot turd season]]), and became the [[MisBlamed scapegoat]] for all its problems. |
| 140 | * Though Creator/GeneRoddenberry created ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', he was only actually the showrunner for the first 16 episodes of the first season, after which he [[KickedUpstairs kicked himself upstairs]] and delegated the running of the show to others until his death in 1991: |
| 141 | ** Seasons 1-2: Maurice Hurley |
| 142 | ** Season 3 (first four episodes): Creator/MichaelWagner |
| 143 | ** Seasons 3-6: Michael Piller, who left to assume showrunning duties on a show he co-created, ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' |
| 144 | ** Season 7: Jeri Taylor |
| 145 | * Ira Steven Behr took over ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' from Season 3 onwards, leading to much [[GrowingTheBeard facial hair growth]]. |
| 146 | * Brannon Braga became the showrunner of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' for seasons 5-6, departing in season 7 to develop ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise''. Like Freiberger before him, he became a major scapegoat, and is often blamed for ''all'' of the problems with the show's creative direction throughout its entire run. |
| 147 | * Kenneth Biller became the final showrunner for ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' in season 7. |
| 148 | * Manny Coto took over primary showrunning duties from Rick Berman and Brannon Braga in the fourth season of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', replacing Braga as executive producer. Although season 4 was generally considered the best one, it was too late to save the show from cancellation. |
| 149 | * Writer/Actor Paul Lieberstein, for seasons 5-8 of ''Series/TheOfficeUS''. |
| 150 | * Writer/executive producer Sera Gamble worked as showrunner for ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' on Seasons 6 and 7. |
| 151 | ** Jeremy Carver took over from Gamble starting with Season 8. |
| 152 | * Neal Baer became showrunner of ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'' for season 2, replacing original showrunner Robert Palm, and remained in that position for ''eleven seasons'', the longest tenure in franchise history. |
| 153 | ** Warren Leight replaced Baer as showrunner from season 13 onward. |
| 154 | * Rene Balcer assumed the role of showrunner for the original ''Series/LawAndOrder'' twice: once in the late '90s, and again in the late noughties. In both cases, he left to helm a spinoff as the initial showrunner: First ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'', and then ''Law & Order: Los Angeles''. |
| 155 | * When Marti Noxon was promoted to executive producer for Season 6 of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', she also became showrunner for that season, since Creator/JossWhedon was initially preoccupied with the creation of a single episode ("Once More With Feeling"), as well as prepping ''Series/{{Firefly}}''. |
| 156 | * After David Greenwalt left ''Series/{{Angel}}'', Jeffrey Bell took over as showrunner for the final two seasons. [[note]]David Simkins, best known as a writer and producer on ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'', was brought in as showrunner for Season 4, but left due to creative differences after four episodes and was entirely uncredited; Bell replaced him and remained for the duration of the show.[[/note]] |
| 157 | * Following the Charles Brothers stepping out of the showrunners' positions on ''Series/{{Cheers}}'', they were followed by: |
| 158 | ** Season 3: Ken Estin and Sam Simon |
| 159 | ** Seasons 4-7: David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee |
| 160 | ** Seasons 8-10: Cheri Eichen, Bill Steinkellner and Phoef Sutton |
| 161 | ** Season 11: Dan O'Shannon and Tom Anderson |
| 162 | * Gene Reynolds (season 5), and Burt Metcalfe (seasons 6-11): ''Series/{{MASH}}'' (Creator Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds were the co-producers of the show for the first four seasons; when Gelbart departed after season 4, Reynolds took over for the fifth season, and after he too departed, Burt Metcalfe took over after previously being the show's associate producer up till then). |
| 163 | * When ''Series/{{Friends}}'' creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane stepped down as showrunners to work on their new show ''Veronica's Closet'', they were followed by: |
| 164 | ** Season 4: Michael Borkow |
| 165 | ** Seasons 5 & 6: Adam Chase |
| 166 | ** Season 7: Wil Calhoun |
| 167 | ** Seasons 8-10: Shana Goldberg Meehan & Scott Silveri |
| 168 | * When ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' creator Nell Scovell stepped down after season 1, the showrunners were: |
| 169 | ** Seasons 2-4: Miriam Trogdon |
| 170 | ** Seasons 5 & 6: Bruce Ferber |
| 171 | ** Season 7: David Babcock |
| 172 | * While ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' co-creator Greg Daniels remained a large creative force through the end of season 4, the main showrunners after season 2 were: |
| 173 | ** Seasons 3-5: Richard Appel |
| 174 | ** Season 6: Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger |
| 175 | ** Seasons 7-13: John Altschuler & David Krinsky |
| 176 | * When Creator/AaronSorkin left ''Series/TheWestWing'' at the end of season 4, veteran ''Series/{{ER}}'' producer John Wells became the showrunner of the last three seasons. |
| 177 | * When ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar left at the end of season 7, Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer, Kelly Sounders, and Brian Peterson became the showrunners of the eighth season. When Slavkin and Swimmer left at the end of season 8 to develop the [[Series/MelrosePlace Melrose Place 2009 revival series]], Sounders and Peterson became the sole showrunners for the last two seasons. |
| 178 | * Bill Lawrence was nominally the sole showrunner for the first eight seasons of ''Scrubs'', though shared his duties with several other writers, most notably the duo of Garrett Donovan and Neil Goldman. For the heavily {{Re Tool}}ed ninth season Lawrence mostly stepped away from the show in order to focus on ''Cougar Town'', leaving Josh Bycel to take over as showrunner. |
| 179 | * Jay Sommers: ''Series/PetticoatJunction'' (season 2 and very little thereafter) |
| 180 | * After Tracy Torme was forced out of the showrunner's role on ''Series/{{Sliders}}'', he was replaced by David Peckinpah for Seasons 3 and 4. Peckinpah in turn was fired at the end of Season 4, and replaced by Bill Dial for the fifth and final season. |
| 181 | * Donald P. Bellisario was forced out of the showrunner position at Series/{{NCIS}} by CBS after Season 4. He was replaced by Shane Brennan for Seasons 5 through 7. Gary Glasberg took over as showrunner in Season 8. |
| 182 | * Howard Gordon took over the showrunners' role from ''Series/TwentyFour'' creators Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow at the start of Season 5. |
| 183 | * ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' had three showrunners replacing Stephen Hillenburg after the first movie. From Fear of a Krabby Patty to What's Eating Patrick (between 2005-2015), Paul Tibbitt was the showrunner. Starting with Patrick The Game, Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller are the current showrunners, according to Waller. It should be noted that all three of them have a supervising producer credit rather executive producer (although Tibbitt got promoted to that position in season 6 and remained there until he left the show after season 9). |
| 184 | ** Starting with Season 12, Waller and Ceccarelli are credited as co-executive producers. |
| 185 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Vampirina}}'' creator Chris Nee left the show after season 2 to work at Netflix. As such, season 3 sees story editor Chelsea Beyl take over as showrunner. She was a co-producer in season 2 while she became an executive producer in season 3. |
| 186 | * Creator/ChrisSavino created ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' , and was showrunner for seasons 1-2 as well as the majority of season 3. After he was fired, story editor Michael Rubiner took over as showrunner. |
| 187 | |
| 188 | !! Shows Where the First Showrunner Was Not the Creator |
| 189 | * In general, most Japanese {{Anime}} aren't created by a sole individual but by production committees. The staff credit commonly written as ''Series Composition'' (sometimes head writer or story structure depending on translations) is the equivalent of a show runner. There are exceptions of course. |
| 190 | * ''Series/{{Lost}}'' is a hybrid as far as the creator/showrunner classification is concerned. Created/showrun by Creator/JJAbrams and Creator/DamonLindelof (Jeffrey Lieber, who shares "created by" credit, had nothing to do with the show after writing the original pilot script) and run since early on by Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. |
| 191 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'', which has only had a 'showrunner' position since the 2005 revival. Created primarily by Creator/SydneyNewman, Creator/VerityLambert, Donald Wilson and C. E. Webber. The original series may be said to have divided the showrunner's duties between the producer and the script editor; sometimes the former (eg. Creator/JohnNathanTurner from 1980 to the cancellation) or the latter (eg. Creator/DouglasAdams, 1979; Creator/AndrewCartmel, 1987-89) seemed to have more of the role. The entry earlier on this page goes with the producers as showrunners for the original series. |
| 192 | ** Likewise, ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' and ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures'' were both technically created by Creator/RussellTDavies, but the initial showrunners were Chris Chibnall and Phil Ford respectively. Davies later took full control of ''Torchwood'' starting with its third series (though apparently handed a lot of his duties over to Jane Espenson for ''Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay''), while Ford remained showrunner on ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' for its entire run. |
| 193 | ** AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho, the audio series, had Gary Russell as its showrunner until 2009, when Creator/NicholasBriggs (the voice of the Daleks) took over the role. |
| 194 | * An odd example in ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'': The show's creator, Todd J. Greenwald, was a staff writer and producer for the show's entire run, but he was never the showrunner - that honour went to Peter Murrieta for the first three seasons. Even when Murrieta left before the fourth season, Greenwald still did not become the showrunner. |
| 195 | * Edward Allen Bernero wasn't the creator of Series/CriminalMinds, but was its showrunner from the pilot to the end of the sixth season. |
| 196 | * If a film series can count, producer David Heyman is essentially the showrunner of the ''Film/HarryPotter'' movie franchise. Directors come and go and Heyman is often the one who selects them. |
| 197 | * "Showrunning" duties on ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries'' were divided between story editor D.C. Fontana and animation director Hal Sutherland; Gene Roddenberry, despite receiving creator credit, had no involvement with the series (though he was listed as the "Executive Consultant", in a harbinger of [[Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan things to come]]). |
| 198 | * Creator/TimMinear ran Joss Whedon's ''{{Series/Firefly}}''. |
| 199 | * ''Series/{{Wings}}'' was created by the trio of David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee, with David Hackel being the showrunner for the first five seasons. After Hackel left, he was replaced by a three-man showrunner team consisting of Howard Gewirtz, Ian Gurvitz and Mark Reisman. |
| 200 | * ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' was also created by Angell, Casey and Lee, but Chris Lloyd was the showrunner in seasons 1-7, Dan O'Shannon was the showrunner in seasons 8-10, while Lloyd retuned in season 11, this time co-running with Joe Keenan. Lee was the most involved out of the creator trio, frequently directing episodes of the show, while Casey and (until his death during 9/11) Angell's role was mostly limited to consulting on storylines. Casey and Lee have had no involvement whatsoever with the [[Series/Frasier2023 sequel series]], which is run by Joe Cristalli and Chris Harris, neither of whom ever wrote for the original series. |
| 201 | * ''Series/{{ER}}'' was created by Creator/MichaelCrichton. The showrunners were: |
| 202 | ** Seasons 1-3: John Wells (though he remained on as a producer and writer) |
| 203 | ** Seasons 4-6: Lydia Woodward |
| 204 | ** Seasons 7-9: Jack Orman |
| 205 | ** Seasons 10-15: David Zabel |
| 206 | * While ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'' was created by Constance M. Burge, Brad Kern was showrunner throughout all eight seasons. However, Burge remained on as writer and executive producer throughout the first two seasons before leaving at the end of season 2 due to creative differences with Kern. |
| 207 | * Showtime's ''Series/{{Dexter}}'' was created by James Manos Jr., with the showrunners being: |
| 208 | ** Seasons 1-4: Clyde Phillips |
| 209 | ** Season 5: Chip Johannessen |
| 210 | ** Seasons 6-8: Scott Buck |
| 211 | * ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' is a little complicated in this department. The show (disregarding its Japanese progenitor, ''Franchise/SuperSentai'') was created by the duo of Haim Saban and Shuki Levy. However Levy mostly ran the show for the first 4 and half seasons, taking more of a hands off approach around the second half of Turbo, leaving the show to producer John Tzachor and story editor Judd Lynn. Disney would have a rotation of show runners. |
| 212 | ** Shuki Levy: ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'', ''Series/PowerRangersTurbo'' (first half) |
| 213 | ** Judd Lynn: ''Series/PowerRangersTurbo'' (second half), ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'' (second half), ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge'', ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaSteel'', ''Series/PowerRangersBeastMorphers'' |
| 214 | ** Judd Lynn and Jackie Marchand: ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace'', ''Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy'', ''Series/PowerRangersLightspeedRescue'', ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce'' |
| 215 | ** Amit Bhaumik: ''Series/PowerRangersWildForce'' |
| 216 | ** Ann Austen and Douglas Sloan: ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaStorm'', ''Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder'' |
| 217 | ** Bruce Kalish: ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'', ''Series/PowerRangersMysticForce'', ''Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive'', ''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury'' |
| 218 | ** Eddie Guzelian: ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'' (first half) |
| 219 | ** Jonathan Tzachor: ''Series/PowerRangersSamurai'', ''Series/PowerRangersMegaforce'' |
| 220 | ** Simon Bennett: ''Series/PowerRangersDinoFury'' |
| 221 | * The creator credit on ''Series/{{Highlander}}: The Series'' went to producers Bill Panzer and Peter Davis, with Kevin Droney acting as the showrunner for the first season, and then David Abramowitz taking over the role for the rest of the show's run. Abramowitz was also showrunner for the spin-off series ''Highlander: The Raven''. |
| 222 | * ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': Creator/PendletonWard was credited as co-producer in the first two seasons, whereas Fred Seibert (head of Frederator Studios, who co-own the rights to the show) and Derek Drymon were the showrunners. After Drymon left in the third season, Ward was promoted to co-showrunner, but later stepped down from a producer role entirely due to stress towards the end of the fifth season. Head writer/storyboard artist Adam Muto took his place for the rest of the series. |
| 223 | * Creators Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts had no real involvement in the original version of ''Series/CharliesAngels'' after the 90-minute PilotMovie. Edward J. Lakso acted as showrunner for the run of the actual series, albeit with executive producer Creator/AaronSpelling having a fair bit of influence. |
| 224 | * While Creator/GeorgeLucas and Simon Kinberg were credited as the creators of ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' and ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' respectively, the actual showrunning duties on both shows were shared between lead writer Henry Gilroy and supervising director Dave Filoni. |
| 225 | * ''Series/LizzieMcGuire'': Terri Minsky wrote the pilot, which she sold to Creator/DisneyChannel. One problem: when production on the first season was ready to begin, Minsky was ''already'' showrunning ''The Geena Davis Show''. Thus, showrunning duties for ''Lizzie [=McGuire=]'' fell to Stan Rogow. (When Minsky sold ''another'' pilot, ''Series/AndiMack'', to Disney Channel 15 years later, this time she ''did'' stay on as showrunner.) |
| 226 | * ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' was created by Creator/BryanFuller and Alex Kurtzman, but the former dropped out early in production due to creative differences, while the latter didn't have time to actively oversee the show due to directing ''Film/TheMummy2017''. Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts therefore acted as the initial showrunners, only to end up being fired themselves halfway through production of the second season, resulting in Kurtzman taking over as showrunner. |
| 227 | * ''Series/HighSchoolMusicalTheMusicalTheSeries'' was initially showrun by Oliver Goldstick, though creator Tim Federle was a staff writer and producer on the show. When the two had CreativeDifferences, Disney sided with Federle over Goldstick regarding the show's content and tone, and Goldstick left the show in protest, allowing Federle to step up and become showrunner. |
| 228 | * Sam Bobrick is credited as the creator of ''Series/SavedByTheBell'' and all of its spinoffs and continuations over the years, but had no involvement whatsoever with the sprawling franchise after writing the original pilot for ''Good Morning Miss Bliss'', which aired on NBC in the summer of 1987 before being picked up as a series by Disney Channel in 1988. The primary creative force for that series, and ''Saved by the Bell'' afterwards, was producer Peter Engel. |
| 229 | |
| 230 | !! Showrunners in Fiction |
| 231 | * ''Series/ThirtyRock'': Liz Lemon is the showrunner for ''TGS with Tracy Jordan''--and is played by the aforementioned Tina Fey, the actual creator-showrunner for ''30 Rock''. |
| 232 | * ''Series/Studio60OnTheSunsetStrip'': Matt Albie and Danny Tripp |
| 233 | * ''Almost Perfect'': Kim Cooper |
| 234 | * ''The TV Set'': Creator/DavidDuchovny plays beleaguered showrunner Mike Klein. |
| 235 | |
| 236 | !! Long-Running Shows That Never Changed Showrunners |
| 237 | * ''Series/CurbYourEnthusiasm'': Ten seasons, showrunner Creator/LarryDavid. The main character? [[AsHimself Larry David, a showrunner]]. |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Main / Showrunner
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
