2 ms·

> You can't use the terms interchangeably Right, but what's the actual definition of the term "showrunner"? It's "the leading producer", according to the firs

> You can't use the terms interchangeably Right, but what's the actual definition of the term "showrunner"? It's "the leading producer", according to the first sentence of that Wikipedia article. Why aren't we talking about the "lead[ing] producer"? Is the term "showrunner" perhaps just industry jargon that slipped out into the mainstream? EDIT: Go read through the Wikipedia:Talk page for 'Showrunner'[0], the quote "so much conflicting terminology, contradictions within contradictions" seems pretty apt. An ill-defined and (?) informal position? Q: Is it just me or are people - particularly journalists - desperate to use terms that make them sound like they're part of the "in" crowd? [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Showrunner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Showrunner

HWR_14 4y ago
The showrunner is the person responsible for the long-term trajectory and story health of a tv show. It's a real term (Joss Whedon is the showrunner for the Whedon-verse shows), but "leading producer" is not a term, it's an attempt at a description. The showrunner can also have one of several actual official titles. To answer the specific question in "Ack", it's a recognition of the person who is day-to-day the final decision maker. They can be overruled from above by executives (the showrunner is not the supreme content creator overlord), but the executives are overseeing a lineup or channel. The showrunner is the one who are making sure the season goes right as a full-time job.
- logifail 4y ago
  > It's a real term [..] the showrunner can also have one of several actual official titles Q: Is "showrunner" an official title, or not? EDIT: apparently not[0]: "The highest ranking producer is the showrunner, the man or woman ultimately responsible for the creative direction of the series. Showrunner is a function, not a title — this person is credited as an Executive Producer. In many cases, he or she has “Created by” credit on the series" [0] https://johnaugust.com/2004/producer-credits-and-what-they-mean https://johnaugust.com/2004/producer-credits-and-what-they-m... EDIT2: "A showrunner is the unofficial title given to the top-level creative decision maker and manager overseeing all episodes of an individual season of a television/episodic series. The showrunner is usually credited as an executive producer, producer and/or writer. "[1] [1] https://help.imdb.com/article/contribution/filmography-credits/showrunners-and-head-writers/GWM56FK8YQM2MV6R# https://help.imdb.com/article/contribution/filmography-credi...
  - jollybean 4y ago
    You are misrepresenting those definitions a bit. Or they are poorly written. Showrunner is a thing, TV projects have them. They are the 'nexus' - both creative and a bit operational of the show. Like the 'founder' and 'visionary' of the show. They also kind of 'make the show happen'. Dan Levy is the 'Showrunner' for Schitt's Creek. Just type the name of your favorite TV show along with 'showrunner' and you'll see who it is. Usually will be 'creator' and 'writer'. They will probably get a producer credit. Note that 'showrunner' is generally not a specific kind of 'credit' but that a feature 'credit' isn't really a title either. 'Exec. Producer' can mean anything. Or nothing. The 'director' in TV is generally less important. For film, usually the Director kind of plays that role as the lead visionary, especially if they pitched and raised the money, got the team together, got the actors to sign up etc.. Producers are generally not directly creative visionaries.

HWR_14 4y ago

The showrunner is the person responsible for the long-term trajectory and story health of a tv show. It's a real term (Joss Whedon is the showrunner for the Whedon-verse shows), but "leading producer" is not a term, it's an attempt at a description. The showrunner can also have one of several actual official titles. To answer the specific question in "Ack", it's a recognition of the person who is day-to-day the final decision maker. They can be overruled from above by executives (the showrunner is not the supreme content creator overlord), but the executives are overseeing a lineup or channel. The showrunner is the one who are making sure the season goes right as a full-time job.

logifail 4y ago
> It's a real term [..] the showrunner can also have one of several actual official titles Q: Is "showrunner" an official title, or not? EDIT: apparently not[0]: "The highest ranking producer is the showrunner, the man or woman ultimately responsible for the creative direction of the series. Showrunner is a function, not a title — this person is credited as an Executive Producer. In many cases, he or she has “Created by” credit on the series" [0] https://johnaugust.com/2004/producer-credits-and-what-they-mean https://johnaugust.com/2004/producer-credits-and-what-they-m... EDIT2: "A showrunner is the unofficial title given to the top-level creative decision maker and manager overseeing all episodes of an individual season of a television/episodic series. The showrunner is usually credited as an executive producer, producer and/or writer. "[1] [1] https://help.imdb.com/article/contribution/filmography-credits/showrunners-and-head-writers/GWM56FK8YQM2MV6R# https://help.imdb.com/article/contribution/filmography-credi...
- jollybean 4y ago
  You are misrepresenting those definitions a bit. Or they are poorly written. Showrunner is a thing, TV projects have them. They are the 'nexus' - both creative and a bit operational of the show. Like the 'founder' and 'visionary' of the show. They also kind of 'make the show happen'. Dan Levy is the 'Showrunner' for Schitt's Creek. Just type the name of your favorite TV show along with 'showrunner' and you'll see who it is. Usually will be 'creator' and 'writer'. They will probably get a producer credit. Note that 'showrunner' is generally not a specific kind of 'credit' but that a feature 'credit' isn't really a title either. 'Exec. Producer' can mean anything. Or nothing. The 'director' in TV is generally less important. For film, usually the Director kind of plays that role as the lead visionary, especially if they pitched and raised the money, got the team together, got the actors to sign up etc.. Producers are generally not directly creative visionaries.