# Shows in which the creator continued to be the head writer for a time, if not forever **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 25, 2006, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-in-which-the-creator-continued-to-be-the-head-writer-for-a-time-if-not-forever/341488 "2006-01-25T01:49:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-in-which-the-creator-continued-to-be-the-head-writer-for-a-time-if-not-forever/341488/1 "2006-01-25T01:49:28Z")
Examples: Seth Macfarlane still is head writer of Family Guy. Kevin Williamson was head writer of his creation Dawson’s Creek, but he left, only returning to write the last episode. The same is true of Larry David and Seinfeld- he left as head writer, returning only to write the last (awful) episode. Any other examples? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-in-which-the-creator-continued-to-be-the-head-writer-for-a-time-if-not-forever/341488/2 "2006-01-25T05:59:22Z")
J. Michael Straczynski created and wrote the bulk of all 5 season of Babylon 5. A crazy amount of writing that set records in TV history apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-in-which-the-creator-continued-to-be-the-head-writer-for-a-time-if-not-forever/341488/3 "2006-01-25T06:05:19Z")
Matt Stone and Trey Parker are still head writers (or even sole writers? I dunno) on South Park. ---
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-in-which-the-creator-continued-to-be-the-head-writer-for-a-time-if-not-forever/341488/4 "2006-01-25T06:14:20Z")
Joss Whedon, I believe? ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-in-which-the-creator-continued-to-be-the-head-writer-for-a-time-if-not-forever/341488/5 "2006-01-25T06:22:09Z")
Joss Whedon’s duties on Buffy and Angel decreased over the runs of both shows, although he was always the executive producer and had final say on every script and plotline. Many fans blame Marti Noxon, who was pretty much the main creative force on the last two seasons of Buffy, for the show’s gradual decline in quality (although I still think the worst Buffy episodes are better than 90% of anything else on TV). One thing about Whedon is that while different episodes had different writer credits, he always returned to write and direct any key, landmark episodes on both shows (such as season finales). ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-in-which-the-creator-continued-to-be-the-head-writer-for-a-time-if-not-forever/341488/6 "2006-01-25T06:23:20Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > J. Michael Straczynski created and wrote the bulk of all 5 season of Babylon 5. A crazy amount of writing that set records in TV history apparently. He’s publishing them, now, too, through [Cafe Press](http://www.cafepress.com/thejoestore). There are (or will be) 14 books that you can buy, with a 15th [free](http://www.babylon5scripts.com/Vol15.htm) to everyone who buys all 14. Oh, yeah, I’m buying them all. I just wish the remaining 18 scripts (according to the back of the book, JMS wrote 92 of the 110 series shows) could also be published. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-in-which-the-creator-continued-to-be-the-head-writer-for-a-time-if-not-forever/341488/7 "2006-01-25T07:24:54Z")
David Milch on Deadwood. From what I understand he writes the final draft of every episode. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-in-which-the-creator-continued-to-be-the-head-writer-for-a-time-if-not-forever/341488/8 "2006-01-25T10:39:11Z")
IIRC, Aaron Sorkin was the sole writer for the first four seasons of the _West Wing_ (except for two episodes in Season 4). ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-in-which-the-creator-continued-to-be-the-head-writer-for-a-time-if-not-forever/341488/9 "2006-01-25T12:47:58Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > IIRC, Aaron Sorkin was the sole writer for the first four seasons of the _West Wing_ (except for two episodes in Season 4). And for all 41 episodes of _Sports Night_, the entire run of that show. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-in-which-the-creator-continued-to-be-the-head-writer-for-a-time-if-not-forever/341488/10 "2006-01-25T14:29:20Z")
Rod Serling was the primary writer of “The Twilight Zone” for its entire run, though there were numerous other writers, including Richard Matheson and Earl “The Waltons” Hamner. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-in-which-the-creator-continued-to-be-the-head-writer-for-a-time-if-not-forever/341488/11 "2006-01-25T15:38:18Z")
IIRC before JMS broke the record, the previous writer with most eps written in a row was Terry Nation for Blake’s 7. Brian ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-in-which-the-creator-continued-to-be-the-head-writer-for-a-time-if-not-forever/341488/12 "2006-01-25T16:20:06Z")
Terry Nation wrote the first season of Blake’s 7, but his streak was broken at 14 and he wrote a total of 20 episodes of the 52. Script editor Chris Boucher wrote 9 episodes Jay Sommers created and cowrote the first 31 episodes of Green Acres, usually with Dick Chevillat. Of the show’s 170 episodes, Sommers and Chevillat were credited (either together or with others) as writers in all but 6. I didn’t count, but it looks like Sommers was credited with well over 100 episodes, and probably close to 150. He also stayed with the show until it was cancelled. I’d say that he’s the leading candidate for the most episodes written. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-in-which-the-creator-continued-to-be-the-head-writer-for-a-time-if-not-forever/341488/13 "2006-01-25T19:20:07Z")
I just checked, what JMS claims is the only American season by a solo writer. > [@JMS](#): > > This marks the first time in the 50+ year history > of American television that one person has singlehandedly written an > entire season of a series. (The closest record is Terry Nation, who > wrote the 13-episode first season of Blake’s 7.) also > [@JMS](#): > > Not that I’m actively interested in records (maybe CDs), but just to set the > record straight…all told I wrote 91 out of 110 eps, and having written all of > S3, S4 and all but one of S5 right in the middle, that puts it at 54 > consecutive scripts (since Neil’s came in halfway through S5). Brian