This jibes with what Ken Levine says (he has been a writer on many sitcoms). As the terms Producer and Executive Producer started being applied to a bunch of people who were actually actors and writers, the “show runner” term came into use to denote who the boss really was. I think the term “show runner” just sounds so twee and juvenile, and despite hearing it for at least the past five years, I still hate it.
That sounds about right. Phil Rosenthal, who worked with Ray Romano to create Everybody Loves Raymond, said he fought with the network because they didn’t think he had the experience to be the “show runner,” meaning to draw up the budgets and shooting schedules, hire and supervise the crew, etc.
Looking at the credits for ELR, I see nine “executive producers” and nine “co-executive producers” who didn’t also have the executive producer title. Nine of the executive or co-exectutive producers were also called “supervising producer.” Not to mention four people who were called simply “producer.”
Oh yeah, 26 different episode directors.
So far the earliest citation I can find on this board is from 2005. It didn’t seem to gain a lot of traction until the past two or three years, though.
Season 1 of The Wire was 2002.
Was a big fan of everything in the Whedonverse since Buffy’s first season, but never heard him referred to as a show runner.
With the influence Sorkin had over The West Wing, I could imagine the term applying to him. But again, never heard the term used.
well on ncis at one time they had 3 exec producers
1 was bellisario who created the show
2 was mark harmon whos the main star of the show
3 shane brennan who ran the show through his production comp
the lesser producers were no3’s underlings
although I think brennan left when they gave him ncis la tho
To me, the term show-runner first started coming up when that person becomes something of a brand, and we’re expected to try a show because they’re involved. Lear would be a good example, as I remember people trying The Jeffersons, Maude, Good Times, and such because the guy producing All In The Family was involved. I personally first heard the term applied to Aaron Soorkin, and more often about JJ Abrams after Alias took off.
I’ve always read tv news. I think I started hearing the term in the 90s.
Probably not. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Yes.
It depends on the show.
There are shows (arguably most shows) where changing showrunners won’t matter. There’s nothing specific enough about the story or style that someone else can’t pick up just as easily or even subtly shift without it being jarring for the audience. Those shows change showrunners all the time. Then there are some where the show doesn’t work without that specific person.
Good Wife didn’t just end because the showrunners claimed they wanted to move on. If the show were still making a ton of money and/or getting a ton of critical praise, CBS would have found someone new to put at the center of the show. But at 7 years, the show was about to get very expensive to produce, the critics and awards haven’t been in love with it for the past few years, and ratings have been slipping. “The Kings want to move on” provides a graceful exit for everyone.
I’m not sure that’s right. Producers like Desilu (Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball), Quinn Martin, Aaron Spelling, Steven Bochco were very familiar to most viewers in the 60s, 70s, 80s.
This has been a Quinn Martin production!
Back then, I was never sure whether Quinn Martin was one person or two. (One.)
The same with Goodson Todman. (They were two.)
I first heard the term when LOST became a smash hit in 2004. All the sudden Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse were near celeberties, and often branded as the show-runners next to J.J. Abrams.