Editing Showrunner (section)

{{Short description|Top-level producer of a television show}}
{{Globalize|article|USA|2name=the [[United States]]|date=March 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2011}}
A '''showrunner''' is the top-level [[television producer|executive producer]] of a television series.<ref name=PGA>{{cite web|url=http://producersguild.southleft.com/code-of-credits/|title=What does a producer do? - Television Series|work=[[Producers Guild of America]]|accessdate=October 24, 2022}}</ref><ref name=writersguildUK>{{cite web|url=https://writersguild.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/WGGB-Showrunning-in-the-UK-summary_FINAL.pdf|title=Showrunning in the UK|work=[[Writers' Guild of Great Britain]]|accessdate=August 29, 2023|archive-date=December 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202025936/https://writersguild.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/WGGB-Showrunning-in-the-UK-summary_FINAL.pdf}}</ref><ref>D'Arminio, Aubry (October 10, 2016). "Gary Glasberg: 1966–2016", ''[[upTV Guide]]''. p. 17.</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=MasterClass staff |url=https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-a-showrunner-shonda-rhimess-advice-for-showrunners |title=What is a Showrunner: Shonad Rhimes's Advice for Showrunners |website=MasterClass |access-date=6 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211225141937/https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-a-showrunner-shonda-rhimess-advice-for-showrunners |archive-date=25 December 2021 |date=10 September 2021 |quote=para. 2: "He or she is… always an executive producer."}}</ref> The position outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the [[film director|director]] has creative control over the production, and the executive producer's role is limited to investing.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=TV's showrunners outrank directors |url=https://variety.com/2008/scene/awards/tv-s-showrunners-outrank-directors-1117990670/ |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=August 15, 2008 |first=Janice Rhoshalle |last=Littlejohn |access-date=January 8, 2024}}</ref> In scripted comedy and drama TV shows, the showrunner also usually serves as the [[head writer]] (or its most prolific writer). The role of a showrunner is not present on all television series, especially outside the United States; this article describes the nature of the role where it is present.