A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series, who outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over the production, and the executive producer's role is limited to investing. In scripted comedy and drama TV shows, the showrunner also usually serves as the head writer. The role of a showrunner is not present on all television series, especially outside the US; this article describes the nature of the role where it is present.
Jeffrey Michael Lieber is an American screenwriter for both television and film. He is credited as a co-creator of the television series Lost. In addition to writing for television and film, Lieber blogged at the website dailykos. His blog posts appeared as "diaries" rather than front-page posts and typically had a satirical take on the news.
Scott Randall Buck is an American television writer. Buck has written for several television series including Six Feet Under, Rome, Showtime's Dexter, Everybody Loves Raymond, Coach, Inhumans, The Oblongs and Iron Fist.
Shonda Lynn Rhimes, is an American television producer and screenwriter, and founder of the production company Shondaland. Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame, Rhimes became known as the showrunner—creator, head writer, and executive producer—of the medical drama Grey's Anatomy (2005–present), its spin-off Private Practice (2007–2013) and the political thriller Scandal (2012–2018), becoming the first woman to create three television dramas that have achieved the 100 episode milestone.
Charles Hamilton Eglee is an American film and television screenwriter and producer. He worked extensively for Steven Bochco productions throughout the 1990s. For Bochco productions he co-created Byrds of Paradise with frequent collaborator Channing Gibson and co-created Murder One with Gibson and Bochco. Eglee co-created the series Dark Angel with James Cameron.
Terence Patrick Winter is an American writer and producer of television and film. He is the creator, writer, and executive producer of the HBO television series Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014). Before creating Boardwalk Empire, Winter was a writer and executive producer for the HBO television series The Sopranos, from the show's second to sixth and final season (2000–2007).
Posie Graeme-Evans is an Australian novelist, television and film producer, editor, screenwriter and director. She is best known as the creator and showrunner of McLeod's Daughters, the co-creator and co-producer of Hi-5, producing and creating Mirror, Mirror, and was Director of Drama for the Nine Network from 2002 to 2005. As an author she is known for six historical novels, published by NY based Simon & Schuster.
Kurt Leon Sutter is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and actor. He worked as a writer, director, and executive producer on The Shield, and appeared on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian. Sutter is also the creator of Sons of Anarchy and its spinoff Mayans M.C. on FX; he wrote, produced, and directed the series, as well as played incarcerated club member Otto Delaney. Sutter spent time with members of an outlaw motorcycle club in Northern California as research for Sons of Anarchy. Sutter's wife, actress Katey Sagal, played main character Gemma Teller.
William Scott Prady is an American television writer and producer who has worked on American sitcoms and variety programs, including Married... with Children, Dream On, Star Trek: Voyager, Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men and Gilmore Girls and is the co-creator of The Big Bang Theory and The Muppets.
Chris Collins is an American television writer and producer. He has worked on the HBO dramas The Sopranos and The Wire. He was an executive story editor for the Starz drama series Crash. He is a producer and writer for the FX series Sons of Anarchy.
Anthony Sparks is an American television showrunner, writer-producer, and playwright. He is also an essay writer who focuses on media, performance, and African American politics and culture. He has a Ph.D. in American studies & ethnicity from USC and began his career as an actor in classical acting and was also a lead performer in New York in the show Stomp and in the Emmy-winning HBO film Stomp Out Loud.
Kerry Anne Ehrin is an American screenwriter, showrunner, and producer. The first writer with whom Apple TV+ signed an overall deal, Kerry Ehrin developed and ran the first two seasons of the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, which led the streaming service's launch. Ehrin was also the co-creator, executive producer, and co-showrunner of the Emmy-nominated and critically acclaimed A&E drama series Bates Motel which featured Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore in the iconic roles of Norma and Norman Bates, and aired for five seasons on A&E. Prior to that, she was a writer and producer on Friday Night Lights and Parenthood and has received numerous Emmy and WGA nominations, as well as four AFI Awards.
Maurissa Tancharoen is an American writer, producer, and actress. She is known for her work as the co-creator, show runner, and executive producer of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which aired on the ABC television network for 7 seasons from 2013 to 2020. She is from Los Angeles.
Melinda Hsu is an American television writer and producer, co-creator and showrunner of Tom Swift and showrunner of Nancy Drew for the CW Network.
Paul Zbyszewski is an American television writer and producer. He has worked in both capacities on the series Lost and Day Break, and he is the creator of Day Break. He also wrote the feature film After the Sunset.
Jennifer M. Johnson is an American television writer and producer.
Cynthia Cidre is an American screenwriter and producer. She is best known as a showrunner and executive producer of TNT prime time soap opera Dallas (2012–14). Cidre was the creator and an executive producer for the CBS prime time soap opera Cane in 2007, and wrote the scripts for the films In Country (1989), A Killing in a Small Town (1990) and The Mambo Kings (1992). In 2015, she joined as co-showrunner another prime-time soap opera, Blood & Oil, on ABC.
Jeff Melvoin is an American television writer, producer, and educator. He has written dozens and produced hundreds of one-hour episodes on over a dozen television series.
John Patrick Glenn is an American screenwriter, producer, and director.
Lisa Joy is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and attorney. She is best known as the co-creator, writer, director, and executive producer of the HBO science-fiction drama series Westworld (2016–2022). For her work on the series, she received multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Joy's other work includes the ABC comedy series Pushing Daisies (2007–2009) and the USA Network crime drama series Burn Notice (2009–2011). In 2021, she made her feature film directorial debut with Reminiscence.
