Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show

I really enjoyed this. When I worked as an E.P. at a small town station...creating content for multiple hours a day is tough (think Wyoming or Montana). I agree with the "new" term Show-running. These guys are definitely more like a Station Director or Manager at that point. Not just an E.P.! This is a pretty good insight into the world of television. I was surprised at how similar the writing process is with local stuff and a network drama. It's still writing scripts to get the audience's attention. Dealing with the networks has to be nerve racking at the level! Breaking into T.V. at any level is tough now-a- days. I liked the one producer's story on how it took him ten years to be successful. This film is definitely a watch for college students trying to break into TV/Broadcasting!

A documentary that explores the world of U.S. television showrunners and the creative forces aligned around them.

Although I am a huge fans of movies and have a rather solid understanding of their production and creation, I must confess I never really thought about television. I pictured it being similar, though on a smaller scale. This documentary shows that my belief is not accurate: in many ways, television is on a much larger scale, and certainly requires a greater capacity for creativity when new ideas have to be generated each week.

Touching on "Lost" was great, because it was a show many people (myself included) were addicted to. There is still debate over whether the creators really knew where the story was headed, and how much had to be invented along the way. Few, if any, of the fans were satisfied... could this have been rectified?

I've heard the term, Showrunners, but I honestly didn't know what that meant. I've seen some tv shows suffer when a Showrunner leaves, so I get the idea that it's someone equivalent to a captain steering a ship. And of course, the captain has their mates helping to keep the ship in order, so it doesn't sink. And the journeys they shall go on, some legends to be told for years and years afterward. Speaking of journeys, this documentary guides you along a well-know sea with stars shinning above, leaving you drifting afterward, wondering if this is a path that you might take.

The film did great in regards to exposing what life is like being a Showrunner. I was glad to hear from Showrunners across all genres, and even from some who ran shows that I watch routinely. It is definitely very inspiring and intriguing to watch how much effort goes into the weekly episodes we take for granted. Though the cast is predominately white male (this reflects the business itself), it would be interesting to see more diverse Showrunners in television. As well, I would have liked to hear more about the writing process and how they come up with ideas for new episodes.

The film had great editing style which kept me engaged throughout. The clear, crisp cutting between different Showrunners and the sets, enforced how busy these people actually are. One might think of working in television as a glamorous job, but as this film shows, it is also very exhausting. The Showrunner is kind of like the middleman, under the control of the network and trying to please audiences, while also trying to be faithful to their own artistic vision (at the same time juggling between actors and crew members). I'm not sure how this title of the 'Showrunner' came about, but it seems like too much responsibility has fallen on one person.

Overall, definitely an interesting watch to get a good look behind the scenes of running an American TV show.

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Really well done. Not only does it teach a lot about the job of being a show-runner, but there is some good background on how television is changing, and media in general.

We are in a time where it might look good to start on the internet and then hope for a move to television, and then a realization that the internet might be the best fit. At the same time there are people who would have wanted to be in movies, but found greater freedom in television. The internet and social media plays a role that it didn't before.

So if you like thinking about entertainment - not just watching it, but also learning how it gets made, this is a great look at that.

Good interviews. There are a lot of affable show-runners out there.