Uncovering the Power and Pressures of TV’s Top SHOWRUNNERS

Of all the Hollywood titles most familiar with the general public, the role of showrunner is rarely mentioned in the same way as producer and director and therefore remains a bit of a mystery.

In their new documentary Showrunners, filmmakers Des Doyle and Ryan Patrick McGuffey delve deeply into this crucial Hollywood job and provide a behind-the-scenes look into the making of some of the biggest shows on TV.

“It’s my first time directing anything, I’m Irish. I came over I knew no one, I had no contacts here, no track record, so it was incredibly difficult at the beginning to try and get anyone’s attention,” said Doyle.

After telling people working in the business what he wanted to do, many basically thought it would be impossible because of the all logistical and political issues that would inevitably block access to the showrunners.

“There is a genuine issue in actually getting time with these guys, because time is an incredibly precious resource for them,” said Doyle, who adds that typically they only grant interviews to publications like the Hollywood Reporter or other major accredited institutions.

The filmmakers explained that it took them about four months to get the first showrunner on camera, but once they’d broken through, it wasn’t long before many other heavy hitters were also willing to talk.

“The problem quickly became, how are we going to get to all these busy, important people… going to fit them all in – now they’re coming to us, and the doors are opening up in various ways because they talk to each other,” said McGuffey. “Most guys would say to us, ‘The best idea in the room wins.’ It’s not necessarily (the showrunner) going in and forcing or dictating. They funnel and shape, but they want and need the input.”

However, Doyle said it also became clear to him that when it comes to certain decisions, ultimately the showrunner must be the final word. “It’s not a democracy in that way. If someone’s pitching great ideas, it has to be, ‘Yeah, but that doesn’t work for where we want to go and what we want to do.”

On the involvement of actors in the film, Doyle said that while it was sometimes tricky to get them to participate due to the limited access to stars of the shows, most were very cooperative once they understood what the project was about.

Doyle said the visibility of showrunners has risen in recent years due in part to their appearances at events like Comic Con, to give fans and the media the tidbits they really want. “They’re really the people who give the hard core fans the answers they want – or tease them endlessly about what’s coming up.”

Watch the full interview to get a sneak peek of this fascinating documentary and to also hear a discussion of the state of the television business today with increasing competition from Internet-based channels and how this will affect the future of broadcast TV.