showrunner

noun

show·​run·​ner ˈshō-ˌrə-nər How to pronounce showrunner (audio)
variants or less commonly show-runner or show runner
plural showrunners also show-runners or show runners
: a person who oversees the writing and production of each episode of a television series and has ultimate managerial and creative control over the series
A showrunner is more than just a producer. … They are making decisions about casting, story arcs, as well as the day-to-day issues of getting a show done and ready for air.G. Michael Dobbs

Examples of showrunner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Jake Farrow and Samantha Martin will serve as showrunners, writers and executive producers for Hollywood Arts, as Jonathan Judge will direct and executive produce. Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025 Van Dusen will now write the adaptation and serve as showrunner. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025 Netflix passed on it at the end of 2024 after opting not to move forward following extensive development with both Mike Flanagan, as well as Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, the showrunners behind thriller series Dark. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025 When it was announced that Girls collaborators Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan (both Jewish) had been hired as showrunners for Season 2, the news brought some hope that Konner’s perspective in particular would help to make these characters lovable. Judy Berman, Time, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for showrunner

Word History

First Known Use

1989, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of showrunner was in 1989

Cite this Entry

“Showrunner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/showrunner. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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