showrunner

American  

[shoh-ruhn-er] / ˈʃoʊˌrʌn ər /

noun

1. a person in overall charge of a television show.

   She’s a great showrunner who’s turned out two successful seasons.

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Other Word Forms

• showrunning noun

Etymology

Origin of showrunner

First recorded in 1955–60; show ( def. ) + runner ( def. )

Example Sentences

“They all have stories and we track them all,” says series creator and showrunner R. Scott Gemmill.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Bruce Miller, who developed “The Handmaid’s Tale” and served as showrunner for much of its run, returned to adapt the sequel.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Its episodic encores are currently airing on Fox as a lead-in to “The Faithful,” whose showrunner, René Echevarria, is an old hand at both network and cable, and whose work includes “The 4400.”

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

So he got in touch with John Wells, who had been the showrunner on ER, and the rest, as they say, is history.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

“Every year, we monitor what’s going on in the world,” the showrunner said, adding that the ceremony has the support of the FBI and LAPD.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026