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

In November, The Times spoke with “DWTS” showrunner Conrad Green, who attributed the ratings spike to reviving “communal viewing experiences.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Rachel Shukert, the showrunner of Netflix’s “Baby-Sitters Club” reboot, described the problem to New York magazine’s Vulture: “Girls are expected to go straight from Doc McStuffins to ‘Euphoria.’”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

The “Schitt’s Creek” showrunner takes the occasion of his first feature to go darker and more dramatic, with a story of loss lightened by rom-com elements.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

In December, showrunner Sam Levinson said he feels "strongly this is our best season yet".

From BBC • Mar. 30, 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