From Shonda Rhimes to Armando Iannucci: 10 of the best TV showrunners
Michael SchurParks and Recreation, The Good Place
Since graduating from the US remake of The Office, Schur has done more than anyone to develop its ethos of making comedy that’s cool without being unkind. He was the boss of Parks and Recreation, which recovered from a so-so start to become truly beloved. Then The Good Place wowed us with primary colours and slyly intelligent philosophising. He co-created Brooklyn Nine-Nine, too.
Shonda RhimesGrey’s Anatomy, Scandal
Rhimes is one of the few showrunners to have become so big that Netflix has invested millions in staking sole claim to their work. Most recently, Rhimes produced Bridgerton but, as a creator and writer, she is yet to repeat the success of her two whopping hits: the soapy medical drama Grey’s Anatomy and the soapy political thriller Scandal.
Damon LindelofLost, The Leftovers, Watchmen
Lost is one of the great feats of showrunning – not writing – specifically: inheriting a big idea with no plan, Lindelof and Carlton Cuse steered that behemoth to ratings glory and critical adulation. Lindelof used that leverage to oversee not one but two fivestar shows: the deeply emotional The Leftovers, and a spectacular take on Watchmen.
David SimonThe Wire, The Deuce
Simon has presided over many humane critical hits, most famously The Wire, never equalled. He has come close with Treme, Show Me a Hero, The Deuce and The Plot Against America, all showcasing political smarts and tenderness towards the powerless people crushed by bad systems.
Kenya BarrisBlack-ish, Grown-ish Barris is one of a too-tiny handful of Black US showrunners. Even more than Rhimes, he created a self-contained TV world: Black-ish, about a middleclass Black family, spawned the college comedy Grown-ish, 80s prequel Mixedish, and the weaker #blackAF. One of American telly’s clearest voices.
Sally WainwrightLast Tango in Halifax, Happy Valley
Wainwright writes solo, sans team, but that’s the British way. Last Tango in Halifax and Happy Valley took her to UK telly’s top tier, with the period dramas Gentleman Jack and To Walk Invisible showing her range. Some want her for Doctor Who; arguably it would be a step down.
Armando IannucciThe Day Today, The Thick of It, Veep
In The Day Today, Iannucci blended the talents of Chris Morris, Steve Coogan, Rebecca Front and other future stars to create a towering achievement of British comedy. After predicting where the media was going, Iannucci told us where politics had ended up, capturing the PR-over-policy mindset in The Thick of It. Veep and Avenue 5 made him a big noise in the US.
Amy Sherman PalladinoGilmore Girls, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
In 2017, a decade had passed since Sherman Palladino’s snappy motherdaughter saga Gilmore Girls went off air. Two flops later (though Bunheads deserved better), she roared back with sparkling retro comedy The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, a joyous award-hoover. The just-so cultural references and screwball dialogue are unmistakably ASP.
Ryan MurphyGlee, American Crime Story
Netflix’s other star signing alongside Rhimes is surely the most prolific showrunner ever, with Nip/Tuck, Glee, American Horror Story, Feud and The Politician in a genre-hopping oeuvre that tends towards glossy, malevolent sass. Anyone tempted to dismiss him found succour with the wretched Ratched, but the two American Crime Story series, on OJ Simpson and Gianni Versace, were fine work.
Marta KauffmanFriends, Grace and Frankie
Kauffman and David Crane had already helmed the saucy Dream On before they hit the jackpot with Friends, a global phenomenon its creators managed flawlessly. Crane went on to make Episodes, and Kauffman is responsible for Netflix’s agreeably cantankerous Grace and Frankie: like all her work, it’s smooth, then sharp.