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. He or she is the creator or co-creator of a show and is a writer as well. These people are the guiding lights for a production. 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Cutter, who also was the creator, showrunner and executive producer of Starz’s Hightown, is repped by CAA, Artists Collective, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025 Megan Ganz serves as writer, executive producer, and showrunner on the pilot. Joe Otterson, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025 Co-created by The New York Times bestselling author Carr and season 1 creator and showrunner David DiGilio, Dark Wolf follows Ben Edwards (Taylor Kitsch) on his journey from the SEALs to the clandestine side of CIA special operations. Susan Young, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025 There's just one episode to go in the third and final season of the Prime Video hit, which is adapted from Jenny Han's bestselling book trilogy of the same name, and as Han, who is also showrunner on the series, has teased, there have been a lot of surprises ahead of the finale. Julia Moore, People.com, 11 Sep. 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 14 Sep. 2025.

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