Do you recognise this feeling that you’re watching a new season of a TV series, and it feels different? You can’t pinpoint it: is it the story? The new actors? A new director? In most cases, the answer lies somewhere else. The real creative power behind a show: the showrunner.
I was triggered when I saw a couple of interviews with Jess Brownell, the showrunner for Bridgerton 3 and 4 (taking over from Chris van Dusen, also the creator of the show) with Shonda Rhimes as executive producer. It’s not often that I see the showrunner do interviews as they usually stay in the background. It got me curious to find out what a showrunner exactly does and how an existing series can be affected when it changes showrunners.
Let’s dive into the role of a showrunner and explore the wide-ranging effects they have on TV series.
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What exactly does a showrunner do?
There’s a chance that you’ve heard the term ‘showrunner’ before, but many imagine it’s a more production-oriented role than creative. Did you also think they were some kind of producer, just as I did in the beginning? Honestly, they are also kind of a producer, but you can see it as similar to an executive producer in movies. In the live entertainment (where I’m mostly working), this role would be filled by a combination of a creative director and an executive producer. (If you’re wondering what an executive producer does, maybe this article about the different kinds of producers can help.)
In television, the showrunner is usually both head writer and executive producer. That means they are responsible for both the creative and the practical side of the show. The showrunner is the person who shapes the identity of a TV series. They decide how stories unfold, how characters evolve, and what kind of emotional experience viewers get from episode to episode. They lead the script writers. While directors may change and actors come and go, the showrunner is the one keeping everything on track and the series consistent.
A showrunner mostly focuses on the script:
- Leads the writers’ room and story development
- Decides long-term plotlines and season arcs
- Approves scripts and story changes
- Guides directors to keep the tone consistent
- Acts as the main creative voice toward networks and streaming platforms
But what differs a showrunner from a scriptwriter is that their influence goes a lot broader than just the script. They are also:
- Working with the studio and network on the series’ development
- Selecting and/or approving all department heads
- Consulting with the principal cast
- Approving locations
- Negotiating and approving directors
- Approving sets
- Involved in the postproduction, like choosing the final cuts and music.
If you’ve ever wondered who really controls a TV series, the answer is almost always the showrunner. However, keep in mind that the showrunner makes overall creative decisions, but it is usually not the person who actually writes the stories or directs. So it’s more of a creative overview position.
Why the showrunner is more important than the director
Unlike movies, TV series are not driven by a single director. I’ve written an earlier article explaining why there are multiple directors per season, in which it is explained that time was the biggest reason for directors to leave. Most directors choose to direct one or a few episodes before they move on to the next project. Their job is to bring the individual episodes to life.
However, if every director were allowed to follow their own vision, each episode would differ significantly from the others. Instead, an overall framework is set up for consistency. This is where the role of the showrunner comes into play.
The framework is created and guarded by the showrunner. They define the rules of the show, including how characters behave, the tone’s darkness or lightness, the pace of the stories, and the types of stories that fit the series. During recording and post-production, the showrunner also makes sure that the crew sticks to the framework, keeping an overview of the final product.
The showrunner strikes a balance between creativity and production.
So far, we’ve focused mostly on the creative part of the showrunner, but they are also busy with the production side of it. Television is a fast-moving industry with tight schedules, budget limits, and constant feedback from networks. The showrunner is the person who balances creative ambition with reality.
They protect the creativity of the show while handling the production pressure behind the scenes. When changes are needed, the showrunner decides how to adapt the story without losing what made the series special in the first place. So if there’s a cut in budget or less time for filming, the showrunner is central to deciding how to fix this problem, while keeping the quality of the show.
Show runners also help decide which director is a good fit for specific episodes, based on the director’s experience and expertise in combination with what is happening in that specific episode. They also help guide the director. The showrunner is the sparring partner of the director while he or she is preparing for their role.
At the same time, the showrunner is in close contact with the executive producers, making sure they feel satisfied with the production details of the series and that they feel the series will have a satisfying reception from the audience.
How a showrunner shapes the identity of a series
The best showrunners give their TV series a clear personality and continuity. The average viewer has probably no idea who the showrunner is, but they will recognise the result of their job:
- Characters feel consistent and believable.
- Storylines are built naturally over seasons.
- A tone that’s instantly recognisable
- A series that knows what it wants to be
When a show has a strong showrunner, it shows. On screen, but also in how audiences connect to the story. If they feel that a character is reacting out of place in season 2, the showrunner has probably made a mistake. If there’s a new season and the audience feels that the show feels very different or has a new tone, it probably has a new showrunner.
But what happens when a TV series changes its showrunner?
The showrunner is the spider at the centre of the web, connecting writers, directors, actors, and executives. When that central role changes, the entire web moves with it. Sometimes smoothly, sometimes chaotically.
Despite their importance, showrunners don’t always stay for the entire run of a show. There are many reasons why this happens: from personal reasons, such as wanting to pursue new projects, to creative disagreements with the network, conflicts behind the scenes or loss of interest in the series. Sometimes they may also be replaced by the TV studio because ratings drop or the studio wants to take the show in a different direction.
In the ideal world, the new showrunner will stick to the framework that the first showrunner has set and continue it. It is also not uncommon that the new showrunner was previously a writer on the series and was thus already previously involved and familair with the storyline. However, as each creative person has their own views and preferences, it’s not uncommon that the framework changes (slightly). And this is why the viewers often feel the impact—even if they don’t immediately know why.
For viewers, a change in showrunner can result in:
- Characters that suddenly feel “off”
- A noticeable shift in tone or pacing
- Storylines that seem less focused or cohesive
- A creative reset that improves the series
Let’s have a look at a few examples:
Example 1: The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead is a great example as it had multiple showrunners. Frank Darabont did the first two seasons but decided to leave the show. In an interview with Variety, he states:
“There’s a deep commitment and emotional investment that happens when you create something that is very near and dear to you and when that is torn asunder by sociopaths who don’t give a sh-t about your feelings or the feelings of your cast and crew because they have their own reasons to screw everybody, that doesn’t feel good.”
Glen Mazzara did the third season, but left after just one season, citing creative differences over the direction of the series. The fourth to eight season were more consistent, led by Scott Gimble. He was followed by other showcallers.
In its early seasons, The Walking Dead was praised for its slow pacing, strong character development, and moral complexity. Over time, as the series went through multiple showrunner changes, the focus gradually shifted toward action-heavy episodes, extended story arcs, and frequent cliffhangers. The series also deriviated more and more from the original comic, a much heard complain by the audience (although this was mostly done by the original comic-writer who was also attached to the series and not by the showrunner).
Many fans felt that character decisions became less consistent and that emotional depth was sacrificed for spectacle. While the show remained popular, viewer engagement declined, showing how changes in leadership can subtly but steadily alter a series’ identity.
Example 2: Dexter
Dexter is often cited as a textbook example of how a showrunner change can affect long-term storytelling. The early seasons were tightly written, psychologically complex, and morally provocative. After the fourth season, the original showrunner Clyde Phillips quit, and seasons 5-8 received criticism for uneven character development and less coherent storylines.
The controversial finale sparked widespread backlash, with many fans blaming the loss of a clear creative vision. Phillips has commented on it that the series has ‘lost its way’in the last few seasons, and it wasn’t looking far enough into the future. The showrunners had also discarded the qualities that made the protagonist so compelling.
The reaction was so strong that the franchise later returned with a revival season with the original showrunner, Phillips, to repair the ending, highlighting just how deeply showrunner decisions can shape a show’s legacy.
Example 3: Bridgerton
As Bridgerton was the main reason for this article, I have to mention it here. It switched between showrunners between seasons 2 and 3. As each season already has its own focus, main characters and arc, a change from the previous seasons may be less obvious. Chris van Dusen decided that he wanted to pursue new projects, but stayed attached as executive producer. Shonda Rhimes is also still peaking in during the process as the executive producer and the final say. Jess Brownell stepped in as the new showrunner.
Jess was already a colleague from Shonda, just as Chris had been. When Chris was the showrunner, Jess was already part of the production as a writer and producer. I think this is one of the reasons why Bridgerton has stayed quite true to its first framework, as they really know each other and were always part of the show, making it easier to continue each other’s work. How much the feeling of the show has changed and how much was due to Jess, it’s debatable. Some people love season three and some people hate it.
Conclusion: The showrunner is the creative consistency
Television is often seen as a collaborative medium — and it is. But collaboration still needs a captain. The showrunner is that captain.
Every creative thread in a TV series leads back to the showrunner. Writers, directors, actors, and producers all work through this central role of the showrunner. Like a spider in the middle of a web, the showrunner keeps everything connected and in balance.
They steer the tone, protect the characters, balance creativity with reality, and hold together the invisible web that makes a series feel cohesive. When the captain changes, the course can shift. Sometimes subtly. Sometimes dramatically.
So the next time your favourite series feels different, remember: the most important change may not be on screen at all.