A showrunner is an established writer and the top-level executive producer of a television series production, who has primary creative control and management of a TV show. They are responsible for all creative aspects of the show and are responsible only to the network (and production company, if its not their production company). They are the boss and usually a writer. The showrunner manages pretty much every aspect of a TV show, from pre-production through post-production. They are responsible for keeping the writers’ room moving forward, keeping the actors happy, and sticking to the budget for each episode. Most importantly, showrunners must adhere to the central creative vision of the series. They are the person who has final say in all aspects of the series. They are often, but not always, the creator of the show. They are typically listed as the ‘executive producer’ and usually have a writing background and run the series from this perspective. They are above a director, producer, and writer in terms of the hierarchy on a show and often hire (and have the ability to fire) people for these positions. The term showrunner denotes which of the multiple executive producers is in charge of the others. A showrunner is somebody who keeps a show running.