Hollywood’s 50 Most Powerful TV Showrunners of 2019

The Hollywood Reporter's annual rundown reveals who'll be making the series (and the paydays) that define the industry's next era — as these MVPs disclose what they watch when they aren’t working ('Succession'), what they think of life without agents and the peer they're most envious of (Surprise! It's Phoebe Waller-Bridge).

Mikey O'Connell, Lesley Goldberg

October 3, 2019 6:00am

Hollywood's 50 Most Powerful TV Showrunners — Illustration By Sam Hadley

In a television economy where a producer can net a $400 million deal just to go steady with one studio and a sitcom writer stands to make a piece of $600 million for letting a streamer air repeats of one defunct series, it’s become clear who wields the creative power. Call them showrunners, call them writer-producers — just know that the top players in TV are the ones calling the shots in an escalating content war that's drafting more talent to the front lines each year.

The Hollywood Reporter's annual rundown of TV's top showrunners reveals who'll be making the series (and the paydays) that define the industry's next era, as these MVPs divulge what they watch when they aren't working (Succession), what they think of life without agents and the peer they're most envious of (Surprise! It's Phoebe Waller-Bridge).