Executive Producers In Name Only - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

icecream · 02-22-2021, 12:22 PM

What are shows where an executive producer is listed at the end of the episode (or at the beginning), but is there in name only and doesn't really have anything to do with the show? This is not the same as a created by credit, where you can create a show but leave before it is done and the created by part would still be accurate.

Donald Bellisario on NCIS- Mark Harmon got him fired over a decade ago, but Donald's name has appeared at the end of every episode.
Stana Katic on Castle- With how horribly Nathan Fillion treated her demanding as little screen time with her as possible, I have suspected Stana was given a producer credit in name only to get her to stay.
Leonard Goldberg- He remained a producer post mortem on Blue Bloods all of last season (season 10).
Greg Berlanti- With the heap of shows he executive produces, I doubt Greg is personally involved with all of them. Prodigal Son does not seem like his type of show.
sitcom examples welcome of course but none that I can think of

cnnbcbs · 02-22-2021, 02:28 PM

Glenn Larson on Magnum. I guess he gets a created credit but basically his entire version of Magnum was thrown out.

GentlemanJim · 02-22-2021, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catsrule

What are shows where an executive producer is listed at the end of the episode (or at the beginning), but is there in name only and doesn't really have anything to do with the show? This is not the same as a created by credit, where you can create a show but leave before it is done and the created by part would still be accurate.
examples welcome of course but none that I can think of

I always thought that Sheldon Leonard eventually grew into one of these. You know where he still owned a big enough part of a particular show that people needed to get his approval on stuff, but the day to day actual work was delegated to grunts.

RetroGuy2000 · 02-22-2021, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catsrule

What are shows where an executive producer is listed at the end of the episode (or at the beginning), but is there in name only and doesn't really have anything to do with the show? This is not the same as a created by credit, where you can create a show but leave before it is done and the created by part would still be accurate.

Donald Bellisario on NCIS- Mark Harmon got him fired over a decade ago, but Donald's name has appeared at the end of every episode.
Stana Katic on Castle- With how horribly Nathan Fillion treated her demanding as little screen time with her as possible, I have suspected Stana was given a producer credit in name only to get her to stay.
Leonard Goldberg- He remained a producer post mortem on Blue Bloods all of last season (season 10).
Greg Berlanti- With the heap of shows he executive produces, I doubt Greg is personally involved with all of them. Prodigal Son does not seem like his type of show.
sitcom examples welcome of course but none that I can think of

Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner vacated the set of Roseanne shortly into the original show's run. They were listed in the credits as executive producers, but they were not involved with the show. The snooty character of Kathy Bowman, it is rumored, was based on Marcy Carsey.

icecream · 02-22-2021, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner vacated the set of Roseanne shortly into the original show's run.

Maybe they had recently met Roseanne in person and couldn't wait to get away from that terror. Her reputation is bad enough, I would think she is even more awful to work with in person.

factsoflife · 02-23-2021, 02:21 AM

Aaron Spelling by the late 1990's was basically "In Name Only" in that he really had little involvement in the day to day of his shows; many of which had been running for many years already and didn't require much of him. Shows like "Melrose Place" or "Beverly Hills, 90210" were well oiled machines with tons of other producers overseeing the day to day. Newer shows like "Titans" or "Savannah" didn't last long enough for him to have too much involvement past the original pilot episode or first few episodes.

Another name that comes to mind is Mark Gordon, who is in the credits for many shows like The Rookie, Criminal Minds, Grey's Anatomy, etc but has no creative involvement at all. He is strictly a financial investor in the shows he produces. Unlike say Shonda Rhimes or Ryan Murphy he doesn't have much if any creative input in shows he produces.

bmasters9 · 02-23-2021, 05:01 AM

What about Larry Hagman on O-R CBS Dallas in the final year of that one (1990-91)?

RetroGuy2000 · 02-23-2021, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catsrule

Maybe they had recently met Roseanne in person and couldn't wait to get away from that terror. Her reputation is bad enough, I would think she is even more awful to work with in person.

That is exactly what happened. They were only involved very early in the process, and then they vacated the set.

RetroGuy2000 · 02-23-2021, 08:13 AM

Fran and Kaz Kuzui were credited as executive producers on both Buffy and Angel, despite having no involvement in either production.

stevea · 02-23-2021, 10:09 AM

Somebody educate me here if I'm wrong, but on most sitcoms today, the parade of executive producers and producers take up about the first five minutes of the show. It's hard to believe all these people actually DO something. Aren't most of them just people who've plopped down a lot of dough to invest in the show?

GentlemanJim · 02-23-2021, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevea

Somebody educate me here if I'm wrong, but on most sitcoms today, the parade of executive producers and producers take up about the first five minutes of the show. It's hard to believe all these people actually DO something. Aren't most of them just people who've plopped down a lot of dough to invest in the show?

I believe what you just said is correct. Additionally there might be some business protocol involved, such as determining for tax purposes whether the individual is actively or passively involved, stuff like that.

Might be a place holder title for eventual royalties too.

02-22-2021, 12:22 PM	#1
icecream Cat-tastic and Whiskerlicious Forum Celebrity Join Date: Sep 01, 2006 Location: The Catacombs Posts: 20,782	Executive Producers In Name Only What are shows where an executive producer is listed at the end of the episode (or at the beginning), but is there in name only and doesn't really have anything to do with the show? This is not the same as a created by credit, where you can create a show but leave before it is done and the created by part would still be accurate. Donald Bellisario on NCIS- Mark Harmon got him fired over a decade ago, but Donald's name has appeared at the end of every episode. Stana Katic on Castle- With how horribly Nathan Fillion treated her demanding as little screen time with her as possible, I have suspected Stana was given a producer credit in name only to get her to stay. Leonard Goldberg- He remained a producer post mortem on Blue Bloods all of last season (season 10). Greg Berlanti- With the heap of shows he executive produces, I doubt Greg is personally involved with all of them. Prodigal Son does not seem like his type of show. sitcom examples welcome of course but none that I can think of
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02-23-2021, 02:21 AM	#6
factsoflife Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 11, 2000 Posts: 8,745	Aaron Spelling by the late 1990's was basically "In Name Only" in that he really had little involvement in the day to day of his shows; many of which had been running for many years already and didn't require much of him. Shows like "Melrose Place" or "Beverly Hills, 90210" were well oiled machines with tons of other producers overseeing the day to day. Newer shows like "Titans" or "Savannah" didn't last long enough for him to have too much involvement past the original pilot episode or first few episodes. Another name that comes to mind is Mark Gordon, who is in the credits for many shows like The Rookie, Criminal Minds, Grey's Anatomy, etc but has no creative involvement at all. He is strictly a financial investor in the shows he produces. Unlike say Shonda Rhimes or Ryan Murphy he doesn't have much if any creative input in shows he produces.
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02-23-2021, 05:01 AM	#7
bmasters9 Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 06, 2007 Posts: 2,550	What about Larry Hagman on O-R CBS Dallas in the final year of that one (1990-91)?
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02-22-2021, 02:28 PM	#2
cnnbcbs Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 08, 2017 Posts: 366	Glenn Larson on Magnum. I guess he gets a created credit but basically his entire version of Magnum was thrown out.

02-23-2021, 08:13 AM	#9
RetroGuy2000 Julie,Julie Anne,&Felice 4Ever Forum Star Join Date: Dec 27, 2013 Posts: 16,914	Fran and Kaz Kuzui were credited as executive producers on both Buffy and Angel, despite having no involvement in either production.

02-23-2021, 10:09 AM	#10
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 44,698	Somebody educate me here if I'm wrong, but on most sitcoms today, the parade of executive producers and producers take up about the first five minutes of the show. It's hard to believe all these people actually DO something. Aren't most of them just people who've plopped down a lot of dough to invest in the show?