Mary Tyler Moore Gave A Voice to Not Only Single Women, But Writers As Well.....

[Brian Damage]

This week, The Hollywood Reporter published its fourth annual list of the “Top 50 Power Showrunners” working in television. Many on the Hollywood Reporter’s list are synonymous with their show’s creation and vision. Where would Mad Men be without Matthew Weiner, or Community without Dan Harmon? These days, most savvy TV fans know a showrunner is the person in charge of the daily operations of a show, having both producing and writing responsibilities. But those who pay attention when the credits roll will notice that “showrunner” isn’t in there. So where did the term come from, and when did people start using it?

Most likely, the late 1980s. The rise of the term “showrunner” tracks with the rise of writers in television. Before TV became a “writer’s medium,” it was a studio’s medium. Throughout the ’50s and ’60s, studios controlled all facets of production, from conception onward. Writers were mostly contract workers and did not generally participate in crafting the vision of the show. Studios only allowed experienced executives to pitch new shows, and these executives typically stayed on as the chief producers.

This system broke down in the late 1970s with The Mary Tyler Moore Show. According to veteran TV producer Jeff Melvoin—who has supervised shows from Remington Steele to Army Wives—Mary Tyler Moore was one of the first shows to give writers real creative freedom. “Once you gave writers a sense that they were in control, it was hard to go back,” Melvoin says. At the same time, audiences began to expect richer characters and plotlines. To keep a coherent vision, hit shows like Hill Street Blues began to rely on staff writers over contract writers. As writers became more critical to keeping shows on air, they were given more production responsibilities. Soon, studios even allowed writers to create new shows—and then to stay on to shape the shows they envisioned. The writer-executive producer was born.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/...nd_origin.html