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Television producer
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The primary role of a television producer is to control all aspects of production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking. It is often the producer who is responsible for the show's overall quality and survivability, though the roles depend on the particular show or organization.
Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the networks, but upon acceptance they focus on business matters, such as budgets and contracts.
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The primary role of a television producer is to control all aspects of production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking. It is often the producer who is responsible for the show's overall quality and survivability, though the roles depend on the particular show or organization.
Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the networks, but upon acceptance they focus on business matters, such as budgets and contracts. Other producers are more involved with the day-to-day workings, participating in activities such as screenwriting, set design, casting, and even directing.
Producer credits
In television, there are a variety of different producers on a show. A traditional producer is one who manages a show's budget and maintains a schedule, but such is no longer the case in modern television. In fact, nowadays a producer is almost synonymous with a writer.
Different types of producers in the industry today include (in order of seniority):
- Executive producer: Usually at least one, but not necessarily every, executive producer is in charge of production, or the show runner. Show creators are automatically given the title of executive producer, even after they depart the show. Executive producers can also be head writers.
- Co-executive producer: Second in seniority to executive producer. Often in television, the title of co-executive producer is also given to a writer who has written full-time on the show for so many years.
- Supervising producer: Supervises the creative process in the writing room, and often aids in script re-writes. These people also guide new writers.
- Coordinating producer: Or production coordinator. This producer manages the show's schedule and arranges the staff into teams.
- Producer: One who manages a show's budget. A producer can also be the writer of the episode, or a former executive producer who still writes for the show, but has since relinquished his/her duties as E.P. Since producer credits are used for individual episodes, they often require approval from the Writers Guild of America. Traditional producers are usually given the credit of Produced by.
- Co-producer: A writer on the show who may not have written the episode, but contributed significantly through table reads or revisions. Co-producer credits also often require approval from the Writers Guild of America.
- Consulting producer: These producers are former executive or possibly co-executive producers, or in rare cases directors, who no longer work on the show. They are called upon to assist the writers, sometimes specializing in a particular subject.
- Associate producer: Runs day-to-day operations.
- Segment producer: Writes one segment of a program.
- Line producer: A producer in charge of managing current staff, and finding staff to hire for the production.
- Production assistant: Or P.A. A production assistant does various odd jobs around a studio, such as printing schedules, making copies, and storing files.
In live or "as-live" television, an executive producer seldom has any operational control of the show. His/her job is to stand back from the operational aspects and judge the show as an ordinary viewer might.
In film or videotape productions, the executive producer is almost always given an opportunity to comment on a rough cut but the amount of attention paid to his/her comments is highly dependent on the overall personnel structure of the production.
Writer as "producer"
Under the guidelines of the Writers Guild of America, script writers in television also tend to be credited as "producers," even though they may not engage in the responsibilities generally associated with that title.
On-screen, a "producer" credit for a TV series will generally be given to each member of the writing staff who made a demonstrable contribution to the final script. The actual producer of the show (in the traditional sense) is listed under the credit "Produced by".
Star as "producer"
Sometimes the star of a successful series can have a degree of influence over the creative process. For example, besides his leading role as Jack Bauer in 24, Kiefer Sutherland was credited as producer during the show's second season, then rising to co-executive producer from seasons 3 to the last few episodes of season 5, from where he was finally promoted to executive producer of which he is still serving.
Some notable television producers
- J.J. Abrams — Alias, Lost, Fringe
- David Angell — Frasier, Wings, Cheers
- Alan Ball — Six Feet Under, True Blood
- Biddy Baxter — Blue Peter (1962–65; editor 1965–1988)
- Thom Beers — Deadliest Catch, Lobster Wars, numerous other Discovery Channel series
- Donald Bellisario — JAG, NCIS, Quantum Leap
- Steven Bochco — Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, NYPD Blue
- Kevin Bright/Marta Kauffman/David Crane — Friends
- James L. Brooks — The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, Taxi, The Simpsons, The Tracey Ullman Show
- Jerry Bruckheimer — The Amazing Race, Cold Case, CSI, Without A Trace
- Mark Burnett — The Apprentice, Survivor, Rock Star
- Stephen J. Cannell — The Rockford Files, 21 Jump Street, The A-Team, Hunter
- Marcy Carsey — 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Cosby Show, Roseanne
- Chris Carter — The X-Files, Millennium, Harsh Realm, The Lone Gunmen
- David Chase — The Sopranos
- Stephen Colbert — Strangers with Candy, The Colbert Report
- Greg Daniels — The Office
- Larry David — Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm
- Russell T. Davies — Queer as Folk and the 2005 revival of Doctor Who
- John de Mol — Big Brother, Fear Factor, Deal or No Deal
- Roger Dobkowitz — Former producer of The Price Is Right
- David Doyle — Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament, Puppy Bowl
- Tina Fey — 30 Rock
- Lowell Ganz — Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Joanie Loves Chachi
- Larry Gelbart — M*A*S*H
- Michael Gill — Civilisation, Alistair Cooke's America
- Alan Hardwick — Yorkshire Television
- Roy Huggins — Baretta, The Fugitive, The Rockford Files
- David E. Kelley — Ally McBeal, Boston Legal, Boston Public, Chicago Hope, Picket Fences, The Practice
- Matt Kunitz — Fear Factor, Wipeout
- Verity Lambert — Doctor Who, Adam Adamant Lives!, Jonathan Creek
- John Langley — COPS
- Lynn Marie Latham — Knots Landing, Homefront, The Young And The Restless
- Norman Lear — All in the Family, Good Times, Maude, One Day at a Time, Sanford and Son
- Ron Leavitt — Married… with Children, Unhappily Ever After
- David Maloney — Blake's 7, The Day of the Triffids
- Sandeep Marwah — Producer Of 1000 Short Films
- Lorne Michaels — Saturday Night Live, The Kids in the Hall
- Ronald D. Moore — Battlestar Galactica, Roswell, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation
- John Nathan-Turner — Doctor Who (1980-1989)
- Sydney Newman — General Motors Theatre, Armchair Theatre and others
- Veekash Parmflex — The Quantum Menace
- William P. Perry — Anyone for Tennyson?, The Mark Twain Series
- Bill Podmore — Coronation Street
- Mark Risley — Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, Rocket Power and As Told by Ginger
- Gene Roddenberry — Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Shawn Ryan — The Shield
- Josh Schwartz — The OC, Chuck, Gossip Girl
- Aaron Sorkin — The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
- Aaron Spelling — Beverly Hills, 90210, Charmed, Charlie's Angels, Dynasty, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, Melrose Place, The Mod Squad, Starsky and Hutch, S.W.A.T., T.J. Hooker
- Stephen Stohn — Degrassi: The Next Generation, Instant Star
- J. Michael Straczynski — Babylon 5
- Mark Wahlberg — In Treatment, Entourage
- Ken Warwick — American Idol, America's Got Talent, Pop Idol, Gladiators
- Reg Watson — The Young Doctors, Prisoner (TV series), Neighbours
- Michael Wearing — Boys from the Blackstuff, Edge of Darkness
- Joss Whedon — Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly & Dollhouse
- Dick Wolf — Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit
See also
External links
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