Written by Dylan Brandsema
Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show (often shortened as simply Showrunners) is feature documentary about the creative forces behind many of the most successful modern television shows that plays very much like an afternoon PBS special rather than a cinematic essay. This isn’t necessarily something to hold it at fault for, though, as its aimed at what is likely not too large of an audience. This is a documentary undoubtedly aimed at viewers looking to get into working in television, as well as those generally interested in the how the gears of primetime cable turn.
Showrunners begins by introducing us to the line-up of TV creators and writers with whom we will share the film’s duration – these are people like: JJ Abrams (of Lost and Fringe), Damon Lindelof (of Lost and The Leftovers), Matthew Carnahan (Dirt and House of Lies), Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly), Steven S. DeKnight (Spartacus: Gods of The Arena and Marvel’s Daredevil), and many others. Many of these name you will recognize, and many you will not, which is actually the overall purpose of this documentary — to shine a light on some of the unknown faces who have brought us some of our most beloved TV shows. This is achieved successfully within the films first 15-so minutes, which, on one hand is a good thing because it gets right to the point, but on the other, it instills a feeling that the remainder of the film will be tedious and drag on.
Showrunners runs just under 90 minutes, but it feels like much longer due to its repetitive nature and lack of variety in subjects. While it’s immediately riveting to hear the film’s TV raconteurs narrate their stories and how they got to where they were (viewers won’t have to be fans of, or even familiar with the programs discussed to appreciate the work that goes into them), it grows tiresome about halfway through, and we begin to lust for something more (maybe some different perspective from other popular showrunners). This isn’t to say that the film isn’t entertaining throughout, but perhaps just not as entertaining as it likely could’ve been.
The look of Showrunners is very polished – wide pans and zooms of Hollywood lots and Los Angeles often serve as filler in between interview clips, and it is little details like this that help set the tone and mood for most of the documentary’s run time. The film is divided into several portions, to separate specific subjects, and all throughout we’re educated on the topic of art vs. commerce. The showrunners tell countless stories of how their creative visions are corrected to fit the mold of what’s expected/appropriate for modern cable television in America, and it is here where the film shows its first of emotion, which is that of sympathy.
Much of the film’s end talks about exactly that: endings. Whether it be because of cancellation, stories running their course, or other reasons, the final portion of the film is dedicated to these showrunners telling stories about “when shows end.” Much of this is sad in tone, and some of it is even quite touching. After all is said and done, though, the film ends looking up – in a positive manner towards all the work these people have done. It ends the film in a way that fits the rest of the material that preceded it, and serves as a nice icing on the cake (even though the cake wasn’t of the best flavor).
As a whole Showrunners, is pretty timid. It’s good. It does everything it sets out to do, is well-edited and moderately well-paced, but there is definitely a lot room where improvement could have been made. It bares a lot of resemblance to a 2012 documentary of similar nature titled That Guy Who Was In That Thing, which is served an exposé about actors who everyone recognizes, but might not necessarily be familiar with. Its message seems like simply “TV showrunners work really hard,” but it stops there, as if unable to expand all the doors it opened within itself. Showrunners works as something that might make great conversation in, say, a film class or an industry lecture, which, in all fairness is pretty much all it aims to be, but in terms of being a mass-consumption documentary, or a film-style study with real cinematic value, it could’ve been better.
Overall rating: 6/10
To check out Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show – click here
https://youtu.be/fHtB3yRu1wg
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