Showrunners - Training Gaps Analysis - Cultural Human Resources ...

Showrunners Training Gap Analysis
identity of the most popular form of entertainment in the world and in doing so have become stars
in their own right: David E. Kelley, Steven Bochco, David Shore, Matthew Weiner, Tina Fey.
It’s a controversial term and an important one because it’s the first time that writers in the visual
media have become recognized. It is usually the actors and directors who are known to the
public. But in TV series production, writers have become acknowledged as a powerful source.
The generation of so much story in such a short time is a powerful feat! (a producer and former
broadcast executive) 4
In Canada, the use and meaning of the “Showrunner” designation are less clear. This is due to the
fact that there are very few Showrunners in the Canadian industry, as defined by the U.S. model.
The reason for this is partly our lesser volume of production, and partly the complicated
methodology of putting together a Canadian-financed TV series.
Although there may be disagreement over terminology, there is no doubt that on every successful
TV series there is an individual or team who is in charge of the creative vision and its translation
to the screen. That means having the final say on scripts, casting, art direction, directorial style,
editing, music, mixing and publicity. The distinction between the American and Canadian
systems lies in the balance of power. In Canada, independent producers take significant financial
risk, the corollary of which is that it gives them final decision-making power. Frequently,
Canadian production takes a collaborative approach rather than an individual star-driven one.
American-made TV series are usually 100% funded and owned by the network through a
subsidiary production studio. In Canada, a non-writing producer generally assembles the series
based on either a proprietary concept or the concept of an independent creator. The producer then
secures the broadcast deal, puts together the financing from a number of public and private
sources, and, with broadcaster input, starts assembling the creative team. In Canada, the
complicated financing regime means that there is a unique tension between the creative and the
producer sides of the project resulting in a continuing issue of control.
Despite the significant structural differences between the Canadian and American television
industries, we have imported the term “Showrunner” into Canada. In the context of the financing
of Canadian production, the term has been at the centre of some heated debate.
In 2005, Amendments to the Income Tax Act proposed by the Canadian Audio-Visual
Certification Office (CAVCO) incited a discussion around whether there should be a limit on the
“Canadian”-ness of a “Showrunner” as part of the determination of Canadian producer control.
The Canadian Film & Television Production Association (CFTPA) took the position that a
Showrunner exercises creative influence but does not control the production, that being the role
of the producer. The CFTPA asked for leniency to allow non-Canadian Showrunners “in the
context of the producer control portion of the consultation because Showrunners legally and
practically report to the Canadian producer”.
The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) took the view: that creative control should remain in the
hands of Canadians and that the role of Showrunner is essential in this:
“While we agree with the CFTPA that the term "Showrunner" is not defined in our collective
agreements, we do not agree that it is not a formally recognized position, nor that it is a colloquial
4
From hereon, all quotations in italics are from interviews conducted in December 2008 or
January 2009.
17
Deborah Carver and Benoit Dubois, January 2009