Irish-produced documentary Showrunners released in cinemas from October 17th
Showrunners, a documentary feature from Dublin director Des Doyle and funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, will be released from October 17th.
The documentary from Black Sheep Productions examines the role of the “showrunner” and the creative talent aligned around them. Doyle assembled an impressive cast of showrunners past and present for the documentary, including Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), J.J. Abrams (Alias) Damon Lindelof (Lost), Steven S. DeKnight (Spartacus), Jane Espenson (Once Upon A Time), Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica), Terence Winter (Boardwalk Empire), Bill Prady (The Big Bang Theory) and many more.
Showrunners work behind the scenes in television and are responsible for creating, writing and overseeing every element of production to ensure that each episode is delivered on time and on budget. The showrunner is often described as the most complex job in the entertainment business, balancing the creative, financial and logistical elements of production. Showrunners explores their role and the effort required to ensure hit TV shows make it to the air at all!
The film has also been praised by critics. Entertainment.ie described the film as “a must-see for any fans of the current golden age of TV”. Den Of Geek hailed the film as “a fascinating glimpse into the realities of American television” while Krank.ie noted how the film keeps “a balance of addressing different technical aspects of the inner workings of a television show while at the same time keeping it assessable to a wider audience.”
Showrunners also made appearances at the Comic Con events at San Diego in July and New York in October.