The 50 Most Powerful TV Producers of 2026

This trio gets the last laugh, scoring a record 24 Emmy nominations — the most for any comedy in a single year — for the fifth and final season of HBO Max’s Hacks. The Jean Smart juggernaut has made Aniello, Downs and Statsky among the most sought-after creatives in Hollywood. As for power? They shut down the damn Louvre to film their series finale. All three are under relatively fresh overall deals with Warner Bros., where they’re prepping a new HBO series, now that their long-running day job has finally come to an end. 

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be …
Aniello “Loonen sparkling water by the case.” 
Downs “Verve Buena Vista coffee beans.” 
Statsky “Popcorn with Sour Patch Kids pre-mixed in.”

2026 series I’ve most admired
Aniello “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.” 
Downs “Neighbors.” 
Statsky “DTF St. Louis.”

Long a genre king, the Channel Zero creator really stretched his muscles this year — delivering Apple TV a watercooler breakout (and approval from fellow EPs Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese) with his starry spin on Cape Fear. His Eat the Cat shingle also produced Murdaugh: Death in the Family for Hulu, while his next writing showcase is the high-stakes adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s Verity, starring Anne Hathaway. 

2026 series I’ve most admired
“There’s a ton I haven’t seen yet, but I’m loving Sterling Point.”

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be …
“Spindrift ginger ale and Aris mango greek yogurt.”

After a surprisingly quiet stretch for one of Hollywood’s most dependably prolific showrunners, Berlanti is ramping up his TV efforts once more. As the clock finally runs out on the CW football drama All American, there have been series orders for Prime Video horror drama Stillwater and Netflix’s live-action Scooby Doo: Origins; development with Disney+’s Afterlife With Archie and Netflix’s Nanny Diaries; and, perhaps most auspiciously, a stacked drama pilot (Ray Romano, Joshua Jackson, Kaley Cuoco, Rita Wilson) hoping to replicate The Pitt’s model at HBO Max. 

My advice for any baby writer 
“Be the most enthusiastic person in the room on a staff. If you haven’t staffed yet, write as much possible. That is more important than any connection you’ll make.”

The scariest part about the TV business today
“It’s not set up to raise and give the right amount of experience to a young/new generation of showrunners.”

As Abbott Elementary hits its sixth season on ABC, we are getting a sense of what’s next for its creator-star after news that she would develop and star in a Betty Boop feature. Meanwhile, Halpern and Schumacker, the longtime co-showrunners of the Emmy-winning series that’s often credited with saving sitcoms, have a next act in place, too; they’re working with Bill Lawrence on I Suck at Girls, a comedy that nabbed a series order from Netflix in January.

2026 series I’ve most admired
Brunson “Furious”

A song I love and just can’t clear
Halpern “I can’t remember ever successfully clearing a song we wanted that we could actually afford.”

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be …
Schumacker “A personal chef. Crafty is a waistline killer.”

Overwhelmingly voted the most admired showrunner on our 2025 list, Cahn continues to do what most consider impossible these days: delivering a new globe-trotting season of The Diplomat on time, every fall — each one of which lands atop Netflix’s Top 10 chart and Emmy voters’ ballots. The third season is now up for seven Emmys, including outstanding drama. 

Trend I’m so glad to see the industry moving past 
“Six commercial breaks in an hour.”

Star I’m still dying to work with
“Meryl Streep.”

The Bear recently went into hibernation, presumably forever, but the duo that delivered all five seasons to FX on Hulu already have their next meals planned. Calo is one of at least two people on this list penning Marvel’s X-Men feature, and Storer, who created the onetime Emmy force, is producing pal Ramy Youssef’s feature directorial debut Martha & Muhammad.

When Coben isn’t collaborating with Reese Witherspoon on a novel or potentially IDing the Zodiac killer on his hit podcast, he’s selling more series than potentially any author since Agatha Christie. In the past 10 months, he’s delivered I Will Find You, a Netflix colossus viewed by 118 million to date, Run Away (also at Netflix), Prime Video’s Lazarus and the CBS true-crime effort Harlan Coben’s Final Twist — though something tells us he’s got more of those to come.

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be … 
“A shock collar that gives a sharp sting when anyone uses the words ‘synergy,’ ‘tonally,’ ‘elevate’ and mostly, ugh, ‘arc,’ as in story or character.”

My advice for any baby writer 
“You can always fix bad pages. You can’t fix no pages.”

The TV executive who’s really impressed me …
“Whoever greenlights my next project. That exec is clearly insightful, brilliant and very attractive.”

It’s generally feast or famine with HBO’s Game of Thrones offerings, but throughout 2026 its fans ate. In January, Parker delivered critical smash Knight of the Seven Kingdoms with a producing assist from Condal. It got a renewal and an outstanding drama Emmy nom. Then, in June, House of the Dragon returned for its third and penultimate season with wild numbers (an average 34 million viewers to date) and a shockingly high body count. 

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be …
Condal “I get to keep all the props.”

Star I’m still dying to work with
Parker “Jackie Chan.”

My advice for any baby writer 
Condal “You cannot wait for success to come to you. Be an entrepreneur. Experiment in every medium: film, TV, comics, short fiction. You really do have to make your own success now more than ever.”

Daniels was once adamant that he’d never make any sort of reboot or companion to The Office, arguably the most successful comedy of the 21st century, but when he finally capitulated … at least he did a good job. The Paper, his pseudo-spinoff, dropped its first season on Peacock to 342 million viewing minutes last fall. It subsequently got a broadcast run on NBC. Critics have been even warmer with the sophomore season that debuts Sept. 9. Hey, that’s today! 

The scariest part about the TV business today
“With so many writers making only 10 episodes a season, and a marketplace that feels more like book publishing with too many titles to sample, we might be past the era of the culturally unifying 120-plus-episode watercooler character comedies. More sad than scary.” 

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be …
“A half hour of yard time after lunch and an Aeron chair.”

The world was not expecting a hilarious horror comedy to commandeer the cultural conversation at the tail end of spring, but that’s what Dippold delivered with Widow’s Bay. Overwhelmingly voted the favorite series of her peers on this list, the former Parks and Recreation and Ghostbusters writer’s first creation seemed to come from nowhere. And it’s not going away. Apple TV renewed it for a second season. Emmy voters lauded it with 19 noms. And Dippold finds herself atop many executives’ and actors’ lists of dream collaborators. 

Trend I’m so glad to see the industry moving past
“It seems that in both features and TV, we’re starting to see a little bit less ‘IP’ and a little bit more original work. As someone who has worked passionately on IP projects, I absolutely understand the appeal. But I think a greater balance is better for the industry.”

My advice for any baby writer
“When you’re stuck, try not to scroll the internet. Just let yourself sit in that boredom and daydream. The ideas will come. Also, make sure the first few pages of your writing samples are excellent. The unfortunate truth is that decision-makers — executives, producers, showrunners — get tons of samples. You aren’t guaranteed a full read. That doesn’t mean you should start with something gimmicky or attention-grabbing. Just aim for excellence, in whatever form, however that fits your voice.”

Netflix and the Duffers’ plan to release the final season of seminal hit Stranger Things in three consecutive drops (Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day) worked better than anyone could have expected. The eight episodes quickly collected more than 134 million views. Producorial efforts The Boroughs and Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen were commercial and critical successes, but Netflix declined to renew both. Very odd, until you remember that the Duffers officially decamped in April for a rich five-year deal at Paramount … where expectations could not be higher.

Song we love and just can’t clear
The Duffer Brothers “Depeche Mode, anything of theirs from the ’80s.”

Our advice for any baby writer
The Duffer Brothers “It may sound trite, but don’t focus too much on what’s selling or what you see in the trades. Write what you love.”

The star we’re still dying to work with
The Duffer Brothers “Matt Damon”

Call it the little horse-drawn carriage that could. The Gilded Age, Fellowes and Warfield’s deliciously soapy period drama, has grown its audience consistently across the first three seasons — climbing another 30 percent in its last outing on HBO, which has it vying for best drama at the Emmys once again. No. 4 arrives in November when — spoiler? — we’ll finally find out if Carrie Coon is still dramatically staring out the window of Bertha’s Newport mansion. 

My advice for any baby writer
Fellowes “Always write shows you want to see. Try guessing the likes and dislikes of a modern audience, and you will soon be in the soup. The truth is, people watch a show because they are interested in the characters, that is always true, and if you’re interested in the people you’re writing, then there’s a good chance the audience will be too.”

2026 series I’ve most admired 
Warfield “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders”

An experiment at more grounded comedy has been a success for this trio of 30 Rock scribes. The Four Seasons, their loose spin on Alan Alda and Carol Burnett’s movie of the same name, returned for a second season that spent weeks atop the Netflix Top 10, won over a few more critics and earned a renewal for season No. 3. Fey also produces The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. The NBC sitcom, from other 30 Rock alums Robert Carlock and Sam Means, premiered as the most watched comedy telecast of the broadcast season.

The TV executive who’s really impressed me …
Fey “Jack Donaghy” 

My advice for any baby writer
Fey “I probably wouldn’t give advice because the world they’re entering is so completely different the path I took. But I would pay for their lunch.”
Fisher “Have many different samples. Half-hour, hour, comedy, drama, white wine thriller, etc.”
Wigfield “Become a plastic surgeon instead. Or, if you want to be a comedy writer, make one funny TikTok a day. And maybe try to marry a plastic surgeon?” 

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be …
Fisher “Must have warm jacket ready for her, because she will have forgotten for the one millionth time how cold the soundstage is and will be dressed for the beach.”

Trend I’m so glad to see the industry moving past 
Wigfield “I like how audiences are getting fed up with how much time can pass between seasons. I know it’s hard to make a show, but I’ve given birth to two children since the last season of Shogun.”

Together, Fogelman and Hoffman are wrapping up work on the sixth season of Hulu’s gift that keeps on giving. Only Murders in the Building, possibly the most star-studded series since Meryl Streep’s last show (Big Little Lies), just added five more Emmy noms to its tally. Fogelman is also up for an outstanding drama Emmy for Paradise, which returns
in 2027 — around the time he launches the football drama The Land, also at Hulu. 

Song I love and just can’t clear
Fogelman “I wanted to use ‘Anna Begins’ by The Counting Crows in This Is Us. Eventually, I was told the answer was no. While the band was happy to let us approve the usage, they needed ‘Mr. Jones’ to sign off and could not find him. I became fascinated by this morsel and may write a movie about it one day.”
Hoffman “Oh, this is a sensitive one. It’s French and accompanies an intimate scene so perfectly and I’m right now still hoping it clears. I’ll take any and all vibes of support!”

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be …
Hoffman “A never-ending supply of Barebells Salty Peanut protein bars. Which will soon be revealed to be made by Snickers, I’m certain.”

If Nobody Wants This, why does this series keep winning over Netflix viewers and our cold, bitter hearts? Foster’s creation, co-showrun by comedy sherpas Kaplan and Konner, heads into its third season with a couple more Emmy noms. With sister Sara, Foster has a few other juicy titles (see: Hotter in the Hamptons) in development as well. Konner has her side hustles too, recently showrunning the second and final season of Hulu’s Deli Boys.

Trend I’m so glad to see the industry moving past
Foster “Male-dominated writers rooms.”

The star I’m still dying to work with
Foster “Sarah Pidgeon”
Kaplan “David Harbour”
Konner “I would kill to write for Julia Louis-Dreyfus.”

Song I love and just can’t clear
Konner “I’m not going to say this is a song I love, but I once tried to clear ‘Jump Around’ (which is seemingly in everything), and the band passed.”

It is indeed All Her Fault, and Gallagher is probably happy to take the blame. Her Peacock limited series finally put the streamer on the map for original content. The “white wine thriller,” as the town has brilliantly dubbed the female-friendly genre, premiered as its most watched scripted original — logging 46 million hours viewed in the first four weeks. It also earned Gallagher an overall deal with Universal Global Television, where she’ll tackle another miniseries: The Break-In. But that’s after she launches The Blame on ITVX. 

Trend I’m so glad to see the industry moving past 
“Vampires! They’re fun, but it’s time to move on.”

A song I love and just can’t clear
“‘And She Was’ by The Talking Heads.”

Star I’m still dying to work with
“Merritt Wever.”

In 2000, Saturday Night Live aired a sketch of Chris Parnell reading fawning reviews of The Sopranos aloud until he just sounded like he was having an orgasm. What does that have to do with these guys? Well, it’s basically how critics have responded to their platform-defining drama. The Pitt’s second season bested high expectations by averaging north of 15 million viewers on HBO Max, netting another 25 Emmy nominations and sending almost everyone who writes about TV into a hyperbolic fervor that would make a Shaker blush. Its novel format, a prestige take on broadcast fare with an annual cadence and 15 episodes a season, is the envy of every executive, and now they’re all looking for a Pitt of their own. 

2026 series I’ve most admired
Gemmill “I was really impressed with how they brought Hacks to a close this year.”

Trend I’m so glad to see the industry moving past
Wells “Romanticizing male serial killers.”

Star I’m still dying to work with
Gemmill “Hoping to work with Harrison Ford one day.”

The scariest part about the TV business today
Wells “Fewer and fewer buyers.”

The undisputed king of prestige TV returned from his brief hiatus with an ultra-secretive, high-stakes drama that succeeded on every level. Pluribus premiered on Apple TV every bit as weird, hilarious and thought-provoking as one would expect from the brain behind Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. It averaged a stunning 87 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic — this list does not have time for the simps at Rotten Tomatoes — and while Gilligan may claim he doesn’t have a long-term plan for his sci-fi Rhea Seehorn showcase, his track record shows that viewers are in good hands.

My advice for any baby writer
“Don’t ever, ever, ever, ever let AI do your job for you. Not a first draft, not a rewrite, not an outline, not even a riff session. If you do, your soul will be forfeit and you’ll burn in everlasting hellfire. Maybe that’s overstating it a tad, but you’ll sure as shit never work with me.”

Star I’m still dying to work with
“Charlize Theron. She’s cool. Also Carol Burnett, again.”

2026 series I’ve most admired 
“I really enjoyed The Audacity on AMC. Jonathan Glatzer is a good writer and a good guy. He used to work with us on Better Call Saul. Wherever he’s headed with his story, I’m along for the ride… but I hope to see those sociopathic tech bros of his get some major comeuppance in season two. And then, fingers crossed, may life imitate art.”

Many would be content just writing and producing one of the biggest films of the year: the $684 million-grossing Project Hail Mary, which united the globe in its love for an adorable rock alien who befriends Ryan Gosling. Not Goddard. He’s got a day job to think of, producing popular ABC procedural High Potential. The second season, which upped its episode count to 18, saw its average viewership climb past 16 million — making it one of the most watched linear shows out there. 

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be …
“I appreciate that you think I don’t have a rider.”

A song I love and just can’t clear
“I’m genuinely excited when an artist won’t license their songs. My first thought is “Good for them!” Prince rules, is what I’m saying.”

The scariest part about the TV business today
“The growing number of people in positions of power who have zero interest in the art itself.”

These two continue to kill it even when their Emmy-winning industry satire The Studio is absent from the metaphorical airwaves. In addition to unleashing another season of Apple TV’s Platonic, Goldberg and Rogen bid a bloody farewell to Prime Video’s The Boys and breathed new life into some of the trickiest IP to crack: The Muppets. Their Disney+ update of The Muppet Show pulled in nearly 8 million viewers. We’re as eager for a repeat performance as we are for The Studio to return and skewer this deeply unserious town. 

A song I love and just can’t clear
Rogen “‘Simon Says’ by Pharoahe Monch because it has an illegal sample from the original Godzilla score.”

2026 series I’ve most admired 
Goldberg “Widow’s Bay! Katie Dippold absolutely nailed the tone. It’s hilarious, horrifying and just so well done.”

Star I’m still dying to work with 
Rogen “I’m a huge fan of Jesse Eisenberg, and think I could write some funny stuff for him, but probably not as good as the stuff he writes for himself.”

The TV executive who’s really impressed me …
Goldberg “Michelle Lee. I don’t know how she puts up with all our crap and still supports us, but she does, and I’m very grateful for it.”

Industry vet Gordon is a rare breed of producer that could assemble a dream pairing (Homeland collaborator Claire Danes and jack of all trades Matthew Rhys) for a limited series thriller so wholly original that it made most entries in that sprawling canon look like absolute schlock. No shade! The Beast in Me, created by Gabe Rotter, was a showcase for two TV icons who are each in the running for two of the series’ nine Emmy noms on Sept. 14. 

The scariest part about the TV business today
“Once upon a time, series were platformed by designated ‘time slots,’ so a hit show became a kind of national campfire around which large sections of the country could gather to watch that week’s offering at the same time and on the same day. That time-dependency made it not only culturally impactful but highly profitable, things we so willingly traded for the convenience of streaming.”

2026 series I’ve most admired
“Half-Man was brilliant, uncomfortable, uncompromising and original.”

Wednesday, Gough and Millar’s update of The Addams Family, is still the record holder for most watched English-language Netflix original by a mile. The first season has logged 252 million views, and season two fetched 119 million. That’s 2.65 billion hours viewed. Or 302,203 earth years of Wednesday watched. It’s also why its third season will anchor the dominant streamer’s 2027 release schedule as multiple spinoffs remain in play. 

The scariest part about the TV business today
Gough and Millar “The system isn’t designed to train the next generation of showrunners and producers. We’re losing the apprenticeship that taught people how to actually make television.”

Star we’re still dying to work with
Gough and Millar “Tilda Swinton. We suspect she may actually be an Addams.”

After writing every episode of Peacemaker, Gunn, the head of DC Studios, entrusted his serial follow-up to a Justice League of three wildly different writers. Lanterns comes from Watchmen auteur Lindelof, Ozark vet Mundy and comic book writer (and former CIA officer!?) King. The August premiere scored strong reviews and nearly 10 million viewers in just three days, likely leaving Marvel TV green with envy. 

Trend I’m so glad to see the industry moving past
Gunn “2.35 aspect ratio in TV shows. It’s pretentious. That’s not the shape of our TVs! It makes the shows smaller!”
Lindelof “Dark, revisionist takes on previously fun IP. (Yeah, yeah, I know.)” 

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be …
Lindelof “No shorts in the writers room!”
King “I can bring my dog with me. Sure, she’s a 60-pound, poorly-behaved rescue pit who would ruin everything by barking, but that poor, sad face when I leave the house…”

My advice for any baby writer
King “Never use ‘I got this’ or ‘You got this’ in a climactic scene. Same with any form of ‘Watch your six’ in an action moment.” 
Mundy “Don’t try to guess what other people want to read or watch. Write what you’d like to see. The difference will show up on the page.”

The scariest part about the TV business today
Gunn “The future comes more quickly at you than it used to.”
Mundy “Seasons are smaller numbers of episodes but take so much longer to make than they used to. Which allows for better quality control, so, great. But the flip side of that is it makes it harder for people trying to break into the business.”

Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler in Lanterns

People talk a lot about “event television,” but rarely does it reach the level that Han engineered for the finale (sort of) for The Summer I Turned Pretty. A surprise Paris premiere last fall turned into a reveal for a film continuation for the hugely successful YA show, one that reached 70 million viewers in its third run on Prime Video. She may be focused on her TSITP feature, but her To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before extended universe continues to deliver for Netflix with spinoff XO, Kitty. 

Star I’m still dying to work with
“So many! Colman Domingo is my favorite part of anything he is in. Saoirse Ronan is so real and human and wonderfully alive in every role. Amy Adams, I would go to war for. Greta Lee because she is the coolest, the funniest, the sharpest, and she makes everything better.”

FX and Hawley continue to have one of the stronger symbiotic relationships in Hollywood. The pair committed to a new deal at the end of 2025 as Hawley readies the second season of his ambitious IP swing Alien: Earth and preps his fourth series at the platform: Far Cry, an adaptation of the video game anthology he’s making with Rob McElhenney. (And is a return to Fargo too much to ask for?)

Trend I’m so glad to see the industry moving past 
“The ‘tortured antihero’ suffers so we can sleep soundly at night.”

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be …
“Nothing that was inevitable should be treated like a crisis.”

An actual second season of Mare of Easttown may still be straddling the line between gossip and green light, but Pennsylvania’s favorite son remains invested in his dormant hit. He’s brought back one character (Julianne Nicholson’s Lori) for the second season of Task, which is expected in 2027. The first season, also starring Mark Ruffalo, ranks among HBO’s three fastest-growing series to date.

The TV executive who’s really impressed me … 
“Francesca Orsi. She has a brilliant storytelling mind, and she’s passionate and relentless when she believes in something. It’s very inspiring.”

The scariest part about the TV business today
“For me, it’s the long, demanding hours worked by crew members and making sure everyone gets home safe at the end of the night.”

The Los Angeles Lakers may be in a spot of tumult, but their fictional counterparts on Kaling’s Netflix basketball comedy are doing just fine. Running Point scored a speedy third-season renewal. And while Hulu opted not to renew Not Suitable for Work, the prolific and highly sought-after Kaling will be back with other shows. And more shows after that. She’s one of the last writer-producers in Hollywood who can truly sell to anyone, in any climate. 

The scariest part about the TV business today 
“A really long, deeply personal out-of-office reply.”

The TV executive who’s really impressed me …
“Every executive I’ve ever worked with is a genius and gives perfect notes.” 

2026 series I’ve most admired
“I love Shark Tank.”

Plenty of actors would commit a federal crime to work with Kelley, a scribe of legend. His wife, Michelle Pfeiffer, chose to play the long game. And it paid off. Their first TV collaboration, Apple TV’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles, topped the streamer’s proprietary charts and earned them both Emmy nominations. Up next, Kelley has a second season of Margo and Presumed Innocent at Apple TV, along with Netflix’s adaptation of Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar novels. 

My advice for any baby writer 
“Read what you write aloud.”

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be … 
“The producer credit shall be earned.”

A song I love and just can’t clear
“‘Baby Can I Hold You’ by Tracy Chapman.”

Kemp departed Netflix for Apple TV earlier in the year, but not before delivering a hit to the streamer she called home for four years. Drama Nemesis spent five weeks in the Top 10. It’s another point of validation for Kemp, whose series Power, in which she’s no longer creatively involved, continues to keep Starz afloat with spinoff No. 4, Origins, on deck next.

My advice for any baby writer 
“Write and produce a small web series or a bunch of interconnected IG content. Get as many people to casually bump into your writing as possible. There are no barriers to reaching execs and showrunners now if you strike the right tone — their algorithms will do the work for you.”

Star I’m still dying to work with 
“Angela Bassett or Viola Davis.”

For any actor fretting over a move from Los Angeles to New York, just remember that’s where the Kings work. The husband-and-wife duo populate their projects with so many Broadway stars that the Law & Order casting director probably has pictures of them on a dartboard. On top of Elsbeth, a rare CBS and Paramount+ hit not made by Taylor Sheridan, the pair who brought us The Good Wife is about to launch another legal drama: Cupertino. Rest assured, it won’t be shooting in Silicon Valley.

A song I love and just can’t clear 
Michelle King “ ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,’ on more than one show, because we clearly live on the rock ’n’ roll edge.”

2026 series I’ve most admired 
Robert King “Star City. An amazingly involving series that replaced every element of soap opera with spy thriller.”
Michelle King “South Park”

My advice for any baby writer 
Robert King “Never use AI in the development of key art.”

With his Prime Video behemoth’s May conclusion, The Boys became The Men. Some of them, at least. (Remind us which major characters even survived?) But worry not, fans of Kripke’s sly political commentary masquerading as comic book spoofs. He’s producing the upcoming prequel Vought Rising.

2026 series I’ve most admired 
“Everyone’s going to say Widow’s Bay, which is true, so I’m going to add Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! for just how much he inspires me.”

A song I love and just can’t clear
“‘When the Levee Breaks’ by Led Zeppelin. I wanted it as the ending song for The Boys Season 4 finale. It was gonna be so good! Heartbreaker. (Which is also a hard-to-clear Zeppelin song.)”

The scariest part about the TV business today
“Not sending writers to set. We’re not training the next generation of show runners. Short sighted and dangerous for the future of the business.”

Lawrence is prone to talk about his time in the TV penalty box, but it’s hard to reconcile that with his current reality. The power producer, who’s been working for Warner Bros. for some time now, has five current series on the air: HBO’s Rooster, ABC’s Scrubs reboot and Apple TV’s Shrinking, Bad Monkey and Ted Lasso. His involvement on all of them varies dramatically, but it’s worth noting that the one he’s most hands-on with, Shrinking, is also the one nominated for nine Emmys. 

2026 series I’ve most admired 
“For me, it’s all about The Pitt. I can’t believe the high quality of work, the production value, how frenetic it feels. It’s super hard to make a medical show feel that visceral and real and still be over-the-top entertaining. I’ve tried.”

The scariest part about the TV business today
“Probably that it doesn’t feel like they’re making a ton of stuff. But I’m staying optimistic because I’ve been around long enough that I’ve seen the death of the comedy, the death of the drama, the death of the comedy again, reality TV is going to replace everything… and yet good stories keep coming out and grabbing people. So, I’m going to stick with content is king.”

Trend I’m so glad to see the industry moving past
“True crime. I’m joking because everything is true crime and it’s all my wife ever watches, but man, I’d like it to be over.”

Where’s the Beef? Likely on most of the top 10 lists you’ll be reading when 2026 comes to a close. Lee’s follow-up to his lauded 2023 anthology upped the star power (Youn Yuh-jung!) and delivered on incredibly high expectations. Publicly, he’s been noncommittal about the future of the Netflix franchise — up for another 16 Emmys. But he’s got other things going, like working on the script for the X-Men movie that had every actor under the age of 30 war-calling their agent. 

The scariest part about the TV business today
“The industry made almost 50 percent fewer shows this year. Meanwhile, more and more writers rooms have become a room of one. That being said, there will always be a need for storytelling, and I’m hopeful there will be healthier cycles somehow on the horizon, much like the movie business this year.”

Star I’m still dying to work with
“Tied between Tom Cruise and Cate Blanchett.”

My advice for any baby writer 
“Be yourself while perfecting your craft. Having a point of view is the most important, as you are the rare 1 in 8 billion commodity, but it will go further if you spend time perfecting your craft on the technical side.”

For anyone who hadn’t heard of Levy’s work before May, that changed the minute her adaptation of the spicy YA hit Off Campus premiered as the third-most-watched debut in Prime Video history with 36 million viewers in less than two weeks. In lieu of a victory lap, Levy went right back to work. She’s already filming season two in Canada, which is great news for its rabid, albeit slightly creepy, parasocial fan economy. 

A song I love and just can’t clear
“Hannah’s original karaoke song in season 1 was AC/DC’s ‘You Shook Me All Night Long”’ but we couldn’t get it! I’m not mad though. It opened the door for us to use Warrant’s “Cherry Pie.”

The scariest part about the TV business today
“How few jobs there are. It was tough to have such a big boom and then such a constriction. Especially in Los Angeles. So many talented folks are out of work.”

My advice for any baby writer
“Study the craft of writing but also learn how to participate in a room. Eighty percent of TV writing is talking, 20 percent is writing, and 50 percent is navigating relationships. How does that add up to 100 percent? Figuring out the math is producing.” 

The sitcom king is still turning out personalized vanity cards after every episode of every series he produces — of which there are currently three: CBS’ Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Netflix’s Leanne and HBO Max’s Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. He’s Chuck Lorre … what more do you want us to say? 

MacFarlane might still make more money than you can fathom from his enduring animated hits Family Guy and American Dad!, but his live-action output is enviable, too. The folks at Peacock have got to be pleased with his comedy double header of The ’Burbs and Ted — and his coup in scoring the rights to the viral Dungeon Crawler Carl book series, potentially one of the most consequential TV deals done this year.

Just when you think you’ve got the New Girl creator showhorned — get it? — in sitcoms, she delivers an epic string of prestige hits (The Dropout, Dying for Sex and, now, Hulu’s Furious) and then signs on to write Jon M. Chu’s Britney Spears biopic. But Meriwether’s return to features isn’t full time. On top of ample development, the wildly versatile scribe just secured a second season of her Emmy Rossum collab.

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be …
“A blanket. Always. I can’t write without a blanket covering at least half of my body.”

Song I love and just can’t clear
“I’m still sad that we couldn’t clear Tori Amos’ song ‘Little Earthquakes’ in the New Girl pilot. A good portion of my teenage years was spent blasting that cassette tape and driving around suburban Michigan thinking that no one understood my pain.”

The scariest part about the TV business today
“That streaming platforms are not making as much TV, which means that people aren’t taking as many chances. New voices are getting lost in the process. Writing and shooting a failed pilot was my way into producing my own writing at a large scale. It was how I got my sea legs, and I just don’t think new writers are getting that chance to try and fail and try again. New voices will always find a way to appear, but it’s increasingly not through television, which feels like a huge loss.”

He may not always have the critics on his side, but nobody knows how to launch a show like Murphy. After giving the world the most unhinged press tour (Hulu’s All’s Fair), he heralded FX’s The Shards with so many L.A. billboards that Kaia Gerber briefly outpaced the German shepherd from Veronica’s Insurance. The American Love Story producer simply knows how to get stuff on air and in people’s faces, which is why you can’t currently hide from the fact that his American Horror Story is back for lucky season No. 13.

Together, Nolan and Robertson-Dworet manage one of the most ambitious, expensive and, to everyone at Amazon’s relief, popular series going right now. The second season of Fallout reached more than 83 million pairs of eyeballs worldwide in its first 13 weeks of release. Season three is set to wrap production in September, hopefully freeing up star Walton Goggins to bank a few more Walmart commercials. 

Song we love and just can’t clear
Nolan “‘Is That All There Is’ by Peggy Lee.”
Robertson-Dworet “‘The Wanderer” by Dion. One of the best songs in the history of the Fallout games.”

The scariest part about the TV business today
Nolan “Fear of fear itself. The rumors of the industry’s demise are greatly exaggerated.”

Trend I’m so glad to see the industry moving past
Robertson-Dworet “Not disparaging any trend, but I’m personally glad Fallout doesn’t have an aftershow so I don’t have to be on it.”

What do you get when you combine the YA Midas touch of Savage and Schwartz with an ascendant filmmaker like Park? Arguably the series of the summer. It was a late entry for Sterling Point, but within two weeks of its Aug. 5 launch, Prime Video says it took in 36 million viewers. A sophomore season was quickly ordered, one Savage and Schwartz will work on when they’re not busy with their recently ordered Paramount+ update of Clueless. 

Star I’m still dying to work with 
Park “Sandra Bullock. She has always been my all-time favorite. I’m working on trying to make that one happen …”

Trend I’m so glad to see the industry moving past
Savage “Thinking that YA wasn’t a viable genre anymore …”

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be …
Schwartz “More flights please! With so many shows shooting out of town, you end up spending months away from your family.”

A song I love and just can’t clear
Park“‘Sundown’ by Gordon Lightfoot. I have wanted to put it in everything I’ve made. It reminds me of my childhood summers in Canada.”

Extending his TV partnership with BET Media Group through 2028, the Atlanta-based producing giant is by no means limited to his many, many Paramount offerings. Netflix original Beauty in Black has proved so popular for the streamer, it recently reversed course and uncanceled the series with the announcement of a fourth season. In this economy?

The reigning monarch of Shondaland renewed her Netflix megadeal for a second time in August. This new five-year pact will keep her overseeing Bridgerton, the Regency drama that’s logged 610 million views since its 2023 bow to become one of the streamer’s defining hits. And while she may no longer be hands-on at ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, it’s worth noting that her creation heads into season 23 as one of the most watched broadcast and streaming series.

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be …
“If? Girl, get you a team that fights for a rider.”

2026 series I’ve most admired
“Pluribus.”

The scariest part about the TV business today
“AI is used to take jobs from hard-working craftspeople who work on sets. Also, the consolidation of studios will mean the narrowing of options for writers and producers. Devastating.”

Star I’m still dying to work with 
“BEYONCÉ KNOWLES CARTER.”

Known for his serial collaborations, Schur, who also executive produced Hacks, has two reunions of note in the queue. There’s a third season for Netflix’s Man on the Inside, starring his Good Place collaborator Ted Danson, and Peacock’s forthcoming Dig, a Parks and Recreation reteam with Amy Poehler. The latter drops all 10 episodes Thanksgiving week. 

A song I love and just can’t clear
“’Ghost’ by Neutral Milk Hotel.”

The scariest part about the TV business today
“The scariest thing about the TV business is how scared everyone is about the TV business.”

She may have co-created Big Mistakes with Dan Levy, but Sennott seems to make very few of her own. She spends her day-to-day creating and starring in her HBO comedy vehicle, I Love LA, which has been called Gen Z’s answer for Girls or Sex and the City. One could also call it a Gotham TV award winner and one of HBO’s fastest-growing comedies.

2026 series I’ve most admired 
“Industry. Insane performances and incredible writing. And Dianna Agron just joined the cast for season five? I’m freaking out …”

A song I love and just can’t clear
“There’s a remix of the song ‘La Musique’ that I couldn’t get for season one. If anyone hears this, I’ll do anything please and thank you!”

The TV executive who’s really impressed me …
“Amy Gravitt. She always picks up the phone and gives me the real immediately. We talk at like 5am all the time.”

Yeehaw! When he’s not minting new hit (CBS’ Marshals) after hit (Paramount+’s Dutton Ranch) after hit (The Madison) or tending to his ongoing series (Lioness, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Landman) or writing his first book (How to Not Die in Prison: A Survival Guide), Sheridan is going on podcasts to talk about how much Hollywood doesn’t like him. Taylor, Universal just bet the farm on you with that landmark deal to swipe you from David Ellison. Hollywood likes you just fine.

Stoudt is tasked with landing one of the biggest planes in streaming history with the upcoming conclusion of The Morning Show. Apple TV’s megawatt drama, starring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, wrapped filming on its fifth and final season this summer. That will air in 2027, when you could say it’ll return to the streamer’s Top 10 — but that would suggest it had fallen off it. 

The TV executive who’s really impressed me …
“Dana Walden should ditch Disney and run for president.”

2026 series I’ve most admired
“Mr. Scorsese – a complex protagonist with an incredible story arc.”

A song I love and just can’t clear
“John Brion’s ‘Little Person’ from Synecdoche, New York. Devastating.”

What seemed highly unlikely just a few years ago became reality in August when Sudeikis unveiled
the rebooted fourth season of his pandemic-defining Emmy winner Ted Lasso. The feel-good comedy, aided by new co-showrunner Jack Burditt, won back viewers who helped set an Apple TV record with 296.6 million minutes streamed in just two days. Believe, I guess?

It’s hard to remember the last time a project so completely seized the pop culture discourse as Heated Rivalry did when the Canadian import got a U.S. run on HBO Max. Tierney, previously known for his work on Letterkenny and Shoresy, turned the quiet December drop into an 11 million viewer phenomenon that platformed gay narratives like never before and minted generational stars out of leads Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams. 

The star I’m still dying to work with |
“I love Chris Evans. He’s an old-fashioned movie star, and I love movie stars.”

The scariest part about the TV business today
“That we are back in the time where there are only four or five places to take your shows to, and, if they don’t want them, you’re kind of out of options.”

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be … 
“A good napping situation, instead of falling asleep in a chair I find on set that I’m not supposed to be in. Someone is always telling me that if I sit in a chair that says ‘please do not sit,’ then everyone else will think they can sit in it.”

The list is almost over, so you know how much it pained us to wait this long to describe someone as having “a banner year.” Well, it was worth the wait. Because what a nice run Tropper is enjoying. The novelist and filmmaker has seen his Jon Hamm vehicle Your Friends & Neighbors become a prototype for a serial streaming drama — and it finally broke into the Emmy race. Tropper also ran Lucky, the Apple TV thriller from Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine. As for 2027, there’s just the small matter of his friggin’ Star Wars: Starfighter screenplay. 

If producers had riders, the first thing on mine would be … 
“Don’t let me drive. I will be on the phone, and I will crash.”

Star I’m still dying to work with
“Scarlett Johansson.”

At 79, Wolf has five series on NBC (Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU and his trio of Chicago dramas), two series on CBS (FBI and CIA) and, in our dreams, nightly calls to gossip with Mariska Hargitay. He is a titan. He is a TV legend. And, just saying, he probably has the sway to get most platforms to pony up for a series to be shot in Los Angeles. We have cops and courtrooms, too, Dick!  

This story appeared in the Sept. 9 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.