Behind every good TV show is a good showrunner, director, and creator, along with other behind-the-scenes folks who work with on-screen talent. Some of the most prolific showrunners of the last decade have really hit their stride, cranking out hit show after hit show, or focusing in on a small selection of high-quality series.
These individuals are behind some of the biggest shows of the last 10 years. Many of the shows, and the showrunners, have racked up numerous awards. They are often talked about as much as their shows are. One of these people even stars in their own show, while a few others have been behind not only some of the biggest shows of the last 10 years but of the last several decades.
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Dan Harmon
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Dan Harmon has been working as a writer, producer, and actor for decades, but he gained notoriety as creator and producer of the sitcom Community and as co-creator of the animated sitcom Rick and Morty. Since then, he has been consistently churning out hit shows with a focus on the adult animated genre. One of the most recent is <em>Krapopolis</em>, an adult animated sitcom set in mythical Ancient Greece that tells the story of feuding humans, gods, and monsters.
Earning Emmys in 2018 and 2020 for Rick and Morty, he has more in store to come, including another adult animated supernatural sitcom series called Haunted Hotel about a woman running a haunted hotel along with her brother’s ghost, and the adult animated sci-fi comedy President Curtis about the fictional president handling paranormal phenomena. While the adult animated space has long been dominated by showrunners like Matt Groening and Seth McFarlane, Harmon is one of the latest to watch.
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Quinta Brunson
Quinta Brunson has solidified her status as a comedic genius with the multi-Emmy-winning and nominated sitcom Abbott Elementary. Brunson also stars in the mockumentary sitcom about teachers and other staff working in an underfunded public school. She made history as the first Black woman to be nominated three times for comedy, for the show itself, writing, as well as acting. In 2022 for the 75th Emmy Awards, she made history again as the first Black woman to win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy in more than 40 years.
Along with serving as the creator, executive producer, and co-writer of Abbott Elementary, Brunson was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People back in 2022. She has come a long way from her humble beginnings, creating comedy videos on Instagram and working as a video producer for BuzzFeed Video. Abbott Elementary is considered one of the best sitcoms of the last five years.
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Liz Meriwether
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Liz Meriwether rose to prominence with the massively popular sitcom New Girl, which she created. From there, she created several hit sitcoms, like Single Parents and Bless This Mess. Most recently, she gained attention for The Dropout, a biographical drama miniseries about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, portrayed by Amanda Seyfried (who won an Emmy for her portrayal). There’s also Dying for Sex, a comedy-drama miniseries starring Michelle Williams as a woman finding herself in the wake of a terminal diagnosis. Furious is a new crime drama starring Emmy Rossum as an FBI agent hunting down a vigilante female serial killer.
Meriwether herself has received accolades for her shows, including an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Dying for Sex. She is next tapped to write a screenplay for an untitled Britney Spears biopic. You can probably sense a theme in her work: feminism is a big part of her focus. Meriwether is a member of the unofficial “Fempire,” a group of prolific female screenwriters who are proving their talents behind the scenes to tremendous success.
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Dan Fogelman
Demonstrating incredible versatility in his work, Dan Fogelman broke onto the scene with the dramaThis Is Us, only to follow it up with a completely different show — the post-apocalyptic political thriller sci-fi seriesParadise, one ofthe best thriller shows since 2020. Both shows have become major titles of the last decade,This Is Us earning 39 Emmy nominations and four wins through its run andParadise already receiving 11 nominations for its two seasons to date.
While his sports drama seriesPitchwent canceled after one season, it received high praise, so the decision was baffling. Fogelman is also an executive producer ofOnly Murders in the Building. He’s next working on a sports drama series calledThe Land, starringChristopher Meloni,William H. Macy,and Mandy Moore.
Collider Exclusive · Universe Personality Quiz
Which Iconic Universe Do You Belong in the Most?
Star Wars · Lord of the Rings · Harry Potter · Game of Thrones · Star Trek
Five legendary universes. Five completely different visions of what the world could be — or already was. One of them is where your instincts were built for. Eight questions will tell you which one.
