The Hollywood Reporter has just unveiled their annual rundown of the most prolific showrunners in Hollywood. The list showcases creators for all across the ever-expanding landscape of scripted series.
THR split their picks into four categories. Network Ambassadors covers those whose show serves as the banner for their respective network. Ratings Magnets are, as the name suggests, the men and women behind TV's most popular shows. The heavyweight category focuses on big names with bigger paychecks to match. While the Pop Icon group highlights creators whose influence extends beyond TV. Here are some notable names from each.
Jill Soloway was chosen as a Network Ambassador and it's easy to see why. The 50 year old writer-producer is riding high thanks to the success of her show Transparent. The transgender dramedy has helped legitimize Amazon as a major player in the original content game. It bagged the outstanding comedy award at this year's Emmys and also nabbed a Best Actor award for star Jeffrey Tambor.
The ratings magnet category counts David Benioff and D.B. Weiss of Game of Thrones among its ranks. There was no stopping GoT this year with THR reporting that the fifth season attracted more than 20 million viewers a week. This was also the year that show finally won some serious critical plaudits as it bagged its first best drama Emmy.
As far as Heavyweights go; Shonda Rhimes is basically the definition of the category. The 45 year old is one of TV's most recognizable names and perhaps the only one on this list that could fall into any of the four divisions. Her Shondaland empire of Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder is ABC's flagship programming block and a bonafide cultural phenomenon. Just take a look at that Entertainment Weekly cover.
For Pop Icons, HBO's Girls trio of Judd Apatow, Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner seem like an obvious choice. Dunham in particular, has seen her star rise considerably thanks to the success of the show. The 29 year old is now a best-selling author and feminist lightning rod.
To see the whole list check out THR.
