What Is a Television Producer?

Video Transcript

"In this clip we are going to talk about what a television producer is. A television producer is many many things. First and foremost he is the one who pitches the idea to the networks and whether it is their idea or someone else's idea they are the ones that shepherded it through completion and by completion I mean a produced pilot that eventually will go on to air. They're the ones that run the show, they're the ones who handle the logistical side, the business side. They're the ones that hire the crew, the creative team. They're the ones who facilitate the process of bringing the actors on board to play the characters in the show and predominantly their job once the show is established and up and running their job is to be the shepherd that kind of guides it along. Traditionally the producers of the show are considered the show runners, the ones that are ultimately the ones responsible for crafting the story line of the show and they don't necessarily write the scrips although in a lot of cases some of them do actively write but they are definitely the ones who craft the overall story. They sit in the room with the creative team the writing staff and they develop the arcs that progress throughout the regular television season. So unlike motion pictures where the producer might be minimally involved in the creative process and largely handles the business side, television producers are very much in their own right story tellers. They are the ones that help craft the vision of the series and continue to maintain it over the years that it runs on television. So they are very very busy people with a lot of responsibilities and the success of the show rides on their shoulders but they have very rewarding jobs. They also collect all the accolades and all the praise and they're the ones that make the big bucks at the end of the day. So that essentially is what television producers do."