A new report by ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln examines the professional profile, duties, and recognition of showrunners across Europe

Supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA programme, the ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln has released its first comprehensive report on showrunning in Europe, entitled Showrunning in Europe – Skills, Tasks, Responsibilities. The publication draws on four years of the school’s European Showrunner Programme and the accompanying European Showrunner Think Tank, combining qualitative interviews with showrunners from six European countries with pilot questionnaires and a Europe-wide online survey. The report offers a detailed overview of the role and responsibilities of showrunners, and of crediting practices vis-à-vis the latter, identifying both commonalities and differences compared to the US model.

Europe’s series production sector has grown rapidly, driven by the global expansion of streaming platforms and increasing demand for high-quality serial content. Showrunners, who oversee both creative and production aspects of a series, play a key role in ensuring narrative cohesion, artistic quality, and production efficiency. Unlike the US model, where showrunners often wield broad authority, European showrunners typically operate in close collaboration with producers, balancing creative leadership with logistical and financial oversight.

The survey highlights the structural uncertainty faced by European showrunners. Despite increasing recognition, the role remains loosely defined across industries, leaving many professionals to negotiate authority, responsibilities, and compensation on a project-by-project basis. As Finnish showrunner Mette Heeno, puts it: “Showrunning is not about power. It’s about responsibility. About ensuring that everybody you work with knows exactly how to tell and visualise the story you want to tell.”

The report emphasises that European showrunning is not simply the TV equivalent of the auteur model. Showrunners are generally series creators and head writers, working in a collaborative environment with producers, writers’ rooms, directors, and department heads, while respecting the director’s creative territory during filming. They are rarely on set, except for key or diplomatically significant scenes, and focus on reviewing rushes on a daily basis, giving feedback, and planning subsequent production steps.

Crediting practices vary across Europe. Whilst the title of ‘executive producer’ is most commonly attributed to showrunners (in 61% of cases), other designations exist depending on national industry conventions. Other practices differ by country, also reflecting national protocol and industry norms.

Training and professional development play a central role in consolidating the European showrunner model. The European Showrunner Programme and related initiatives equip writers with production skills and leadership competencies, while think tanks and professional networks foster knowledge exchange and support the development of common standards for showrunning across the continent.

Chief executive director of ifs and director of the European Showrunner Programme Nadja Radojevic commented: “The establishment of a clearly defined showrunner role is essential for European series to remain competitive in a global market saturated with content. This report provides the first comprehensive analysis of how showrunners operate in Europe and contributes to shaping a distinctly European approach to this key position.”

Tuesday 27 January will see Radojevic presenting this publication in the Göteborg Film Festival’s TV Drama Vision event. The full report is available for download here.