Playback Sets The Showrunner Table

PLAYBACK's new editorial direction may finally be taking flight. I was pleasantly surprised in the latest issue to read an article by Etan Vlessing that evenhandedly examined one of the issues that's currently bubbling around -- whether to relax the rules to allow American writers into story rooms. (Which to me begs a simple question of fairness -- is this going to mean that Canadian writers can go to U.S. producers with lots of experience and a great track record to realize their ideas -- and still qualify for CTF/CMF funding? If not, why not? This is the problem with opening Pandora's Box -- you never know what will fly out.)

Anyhow, this all leads to a larger question, and a bigger series of posts that I'm going to pull together for a few weeks from now: a look at the current state of creative in the Canadian TV racket.

For now, the Playback article's a good primer about where things sit now. Playback has a pay firewall, so I'd encourage you to pick up a newsstand copy if you want to read the full thing, including interesting clarifications from Maureen Parker from the WGC, and Christina Jennings from Shaftesbury.

A short excerpt:

E1 Television president John Morayniss praises Canada for its TV writers and showrunners. But he argues the classic TV writer/producer - someone who has the vision of a series in their head and can oversee every stage of production - is a product of the American studio system. So when Canadian producers pitch their series in Los Angeles, talk turns quickly to who's the showrunner, as opposed to Canada where non-writing producers tend to stick-handle productions after writers complete scripts.

"The networks are putting up a lot of money and they [Americans] want someone they trust," Morayniss insists. He adds the Canadian system can benefit if funding rules are tweaked and American talent can lend its expertise to Canadian writing rooms.

But former Columbia TriStar and Paramount TV executive Tom Mazza, now executive vice-president of worldwide television at Cookie Jar Entertainment, sees no need for a host of passports in Canadian writing rooms.

"You don't have to bring people from different places to make something better. There's great talent in Canada. I'm excited about tapping into that [Canadian] talent, and working with them," Mazza says.

Recent debate over possible changes to funding rules for 10/10 dramas began in Banff, and gathered momentum after recent comments by Shaftebury Films CEO Christina Jennings that Canada faces a shortage of local showrunners (Playback, June 22).

The WGC's Parker insists Canada has more than enough showrunners, and further questions Jennings' claim of a shortage given that one of her series, The Listener, had a revolving door of showrunners and head writers on its first 13 episodes.