The 25 Most Powerful Showrunners in TV Right Now

Showrunners have moved from obscurity into the mainstream in recent years. The quality of television continues to improve, and the Internet provides us with more and more information on the the shows we love. As a result, the producer/writers who helm our favorites have found themselves in the limelight. But our vision of these figures is often skewed.

A handful of showrunners, generally those who are in charge of shows that are attractive to bloggers or those who also appear on-screen, have hogged the limelight. Internet stardom does not necessarily equal with power. Power can come from ratings, number of shows on the air, fame, or cash: whatever the cause of it, these men and women wield it. And we bet you won't even recognize some of the names on this list.

Here are the 25 Most Powerful Showrunners in TV Right Now.

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Written by Brenden Gallagher (@muddycreekU)

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Shows Run: Sons of Anarchy (2008-Present), Outlaw Empire (2012)

Sutter rose through the ranks on The Shield under showrunner Shawn Ryan, along with recently departed The Walking Dead showrunner, Glenn Mazzara. His experience on The Shield put Sutter in a position to launch Sons of Anarchy after the The Shield finished its run.

SOA has been an unmitigated success; the show has developed to the point that it often challenges broadcast shows in terms of ratings. Sutter also recently produced a documentary series entitled, Outlaw Empires, wherein he took a look at different real-life organized crime syndicates. The showrunner is beloved and reviled on Twitter, depending on who you ask, where he recently wrote a colorfully worded defense of Mazzara after his forced exit from The Walking Dead.

Shows Run: Downton Abbey (2010-Present), Titanic (2012)

You know Downton Abbey, that show that all the ladies are live-tweeting? This is the man behind the dinner parties. Fellowes began his writing career in film with works like Gosford Park and The Young Victoria. Downton Abbey has marked his turn to narrative television, which he has followed up with a Titanic mini-series.

Though his previous television work has been made for British Television, Fellowes recently inked a deal with NBC to produce The Gilded Age, which sounds a lot like Downton Abbey, but set in late 19th century New York. Tell your friends to get their Twitter account ready.

Shows Run: Girls (2012-Present)

No, her show is not a ratings juggernaut, but that hasn't stopped Lena Dunham from being a year-long topic of conversation. The beloved yet controversial (depending on who you ask) Dunham has parlayed fascination with Girls into some lucrative opportunities. So far, these have included a multi-million dollar book deal and an option for her forthcoming All Dressed Up and Everywhere to Go from HBO.

Jenni Konner will continue to lend her expertise as Dunham's showrunning partner on the new project. Konner executive produced several short-lived shows before she began work on Girls, and has connections to Girls executive producer Judd Apatow going as far back as Undeclared.

Shows Run: Dawon's Creek (1998-2003), Wasteland (1999), Glory Days (2002), Hidden Palms (2007), Vampire Diaries (2007-Present), The Secret Circle (2011-2012), The Following (2013-Present)

Several generations of teens owe a debt to Kevin Williamson. He jumped into teen content with his first script, Scream. This led to an opportunity to create a television show. The resulting show, Dawson's Creek, ensured that James Van Der Beek would be in our hearts, and that Paula Cole song would be in our heads, forever. The show was based on his own childhood romantic struggles (prior to coming out of the closet), so don't worry losers, there's hope for you yet.

Williamson's more recent projects have leaned back towards horror in one form or another: he is behind Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle, and The Following.

Shows Run: Breaking Bad (2008-2013)

Since the '90s, Gilligan has been plugging away as a writer for film and television. He had a few chances at producing before he landed a gig on The X-Files, but the paranormal detective show brought him into the upper echelon of writer/producers.

After his involvement with The X-Files came to an end, he began working to get Breaking Bad made. The show, which started out as only a critical success, has found a place in the popular imagination as well as at the top of end-of-year best of lists.

The next question is what Gilligan will do next, as the end of Breaking Bad is imminent. If he knows, he has kept the information pretty close to his vest: all that he has revealed thus far is that he might "love to do a Western."

Shows Run: Sports Night (1998-2000), The West Wing (1999-2006), Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006-2007), The Newsroom (2012-Present)

Though his projects have received mixed critical reactions over the years, Aaron Sorkin is always capable of hitting a homerun. Whether it was his theatrical hit, A Few Good Men, his cinematic successes like The Social Network, or the modern classic series, The West Wing, when Sorkin's work hits the mark, it is top-notch. His notoriously controlling style, hit-or-miss results (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is savagely parodied to this day), and personal demons have gained Sorkin his share of detractors, but he remains one of the most recognizable voices in show business.

As Sorkin has recently been attempting to balance his responsibilities on The Newsroom with feature film and theatrical projects, we can only wonder in what form his next critical success will arrive.

Shows Run: Boardwalk Empire (2010-Present)

Though he runs the HBO ratings juggernaut without dragons in it, Winter still gets respect. Budgets for Boardwalk Empire are actually comparable to the big spending that gets done on Game of Thrones. One estimate put the cost of Boardwalk at $5 million an episode.

Prior to his sizable stint on The Sopranos, Winter did time on shows as varied as Sister, Sister, Xena, Warrior Princess, and Flipper. Though rumors are out there of a project involving a dream team of Winter, Martin Scorsese, and Mic Jagger exploring the history of rock 'n' roll, it looks like Winter is content to keep his energies focused on Boardwalk for now.

Shows Run: The Corner (2000), The Wire (2002-2008), Generation Kill (2008), Treme (2010-2013)

Sometimes power can come from critical acclaim, even if you don't capture a huge chunk of the mainstream audience. This has been the case for David Simon throughout his career. While The Wire remains a consensus pick for the greatest TV show of all time, most folks out there have never even heard of his recently cancelled, Treme.

Simon's TV career began when he was brought in on the writing staff to turn his book, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets into the TV series, Homicide: Life on the Street. His experiences with Homicide set him up for his recent string of critical successes, both in mini-series and hour-long episodic formats.

Now that Treme is drawing to a close, Simon lists a number of projects as "in development" on his website, including a CIA period piece, a mini-series chronicling the Lincoln assassination, and a narrative history of Manhattan's Times Square.

Shows Run: The OC (2003-2007), The Mountain (2004-2005) Gossip Girl (2006-2012), Chuck (2007-2012), Hart of Dixie (2011-Present) The Carrie Diaries (2011-Present), Cult (2012-Present)

Josh Schwartz became a showrunner after creating The OC at the tender age of 26. He went on to become the reigning king of teen drama when he created Gossip Girl.

His long-time creative partner, Stephanie Savage took a slightly longer road to big-time television production. She had already begun her PhD in Film Studies when she started her creative career with Drew Barrymore's Flower Films. Their partnership has been quite successful so far, and we see no reason that the team can't continue to handle the bulk of CW shows without monsters in them.

Shows Run: Relativity (1996), Roswell (1999-2002), DeMarco Affiairs (2004), DeMarco Affairs (2004), Boston Public (2000-2004), Fertile Ground (2005), Pepper Dennis (2006), Friday Night Lights (2006-2011), The Wedding Bells (2007), Parenthood (2010-Present)

It may seem strange for Friday Night Lights fans to see Katims on this list. The show was always on the brink of being cancelled during its five-season run. The critical acclaim and fan loyalty he generated with FNL put him in a position to get Parenthood on the air, which has also continued on despite relatively low ratings.

NBC has yet another very Katims-appropriate project on tap for the seasoned showrunner. He is slated to executive produce a pilot for another novel-turned-movie-turned-TV-show, About A Boy. John Favreau has been tapped to direct.

Shows Run: The Office (2005-Present), Parks and Recreation (2009-Present)

Since Greg Daniels and Michael Schur's partnership began on The Office, they've been pleasing comedy nerds with their slice-of-life series. Daniels, a veteran of The Simpsons and King of the Hill, and Schur, an Saturday Night Live alum, are behind both The Office and Parks and Recreation.

The comedic masterminds have several projects in development on their own right now: Schur is at work on a police comedy, and Daniels has several projects in the pipeline, including one starring The Office's Craig Robinson as a middle-school music teacher.

Shows Run: Game of Thrones (2010-Present)

False starts can often lead to long-term success. This principle is proven true time and again in TV, and it's certainly true of D.B. Weiss. Weiss was commissioned to re-write the Halo script in 2006—the project died. Weiss and Benioff partnered up on an adaptation of the beloved sci-fi novel Ender's Game—the script was not used. Weiss was part of a project that was to be a prequel to I Am Legend—the film never saw the light of day.

When Weiss and Benioff did finally bring a major project to fruition, it was a big one. Game of Thrones has become a runaway hit for HBO. Weiss and Benioff may not have a long track record, but they have the power of the purse. Episodes of Game of Thrones are reported to cost $6 million.

Shows Run: Nash Bridges (1996-2001), Angel (1999-2004)The Shield (2002-2008),The Unit (2006-2009),The Oaks (2008), Lie to Me (2009-2011), Terriers (2010), The Chicago Code (2011), Last Resort (2012)

It may seem strange to include a showrunner who has had his last three shows cancelled in their first season, but home-run kings often have the most strikeouts, and Shawn Ryan is no exception.

Ryan enjoyed long-running success with The Shield, but his only enduring show since has been the David Mamet-created The Unit, which ran for four seasons. Ryan is hoping one of the two new pilots he has in development will mark a return to longevity.

One is a Beverly Hills Cop reboot with CBS, and the other is HBO project about miners entitled Badlands. It's worth noting that Ryan may have done business with the most networks of any showrunner in history. Including projects currently in development, he's worked with CBS, FX, ABC, TNT, HBO, FOX, and the dearly departed WB.

Shows Run: Mad Men (2007-Present)

Mad Men is far from the highest rated show on television, but the cultural impact of the highly lauded series is undeniable. Now that Mad Men has inspired network copycats (R.I.P. Playboy Club and Pan Am) as well as scads of bloggers and commentators, people want to be in business with Matt Weiner.

After working his way from writer to co-executive producer on The Sopranos, Weiner was finally in a position to shop his decade-old script for Mad Men. The show found a home at AMC, marking the network's first foray into the original series game. His upcoming feature, You Are Here, has plenty excited, the true Weiner fanatics just want more Don Draper.

Shows Run: Oh, Grow Up (1999), Six Feet Under (2001-2005), True Blood (2008-Present), Banshee (2013-Present)

It's hard to imagine the subtle Six Feet Under and over-the-top True Blood coming from the same mind, but Alan Ball is behind both shows. Ball's fascination with death is a common theme in his work; he cites his Buddhism as the root of his interest.

Ball stepped down as showrunner of True Blood last year and recorded this farewell for his fans. His latest, Banshee, is slowly accumulating props, proving that Ball hasn't fallen off at all.

Shows Run: Frasier (1993-2004), Just Shoot Me (1997-2003), Greg the Bunny (2002), Stacked (2005-2006), Back to You (2007-2008), Modern Family (2009-Present)

Modern Family has been one of the only enduring comedy hits of the last few years that wasn't broadcast on CBS. It's status should come as no surprise, given Levitan's TV pedigree. A comedy mainstay since the early '90s, Levitan worked on Frasier and The Larry Sanders Show, two hits that earned him significant accolades in the comedy world.

Though Levitan's last pilot, Rebounding failed to find a home after Fox passed on the show last year, it's unlikely that Levitan won't rebound.

Shows Run: Popular (1999-2001), Nip/Tuck (2003-2010), Glee (2009-Present), American Horror Story (20011-Present), The Glee Project (2011-Present), The New Normal (2012-Present)

It doesn't matter if you're a fan of Glee or not, you have to respect Ryan Murphy's hustle. The cash-cow choir show isn't the only hit Murphy has churned out; he's sandwiched Glee with two other marked successes, Nip/Tuck and American Horror Story.

Television domination hasn't been enough for Murphy, who has also ventured into film directing. He directed Running With Scissors and Eat, Pray, Love, and will soon be releasing his new movie, The Normal Heart.

Shows Run: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000-Present), CSI: Miami (2002-2012), CSI: NY (2004-Present)

It's not just your grandmother who watches CSI. Millions tune in every week to watch the grisly crime procedurals helmed by these two women. Though the flagship show is getting a little long in the tooth after thirteen seasons, original CSI still attracts over twelve million viewers every week.

During the show's prime, over 25 million viewers could be counted on to tune in. For its part, the New York edition of CSI brings in an average of ten million viewers a week. Mad Men's best season maxed out at three-and-a-half million, just to give you some perspective.

Shows Run: Grey's Anatomy (2005-Present), Private Practice (2007-2013), Scandal (2012-Present)

Reader, if you went to a college with a nursing or pre-med program, then you already know the power Grey's Anatomy has had over a generation of future medical professionals. Luckily for Shonda Rhimes, the success has transcended the medically inclined and made Grey's a huge hit. Her Grey's spin-off, Private Practice enjoyed a strong run in its day and Scandal is shaping up to become an even larger hit in its second season.

Rhimes is turning her attention to partnering with budding writers, as she's currently developing two new projects, including I Hate L.A. Dudes with Issa Rae (the creator of The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl).

Shows Run: NCIS (2003-Present), NCIS: Los Angeles (2010-Present)

No, we don't watch either NCIS show, but the rest of America sure does. Not only do both shows regularly net in the neighborhood of twenty million viewers, both shows have steadily gained eyeballs over the life of the show, as in more and more people are watching. The flagship NCIS has seen their viewership double during its ten year run.

It was announced last year that we can look forward to yet another NCIS show. Start an office betting poll as to which city it crashes this time.

Shows Run: Family Guy (1999-Present), American Dad (2005-Present), The Winner (2007) The Cleveland Show (2009-Present)

After beginning his career working on Cartoon Network shows like Johnny Bravo and Dexter's Laboratory, MacFarlane struck out on his own to create Family Guy. After a series of negotiations and false starts, MacFarlane became the youngest executive producer on TV at the age of 24. Family Guys has turned into a $1 billion franchise, and for his part, McFarlane has become the highest paid TV writer thanks to that series and associated projects.

With the success of Ted, his first foray into feature films, his upcoming live-action show Dads, and his impending gig as Oscar host, MacFarlane will continue to stay busy. Nothing new there.

Shows Run: Grace Under Fire (1993-1998), Dharma & Greg (1997-2002), Two and a Half Men (2003-Present), The Big Bang Theory (2007-Present) Mike and Molly (2010-Present)

Whether or not you like the man's shows, you can't deny that he's a hit machine. CBS's continued multi-camera comedy success has been almost completely thanks to Lorre and his team: he created Two and a Half Man and The Big Bang Theory, and also served as the executive producer of Mike & Molly. Lorre's earlier credits include shows that many of us grew up with, including Cybil, Grace Under Fire, and Dharma and Greg.

Lorre has enjoyed immense success and shows no signs of slowing, as he's got a new pilot currently in the works. One of the greatest testaments to Lorre's power is that he was able to keep Two and a Half Men going in 2011 despite Charlie Sheen's exit. Few showrunners could have withstood losing someone with Sheen's starpower, but Lorre helped right the ship's course and kept the mega-hit moving forward. For insights into the mind and career of Lorre, check out the vanity cards he includes at the end of every episode of his shows.