The Age of ‘Too Much TV’
It’s a familiar ritual: you scroll through endless menus of new series, each with a flashy trailer and a compelling premise. The explosion of content, often called 'Peak TV,' has turned what was once an exciting seasonal tradition into a daunting chore.
There are simply too many shows for any single person to sample, let alone follow. In the past, you might have followed a favorite actor, but with movie stars migrating to television for limited runs, that’s no longer a reliable guide. You might have stuck to a specific network, but with every streaming service from Netflix to Peacock dropping entire seasons at once, loyalty is a thing of the past. This content saturation can lead to decision paralysis, where the sheer volume of choice makes it impossible to choose anything at all.
The Critic’s Secret: Follow the Showrunner
So, what’s the trick? It’s surprisingly simple: follow the showrunner. While actors are the face of a show and directors may helm an episode or two, the showrunner is the true creative force. They are the head writer and executive producer who has the ultimate say on everything from the script and casting to the overall tone and direction of the series. In the world of television, the showrunner is the author. A director might shape a single chapter, but the showrunner writes the entire book. They are responsible for maintaining a consistent vision from the first episode to the last, making them the single most important person on any TV production. Critics have long known that a show's quality and sensibility are most closely tied to this individual.
Why This Method Is Your New Superpower
Betting on a showrunner is like betting on a favorite author or director. If you love the worlds, characters, and dialogue that a particular creator is known for, there’s a strong chance you’ll enjoy their next project, regardless of its genre or the network it’s on. Their creative DNA is embedded in the show. For instance, a showrunner known for intricate plots and moral ambiguity will likely bring that same complexity to their new series. Someone famous for sharp, witty dialogue will infuse their next project with a similar verbal flair. This method cuts through the marketing noise. A trailer can be misleading, and a high-concept premise can fizzle out after a few episodes. But a showrunner with a proven track record is one of the best indicators of quality and consistency you can find. It turns the gamble of starting a new series into a more calculated investment of your time.
How to Put This Trick Into Practice
Ready to build your own curated watchlist? The process is easy. First, make a list of five to ten TV shows you’ve truly loved. Not just shows you watched, but shows that resonated with you on a deeper level. Next, head to a site like Wikipedia or IMDb and look up the creator or showrunner for each of them. You might be surprised to find that a few of your seemingly disconnected favorites were steered by the same creative mind. Once you have a list of showrunners, search for their other projects. See what else they’ve written or produced. Look for interviews where they discuss their influences and what they’re working on next. This breadcrumb trail is your new guide. Instead of blindly sampling pilots, you can now prioritize shows based on a creator’s past work, effectively creating a personalized 'must-watch' list based on a proven history of what you already enjoy.
