Four African Americans made The Hollywood Reporter’s list of Top 50 Power Showrunners of 2011.
Salim and Mara Brock Akil
The Game (BET)
A new season of the hit show The Game is scheduled to drop in January. The couple’s next film project is a remake of the 1976 movie Sparkle. To be released in 2012, the drama/musical will star Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, Cee Lo Green, Mike Epps, Derek Luke, Tika Sumpter, and Omari Hardwick.
Shonda Rhimes
Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal (ABC)
THR calls Shonda Rhimes television’s most prolific female drama series creator. Thus far, ABC has aired 82 episodes of Private Practice and 159 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. Grey’s is also noted for having more women than men in its writers rooms and having more people of color in lead roles than most network shows.
Tyler Perry
House of Payne, Meet the Browns (TBS)
Tyler Perry has two upcoming films for 2012. Good Deeds – starring Thandie Newton, Tyler Perry, Gabrielle Union, Phylicia Rashad, and Brian White – is set for a February release. The Marriage Counselor starring Jurnee Smollet, Kim Kardashian, Lance Gross, Eric West, Vanessa Williams, and Brandy Norwood will follow later in the year.
The final list was based on the following criteria.
1. Direct responsibility for the day-to-day creative output of a scripted TV show that has aired for at least one full season (unless he or she also had another show on the air).
2. How prolific the showrunner is: Those with more shows on the air were more likely to be included.
3. Nielsen ratings, especially relative to other shows on the same network.
4. Emmy attention and critical praise.
5. Professionalism and reputation among studio and network executives.
Check out the full list at THR.
