Mike Royce

“Showrunners” is the first ever feature length documentary film to explore the fascinating world of US television showrunners and the creative forces aligned around them. These are the people responsible for creating, writing and overseeing every element of production on one of the United State’s biggest exports – television drama and comedy series. Often described as the most complex job in the entertainment business, a showrunner is the chief writer / producer on a TV series and, in most instances, the show’s creator. Battling daily between art and commerce, showrunners manage every aspect of a TV show’s development and production: creative, financial and logistical.

The short called “Caesar’s Salad” that won at the Chicago Film Festival and the New Orleans Film and Video Festival. C.K.’s mother helped him to pay for “Caesar’s Salad,” the production of which required him to close down a street and use a cop car. In the Louis C.K. episode of Marc Maron’s podcast, Maron mentions that he was cut out of “Caesar’s Salad” but some of his guitar playing remains on the soundtrack.

Workaholic Mike Flaherty is the Deputy Mayor of New York City, serving as Mayor Randall Winston's key strategist and much-needed handler. Mike runs the city with the help of his oddball staff: an anxious and insecure press secretary; a sexist, boorish chief of staff; an impeccably groomed gay activist running minority affairs; a sharp and efficient, man-crazy accountant; and an idealistic young speechwriter. Like Mike, they are all professionally capable but personally challenged.