Contribution: Showrunners and Head writers

@Peter_pbn

In the case that there is an existing attribute for the writer credit, we recommend adding the "head writer" attribute as a new credit. 

Then you should expand your help page.

Thanks for sharing your concerns with us.

We'll be updating the help guide to reflect that these should be added as new credits instead of modifications of existing ones.

Regarding the addition of these roles without the (uncredited) attribute, although rarely credited on-screen, showrunners and head writers are very well recognized in the industry and we've taken the deliberate decision to list these on IMDb without the uncredited attribute.

Thanks again for your feedback.

Regarding the addition of these roles without the (uncredited) attribute, although rarely credited on-screen, showrunners and head writers are very well recognized in the industry and we've taken the deliberate decision to list these on IMDb without the uncredited attribute.

What does the fact that they are very well recognized in the industry have to do with anything? Have you made an exception to your own lang-standing rule just because of this? It's extremely weird that I feel like I have to point it out to members of IMDb, but IMDb is a database. It records as much information about films, tv shows, videogames as well as the cast and crew who made these. It deals with facts, not feelings. The feelings of said cast and crew shouldn't have anything to do with how IMDb makes and lists its data. Giving too much influence to the people in the business will probably end up ending your own business. The reason: the most important thing for a database is to have its facts straight and to try and list all the facts. IMDb no longer tries to list all the facts, which is a first step towards its end I'm afraid.

The guidelines "how to" says to "add a new Producer or Writer credit", so I'm not sure anyone is being a tool by following them.

@adrian has multiple posts trying to undo the kind of duplication you are talking about.

@Peter_pbn​ I can completely believe somebody would add a new credit at the series level across all episodes with 'showrunner' as attribute rather than amend existing credits, if I find people dumb enough to add full crew credits completely in the 'Additional Crew' section then I can believe anything.

I'd like to believe the old 'Showrunner' credits have just been changed by IMDb internally to what they are allowed to be now creating duplicates in the doing, but there are shows from the last 6 months with duplicates so maybe not.

Just trying to gain information to help me provide explanations in deleting such credits.

@VonPunk​ 

Part of the problem seems to be that the system does not detect these as duplicates because the attributes are different (one is empty and one has showrunner). If the system ignore the attribute, these duplicate credits would not be allowed. (You can try this as it will allow you to add both at the same time.)

@adrian​ Well the thing I wanted to know is how they came to be, I remember it was possible to add 'showrunner' as the occupation once upon a time, were all these credits converted to 'executive producer (showrunner)' by IMDb by making internal changes based on the new rulings which then sat alongside the existing 'executive producer' credit separated by the attribute causing the issue of duplication you describe.

Basically if that's the case it should be easy to explain why I'm deleting if it's a known issue, as my account seems to be heavily restricted on deleting this last month for reasons unknown.

There has never been "showrunner" as occupation that I can remember. The showrunner attribute was added somewhat recently. I don't think IMDb has changed any credits. It is individual editors who are either careless or don't know what to do that add an additional executive producer credit instead of editing the existing one. I generally clean these up by deleting the one without the attribute with the comment "Duplicate credit with out the correct attribute".

But guidelines say they should be added as new credits, so it's not right to call people who do what guidelines say as "careless" or "don't know what to do"

@mbmb​ I don't see it say that, which part? Sometimes I can't see for looking.

@adrian​ Thanks. And yes, there's still, according to drop down menu's, over 15,000 credits in Producers & Writer section on the site for the occupation 'showrunner' in various spellings.

If there's disagreement here, I hope a staff member will clarify what the correct protocol is and future thread readers can know what's what.

@VonPunk​ 

Based on my interactions and questions here, I think the protocol is to add the showrunner attribute to the existing on screen credit. (There may be a case where a showrunner is not actually credited as a producer but I have not seen this yet despite watching literally hundreds of different shows.)

@VonPunk​ It's the part quoted by Peter above, "add a new Producer or Writer credit"

And screenshot in guidelines shows it as a new credit addition.

And there is this response by Rida above: "We'll be updating the help guide to reflect that these should be added as new credits instead of modifications of existing ones."

And there is this part which could be interpreted indirectly combined with others and screenshot instruction: "The person must always have another credit on the title, as either a producer or writer."

@mbmb​ Thanks, I was looking in here https://help.imdb.com/article/contribution/filmography-credits/showrunners-and-head-writers/GWM56FK8YQM2MV6R#

instead of the thread.

I can fully believe staff are saying opposite things here, obviously Adrian has been told something else, as recently both myself and him were given contradicting information on an another issue as well.