European Showrunners: The Impact of Streaming Platforms on Changes in the Television Authorship Model in Spain and Poland
Dawid Junke
dawid.junke@gmail.comUniversity of Wrocław (Poland)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4894-994X
Abstract
The article examines the impact of global streaming platforms such as Netflix on the authorship model of television series in Spain and Poland. Both countries have experienced a dynamic increase in audiovisual production investment, exceeding the European average. In Spain, where Netflix has established its largest production hub in Europe, the adoption of the showrunner model has influenced local production practices. In Poland, despite the dominance of a director-centred cinematic tradition, the streaming market’s growth has led to changes in work culture and production organisation. The article also addresses challenges in adapting the showrunner model, including the marginalisation of screenwriters in Poland and the limited influence of Spanish showrunners on budgeting.
Supporting Agencies
Keywords:
showrunner, streaming, Netflix, production studies, authorship of TV seriesReferences
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Authors
Dawid Junkedawid.junke@gmail.com
University of Wrocław Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4894-994X
Assistant Professor at the Institute of Cultural Studies, University of Wrocław; Fulbright Slavic Award recipient. A scholar of popular culture, he is fascinated with TV shows, films, and narratives. His research interests revolve around the cultural aspects of the production and reception of television shows. Author of the book Transcendencja i sekularyzacja. Motywy religijne we współczesnych amerykańskich serialach telewizyjnych [Transcendence and Secularization: Religious Motifs in Contemporary American Television Shows] (2018). In 2022 he lectured as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Washington, Seattle.
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