The emergence of the showrunner in global contemporary TV fiction: The case of Pau Freixas in Catalonia

This article approaches the television career of Pau Freixas, screenwriter, director and producer of the series Polseres vermelles (2012-13), Cites (2013-16) and Sé quién eres (2017). The television works of Pau Freixas epitomise three recent changes experienced in the creation of television fiction. First, the international emergence of the showrunner, a key characteristic of the American TV industry, that has expanded globally as a symbol of creative autonomy. Second, Pau Freixas' career marks an ongoing tendency on contemporary Spanish TV: many directors began their career in cinema but have ended up working in television, making him a rara avis as a showrunner-director. Last, he has developed the most important part of his career in the Catalan public television channel, TV3, where he matured as a storyteller in a way that, in the context of contemporary television, has facilitated remarkable international success for his works.

catalan television; spanish television; television fiction; television globalization; television production; television screenwriting & direction; television showrunner

The emergence of the showrunner in global contemporary TV fiction: The case of Pau Freixas in Catalonia Articles