IMDb Polls

Poll: Best Creator That Television Has Ever Seen

It was once said "Let there be light, and there was light … and it was good." These series creators have figuratively done the same, creating over and over again, one hit TV show after another. A television creator is someone who creates the premise and characters for a TV series, as well as, usually the writes the pilot episode.

Which creator's body of work* in creating new TV shows is the best? * minimum three dramatic or comedic creator or developer series credits

Discuss the topic here.

Make Your Choice

  1. Vote!
     

    David E. Kelley at an event for Star Trek (2009)

    Creator David E. Kelley

    Doogie Howser, M.D. (co-creator), Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, The Practice, Snoops, Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Girls Club, Brotherhood of Poland, N.H., The Law Firm, Boston Legal, Harry's Law, Wedding Bells (co-creator), Legally Mad, Wonder Woman 2011 (co-developer), Monday Morning (co-creator), The Crazy Ones

  2. Vote!
     

    Chuck Lorre

    Creator Chuck Lorre

    Frannie's Turn, Grace Under Fire, Cybill, Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, Mom

  3. Vote!
     

    Dick Wolf

    Creator Dick Wolf

    Law & Order, Gideon Oliver, HELP, Christine Cromwell, Nasty Boys, South Beach, Swift Justice, Players, Mann & Machine, Feds (co-creator), New York Undercover, Deadline, Conviction, Arrest & Trial, Crime & Punishment, Law & Order SVU, Law& Order Trial by Jury, Law & Order UK, Law& Order LA, Law & Order Criminal Intent, Cold Justice, Cold Justice: Sex Crimes, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, Chicago Justice

  4. Vote!
     

    Ryan Murphy at an event for Eat Pray Love (2010)

    Creator Ryan Murphy

    Popular (co-creator), Nip/Tuck, Glee (co-creator), The New Normal (co-creator), American Horror Story (co-creator), Scream Queens (co-creator), Feud (developer)

  5. Vote!
     

    Stephen J. Cannell in Castle (2009)

    Creator Stephen J. Cannell

    Rockford Files, Silk Stockings, Renegade, The Commish, The Hat Squad, Scene of the Crime, Cobra, 21 Jump Street, Broken Badges, 100 Lives of Jack Savage, Palace Guard, Wiseguy, Booker, Unsub, Sonny Spoon, JJ Starbuck, Stingray, The A-Team, Riptide, The Last Precinct, Hardcastle and McCormick, The Greatest American Hero, The Rousters, Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, Baretta, Black Sheep Squadron, City of Angels, Chase

  6. Vote!
     

    Garry Marshall in A League of Their Own (1992)

    Creator Garry Marshall

    Hey, Landlord, The Odd Couple, (co-developer) Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Blansky's Beauties, Mork & Mindy, Who's Watching the Kids, Angie, Joanie Loves Chachi

  7. Vote!
     

    James L. Brooks at an event for The Simpsons (1989)

    Creator James L. Brooks

    Room 222, Mary Tyler Moore (co-creator), Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers (co-creator), Rhoda (co-creator), Phyllis (co-creator), Lou Grant (co-creator), Taxi (co-creator), The Associates (co-creator), The Tracey Ullman Show (co-creator), The Simpsons (co-developer)

  8. Vote!
     

    Ricky Gervais at an event for The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards (2009)

    Creator Ricky Gervais

    The Office US (co-creator), The Office UK (co-creator), The Extras (co-creator), The Rick Gervais Show (co-creator), An Idiot Abroad (co-creator), Life's Too Short (co-creator), Derek

  9. Vote!
     

    Jack Webb c. 1955 0068-0103

    Creator Jack Webb

    Dragnet, Noah's Ark, GE True, Dragnet 1967, Adam-12 (co-creator), The Partners (co-creator), Emergency! (co-creator), Hec Ramsey (co-creator), Project UFO (co-creator)

  10. Vote!
     

    Glen A. Larson

    Creator Glen A. Larson

    Alias Smith and Jones, Switch, Quincy, M.E. (co-creator), The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (co-developer), Sword of Justice (co-creator), Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (co-developer), The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, Magnum, P.I. (co-creator), Galactica 1980, The Fall Guy, Knight Rider, Manimal (co-creator), Automan, Cover Up, The Highwayman, P.S. I Luv U (co-creator), One West Waikiki, Night Man, Team Knight Rider (co-creator), Knight Rider 2008

  11. Vote!
     

    Donald P. Bellisario

    Creator Donald P. Bellisario

    Big Hawaii (co-creator), Magnum, P.I. (co-creator), Tales of the Gold Monkey, Airwolf, Quantum Leap, Tequila and Bonetti, JAG, First Monday (co-creator), NCIS (co-creator)

  12. Vote!
     

    Darren Star at an event for Cairo Time (2009)

    Creator Darren Star Beverly Hills, 90210 Melrose Place, Central Park West, Sex and the City, Grosse Pointe, Miss Match (co-creator), 90210, Melrose Place 2009, Younger
  13. Vote!
     

    Steven Bochco

    Creator Steven Bochco

    Paris, Hill Street Blues (co-creator), Bay City Blues (co-creator), Hooperman (co-creator), Cop Rock (co-creator), L.A. Law (co-creator), Doogie Howser, M.D. (co-creator), NYPD Blue (co-creator), Capitol Critters (co-creator), Murder One (co-creator), Brooklyn South (co-creator), City of Angels (co-creator), Philly (co-creator), Over There (co-creator), Raising the Bar (co-creator), Murder in the First (co-creator)

  14. Vote!
     

    Rob Thomas in Veronica Mars (2014)

    Creator Rob Thomas

    Cupid, Veronica Mars, 90210 (co-developer), Party Down (co-creator) Cupid (2009), Plymouth Rock, iZombie (co-developer)

  15. Vote!
     

    Norman Lear

    Creator Norman Lear

    All in the Family (developer), Sanford and Son (co-developer), One Day at a Time (developer), The Jeffersons (developer), Good Times (developer), Maude (creator) The Deputy (co-creator) Sunday Dinner (creator) 704 Hauser (creator)

  16. Vote!
     

    Greg Berlanti

    Creator Greg Berlanti

    Everwood Jack & Bobby (co-creator), Eli Stone (co-creator), Political Animals TV mini-series, Arrow (co-developer), The Flash (co-developer), Legends of Tomorrow (co-developer), Supergirl (co-developer)

  17. Vote!
     

    Joss Whedon

    Creator Joss Whedon

    Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel (co-creator), Firefly, Dollhouse, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (co-creator)

  18. Vote!
     

    Bill Cosby in The Cosby Show (1984)

    Creator Bill Cosby

    The Bill Cosby Show (co-creator), The New Bill Cosby Show (co-creator), Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, The Cosby Show A Different World Cos (co-creator), Kids Say the Darndest Things (co-developer), Little Bill

  19. Vote!
     

    Steven Levitan

    Creator Steven Levitan

    Just Shoot Me!, Stark Raving Mad, Greg the Bunny (co-creator), Stacked, Back to You (co-creator), Modern Family (co-creator)

  20. Vote!
     

    Aaron Sorkin at an event for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)

    Creator Aaron Sorkin

    Sports Night, West Wing, Studio 60 on Sunset Strip, The Newsroom

  21. Vote!
     

    Greg Daniels

    Creator Greg Daniels

    King of the Hill (co-creator), Parks and Recreation (co-creator), Friday Night Dinner US pilot (developer) The Office US (developer)

  22. Vote!
     

    Shonda Rhimes

    Creator Shonda Rhimes

    Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal

  23. Vote!
     

    J.J. Abrams at an event for Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

    Creator J.J. Abrams

    Felicity (co-creator), Alias, Lost (co-creator), Fringe (co-creator) Undercovers (co-creator)

  24. Vote!
     

    Mike Judge

    Creator Mike Judge

    Beavis and Butt Head, King of the Hill (co-creator), The Goode Family (co-creator), Silicon Valley (co-creator)

  25. Vote!
     

    Sidney Sheldon

    Creator Sidney Sheldon

    The Patty Duke Show (co-creator), I Dream of Jeannie, Nancy, Hart to Hart, Rage Of Angels TV mini-series, Master of the Game TV mini-series, If Tomorrow Comes TV mini-series, Windmills of the Gods TV mini-series, Memories of Midnight TV mini-series

  26. Vote!
     

    Seth MacFarlane

    Creator Seth MacFarlane

    Orville, Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy, Family Guy, American Dad (co-creator), Cleveland Show (co-creator)

  27. Vote!
     

    Gene Roddenberry

    Creator Gene Roddenberry

    The Lieutenant, Star Trek: Original Series, Genesis II, Star Trek: Animated Series, Star Trek: Next Generation Andromeda (co-creator)

  28. Vote!
     

    Rod Serling in The Twilight Zone (1959)

    Creator Rod Serling

    The New People (developer), The Storm, Twilight Zone, The Loner, Night Gallery

  29. Vote!
     

    John Cleese and Monty Python in Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969)

    Creator John Cleese

    At Last the 1948 Show (co-creator), How to Irritate People (co-creator), Monty Python's Flying Circus (co-creator), Fawlty Towers (co-creator)

  30. Vote!
     

    David Crane and Marta Kauffman in 2016 Writers Guild Awards (2016)

    Creators David Crane Marta Kauffman

    The Powers That Be (co-creator), Family Album (co-creator), Dream On (co-creator), Friends (co-creator), Veronica's Closet (co-creator), The Class (Crane only co-creator), Episodes (Crane only co-creator), Five (Kauffmann only co-creator), Grace and Frankie (Kauffmann only co-creator)


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