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

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>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.</jats:p>