Overview of the role
The series producer is the editorial and creative leader of a television series, responsible for translating the commissioner's vision into compelling, coherent content that meets broadcaster expectations and audience needs. Working as the central point of communication between commissioners, executive producers, and the entire production team, they ensure editorial integrity while managing the complex logistics of multi-episode storytelling.
The series producer often maintains holistic oversight across the entire production lifecycle, from initial development through final delivery. They balance editorial ambition with practical constraints, guiding teams to capture authentic stories while safeguarding contributor welfare, meeting delivery deadlines, and maintaining budget discipline.
The role of the series producer is to orchestrate the complete production pipeline from development through final delivery. They build and lead editorial teams, shape narrative arcs across multiple episodes, oversee field production, and steer post-production to completion. They are ultimately accountable for the creative quality, editorial standards, and successful delivery of the finished series, ensuring it fulfills both the commissioner's brief and the production company's creative and commercial objectives.
Core responsibilities
These core responsibilities are provided as a guide and are not exhaustive. The exact responsibilities in a particular job will vary depending on the scale / budget band / genre of the production.
- Analyse commissioning documents, treatments, and format bibles to identify core editorial priorities and audience expectations.
- Collaborate with executive producer to establish tone, visual style, narrative structure, and key deliverables.
- Translate high-level editorial objectives into practical production strategies covering casting, story development, filming approach, and post-production workflow.
- Establish clear creative benchmarks and success metrics for the series.
- Recruit producers, assistant producers, researchers, directors, shooting PDs, and edit producers, ensuring complementary skills and diverse perspectives.
- Set clear editorial standards and creative expectations across all team members.
- Mentor junior staff, providing guidance on storytelling craft, contributor management, and professional development.
- Foster an inclusive, collaborative working environment that encourages creative risk-taking while maintaining editorial discipline.
- Delegate responsibility effectively, empowering team members while retaining overall creative control.
- Track multiple contributor journeys, ensuring narrative depth, consistency, and compelling progression across episodes.
- Identify and address story gaps or weak narrative threads early, reallocating resources to strengthen overall series structure.
- Approve story treatments, interview strategies, and filming plans to ensure alignment with series objectives.
- Maintain oversight of how individual episodes contribute to the broader series arc and thematic coherence.
- Balance contributor representation, locations, and themes to reflect intended editorial diversity and audience appeal.
- Brief directors and producers before shoots, ensuring clarity on editorial objectives, contributor sensitivities, and logistical requirements.
- Attend critical shoots and set-piece filming to maintain quality control and provide real-time creative guidance.
- Support the team in managing complex contributor situations and high-pressure filming environments.
- Troubleshoot production challenges, offering both editorial and practical solutions to keep shoots on track.
- Ensure compliance with legal, editorial policy, and health and safety requirements throughout filming.
- Oversee contributor selection, briefing processes, and ongoing relationship management throughout production.
- Ensure transparency, fairness, and informed consent at all stages of the filming process.
- Monitor contributor wellbeing, escalating concerns to production management and senior leadership when appropriate.
- Balance compelling storytelling with ethical responsibilities, ensuring narratives are both engaging and editorially sound.
- Implement robust aftercare processes and maintain ongoing relationships where required.
- Assign episodes to edit producers and editors, ensuring realistic schedules and balanced workloads across the team.
- Review assemblies, rough cuts, and fine cuts, providing detailed notes that preserve story integrity and maintain consistent tone.
- Implement commissioner and executive producer feedback efficiently while protecting core editorial vision.
- Ensure stylistic consistency, appropriate pacing, and narrative coherence across multiple episodes.
- Sign off final cuts, confirming editorial, technical, and compliance standards meet broadcaster requirements.
- Act as primary liaison with commissioners throughout production, providing regular progress updates and addressing concerns.
- Respond to feedback constructively and manage commissioner and executive notes diplomatically, ensuring changes are implemented effectively while preserving editorial integrity.
- Build trust with senior stakeholders through transparent communication and consistent delivery of quality content.
- Collaborate with production manager to establish realistic budgets and achievable production schedules.
- Monitor expenditure across filming, post-production, and additional deliverables, identifying cost pressures early.
- Ensure teams work within agreed timelines, flagging potential delays and proposing solutions.
- Make informed editorial compromises when necessary to maintain budget discipline without compromising core quality standards.
- Verify all contributors have appropriate release forms and understand their participation terms.
- Oversee compliance processes during post-production, ensuring accuracy, fairness, and balance in all content.
- Escalate potential legal issues to executive producers and broadcaster legal teams promptly.
- Maintain comprehensive understanding of duty of care responsibilities and regulatory requirements.
- Work closely with production management to align creative ambition with practical constraints and budget realities.
- Collaborate with technical teams including cameras, sound, graphics, and facilities to ensure consistent production values.
- Coordinate with marketing and digital teams on ancillary deliverables such as social media content and promotional materials.
- Facilitate clear communication across all departments, preventing operational silos and ensuring unified vision.
- Receive feedback from executive producers, commissioners, and stakeholders constructively and without defensiveness.
- Prioritise and synthesise multiple sets of notes, providing clear guidance to editors and production teams.
- Guide teams in implementing changes efficiently while maintaining editorial coherence and creative vision.
- Provide constructive feedback to team members, encouraging professional growth and creative development.
- Oversee delivery of all episodes, ensuring compliance with broadcaster technical specifications and delivery requirements.
- Coordinate completion of accompanying materials including music cue sheets, archive documentation, compliance reports, and edit scripts.
- Ensure all deliverables meet deadline requirements and quality standards.
- Accept accountability for the creative and editorial success of the completed series.
Skills
Check out role specific skills, transferable skills and attributes for the role of series producer.
- Advanced editorial judgment with ability to balance narrative complexity, tonal consistency, and audience engagement across multiple episodes.
- Exceptional leadership and team management capabilities across large, multi-disciplinary production teams.
- Strategic thinking to develop and sustain complex storylines across extended production timelines.
- High-level communication skills for effective liaison with commissioners, contributors, and diverse team members.
- Comprehensive understanding of post-production workflows, including editing, sound design, grading, and technical delivery.
- Deep knowledge of compliance requirements, duty of care obligations, and legal considerations in factual production.
- Strong decision-making ability under pressure, with capacity to make decisive calls that serve both creative and practical needs.
- Leadership: inspires and motivates large teams while balancing creative ambition with operational realities and budget constraints.
- Communication: articulate and persuasive across all production levels, from junior researchers to senior commissioners, adapting style appropriately.
- Strategic planning: develops comprehensive production strategies that align creative objectives with practical deliverables and commercial requirements, while generating innovative approaches to enhance commissioned content.
- Meeting facilitation: chairs and manages productive meetings across all production levels, ensuring clear communication, effective decision-making, and optimal use of team time.
- Negotiation: successfully balances competing demands from commissioners, production limitations, and editorial integrity to achieve optimal outcomes.
- Organisation: maintains effective oversight of complex, multi-layered productions while ensuring deadlines and budgets are consistently met.
- Resilience: performs effectively under sustained pressure, long hours, and constantly shifting priorities while maintaining team morale and creative standards.
- Vision: maintains clear creative oversight of entire series while understanding how individual elements contribute to overall success.
- Integrity: upholds the highest standards of honesty, fairness, and accuracy in all editorial decisions and contributor relationships.
- Diplomacy: manages complex relationships with commissioners, contributors, and team members with professionalism, tact, and cultural sensitivity.
- Adaptability: thrives in dynamic production environments, adjusting strategies and approaches while maintaining focus on core objectives.
- Accountability: accepts ultimate responsibility for series delivery, creative quality, and team performance, taking ownership of both successes and challenges.
- Collaboration: builds and maintains strong working relationships across all departments, ensuring teams feel valued, supported, and motivated to deliver their best work.