People in every industry inevitably make mistakes, and that’s true of showrunners producing popular TV shows — some of whom have even had to apologize to their audiences over the years. Nobody is immune to the occasional faux pas, whether it’s a minor hiccup or a catastrophic error. Those in charge of high-profile series risk disappointing fans when they make a mistake. Some have even offended their viewers with such miscalculations, often hurting their shows in the process.
Showrunners who have made larger errors while bringing popular series to the small screen have had to apologize to fans publicly. Some apologies have been for mistakes they’ve made professionally, such as using harmful tropes, while others have stemmed from personal choices, like speaking out of turn. Such apologies have been met with varying results, and their related controversies have often loomed over their series long after they’ve said sorry.
10 The 100 Showrunner Apologized For Lexa’s Departure
The 100 is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi show that ran for seven seasons and, appropriately, 100 episodes between 2014 and 2020. In The 100 season 3, episode 7, “Thirteen,” the character Lexa is killed off. During her two seasons on the CW series, Lexa became a fan-favorite character who offered lesbian representation on the small screen. Her death was widely criticized for falling into the “bury your gays” trope, which has seen many LGBTQ+ characters tragically killed off.
The 100 showrunner Jason Rothenberg apologized on Medium, writing, “I promise you burying, baiting, or hurting anyone was never our intention. It’s not who I am.” He also brought Lexa back briefly in The 100 series finale in the hopes of offering more closure for fans of the character.
9 Law & Order Showrunner Apologized For Misgendering A Character
Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson isn’t a character most people associate with controversy. Since her first appearance in the crime drama Law & Order, she’s championed survivors and been a beacon of strength for countless individuals. However, she made a terrible error in Law & Order season 20, episode 10. Benson referred to a murdered transgender author and sex worker, Bobbi O’Rourke (Calhoun Koenig), as male despite them identifying as female.
The angry response prompted showrunner Michael Chernuchin to post an apology to Twitter, where he clarified that the script said, “Bobbi wasn’t transgender. Robbie discovered that he could make more money pretending to be a teenage girl.” Nevertheless, Chernuchin wrote, “We apologize for any hurt caused by Benson’s line. Your voices are heard and matter to us.”
8 She-Ra Showrunner Apologized For Offensive Joke
These days, creators can communicate with fans in countless ways, including through live streams. The crew of Netflix’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power did this in 2020. During the stream, showrunner Noelle Stevenson joked with storyboard artist Sam Szymanski about the character Bow having hypothetical siblings whose names rhyme. One suggested sibling was “Sow,” who Stevenson proposed, “likes to till the fields.” It was rightly deemed racially offensive by fans, and Stevenson apologized for the live stream joke, insisting, “The implications did not occur to me and that lapse in judgment is fully, 100% on me. I apologize wholeheartedly, and I’m sorry for the hurt caused and trust lost.”
7 House Of Cards Showrunner Apologized For Its Optimistic View Of U.S. Politics
House of Cards aired for six seasons and 73 episodes between 2013 and 2018 and is generally considered a brilliant political thriller. However, in mid-2023, showrunner Beau Willimon told fans how sorry he is for portraying such an optimistic view of U.S. politics in the series, insisting he regrets that it failed to expose how corrupt the government is today (via The Hard Times).
Willimon said of House of Cards, “I wanted it to be a gritty allegory about the lengths that the powerful elite will go to in order to gain more power, but having learned more about how D.C. really works, we basically made a political version of Ted Lasso.” While some show fans welcomed the apology, others appreciated the series’ optimism and light tone, seeing it as a welcome break from reality.
6 Instinct Showrunner Apologized For Plot Similar To Bones
In 2018, Instinct season 1, episode 3, titled “Secrets and Lies,” featured a plot in which an Amish teenager who moved to New York City was murdered. It was criticized for being similar to a 2009 episode of Bones called “The Plain in the Prodigy,” which was the third episode of season 5. Showrunner Michael Rauch insisted it was a coincidence, posting an apology on Twitter to everyone associated with the show he’d been accused of copying. Rauch wrote, “Very distressing and 100% unintentional. Looking into it and how to make sure it doesn’t happen again. And of course apologies to Bones (and their fans).”
5 Voltron Showrunner Apologized For Way Series Handled Gay Relationship
Netflix’s animated mecha show Voltron: Legendary Defender was intended to be as inclusive as possible, but its handling of a gay relationship between the characters Shiro and Adam was met with an influx of justified negativity. Not only was the reveal pushed back a season — it was intended for the end of season 6, only to happen in season 7 — but Adam was also killed off after appearing in just two scenes. The show was accused of “queerbating,” and Voltron showrunner Joaquim Dos Santos apologized for the character’s treatment with a lengthy letter that included the line “I can truly say we did not intend to bait anyone.”
4 Star Trek: Picard Showrunner Apologized For Dark Episode
Star Trek: Picard season 3 endured various technical troubles, but one problem in episode 4, titled “No Win Scenario,” was particularly irritating to its viewers. Some scenes were too dark to see clearly in HDR, making it almost impossible to watch on certain devices. This drew so many complaints that showrunner Terry Matalas responded on Twitter to a fan watching on Amazon Prime Video using his iPhone. Matalas said the problem was “beyond frustrating” to him and gave his word that it would be resolved, which it ultimately was, much to the delight of Trekkies worldwide.
3 Jeopardy! Showrunner Apologized For Spoiling Final Scores
In a 2023 episode of Jeopardy!, a mistake in the opening moments revealed the final scores while host Mayim Bialik wished the contestants good luck. It meant everyone watching knew contestant Jackson Jones won the game before it even began, prompting showrunner Michael Davies to apologize during the Inside Jeopardy! podcast. His humble speech included the line, “We live and learn, and we apologize for anybody whose experience of this program was ruined.” Davies went on to assure fans of the show that protocols are now in place to prevent such errors in the future.
2 Parks And Recreation Showrunner Apologized For Casting Louis C.K.
Parks and Recreation is one of the most popular sitcoms of recent years. Greg Daniels and Michael Schur created the satirical political mockumentary series. Schur wrote, directed, and executive produced the show, making him its most prominent showrunner and, therefore, culpable for any mistakes. One mistake the show made was allowing Louis C.K. to appear in it, even after he’d been accused of sexual misconduct by several women. Schur apologized on Twitter, ending his apology by saying, “I don’t remember when I heard the rumors about him. But I’m sure it was before the last time he was on Parks and Rec. And that sucks. And I’m sorry.”
1 The Voice Of Holland Showrunner Apologized For Inappropriate Conduct
The Voice of Holland is a Dutch reality television singing contest and the basis for The Voice franchise, which now airs in several countries worldwide. The Dutch version of the show was embroiled in controversy in early 2022, when allegations of sexually inappropriate conduct by two of its panelists and some of its musicians blighted it. The show’s former showrunner and renowned media tycoon John de Mol apologized for the scandal in an interview with the investigative web series Boos. When the show’s presenter, Tim Hofman, asked de Mol if he was sorry about the situation, he said, “Yes, of course. Absolutely.”
