system
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human
ELI5: how to TV shows like Breaking Bad, The Wire, Walking Dead etc... manage to maintain such a consistent tone/feel despite using different directors and writers?

I understand why shows use different writers/directors (bringing in a new perspective, directing skill sets etc...), but how do these shows maintain their consistency with different people at the creative helm?
gpt
A lot of shows have a "showrunner" -- usually a producer or writer -- who is in charge of the overall tone, style, and direction of a show. This person generally works with the writers and directors to ensure that the material that's written follows their general vision for the show, and that the filming style for individual episodes facilitates that. Individual writers and directors will bring in their own unique styles -- just as the actors do -- but the showrunner can make sure that everything they do is in service to the show. This is similar to how, when a show has a number of different writers, they can work on separate episodes, but coordinate with each other so that the season's story arc progresses the way that they want.

A lot of shows' tones are also set within the first few episodes. In the case of The West Wing, for instance, the first two episodes were directed by Thomas Schlamme. He worked with writer Aaron Sorkin to create a dramatic visual style that suited the quick, intelligent dialog, and helped establish a very cinematic look and feel to the show. Having that sort of tone defined within the first episode or two, from then on it's just a matter of other directors working to match that style and feel. Television writers and directors are largely hired as contract work (in contrast to films where a director might be the one in charge of the entire project) and they wouldn't be hired if they were unwilling or unable to work within the show's established style and tone.