When auteurs come up in conversation, they're typically associated with films, in the sense that Martin Scorsese is an auteur director. However, there are a few showrunners in the medium of television who have become auteurs in their own right. One such example is Michael Schur, who has become a comedy legend on the small screen and essentially has a blank check to create whatever show he desires.
Schur's next project is the Peacock original, Rutherford Falls, which will star Ed Helms. Until that time, though, it's always worthwhile to explore his past career achievements. He's created, written, and produced many television shows, all of which have been rated by IMDb.
10 Sunnyside: 5.1
Created by Kal Penn and Matt Murray, Sunnyside was an NBC comedy during the 2019 television season that died quickly and only ever aired eleven episodes. Schur helped produce the series under his Fremulon banner, but it ultimately went nowhere.
The comedy on Sunnyside was ultimately just too broad. Penn is a winning performer and the topic of immigration is a quality one to boost. Still, not even Schur's production team could boost the series out of meandering mediocrity.
9 Abby's: 5.2
Another short-lived NBC series from 2019, Abby's was created by Josh Malmuth with the intention that it would be the long-awaited series vehicle for Natalie Morales, who previously worked with Schur on Parks and Recreation.
The cast was winning between Morales, Jessica Chaffin, Neil Flynn, and Nelson Franklin. But the alchemy was completely off. Abby's was a noble endeavor that never took flight and remains one of the few blights on Schur's IMDb-rated resume.
8 The Comeback: 8.0
From here on out, Schur's list of shows he had a hand in becomes quite remarkable; they're all at an 8.0 or better! First up is The Comeback, which was Lisa Kudrow's follow-up to the obvious NBC juggernaut, Friends.
Over on HBO, The Comeback employed Schur as a writer and he was credited on two of the series's most acclaimed episodes before the show was canceled outright. While The Comeback eventually made a comeback of its own, Schur was too busy with Parks to partake in earnest.
7 Saturday Night Live: 8.1
It's certainly strange to consider Saturday Night Live as being a "Schur show," but he did write for the variety/sketch behemoth from 1997 to 2004. As he's explained on The Poscast and Le Batard & Friends, he didn't unlock his comic voice until he realized he hated his job.
One wouldn't guess it on paper, though, considering Schur is one of the most storied writers to come from SNL. His tenure comprised the bulk of Will Ferrell's run on the show and aligned with cast members like Tina Fey, Jimmy Fallon, and, fortuitously, Amy Poehler.
6 The Good Place: 8.2
One show that has Schur's identity written across it much more clearly is The Good Place, the first truly blank check Schur received from NBC. He used his rein-free creativity to depict an alternative version of the afterlife with Kristen Bell and Ted Danson at the helm.
Quickly, though, this comedy morphed into a treatise on philosophy and what it means to be a good person. It remains Schur's most singular vision and a clear contender for one of the best to ever do it in the world of television.
5 Master Of None: 8.3
After Aziz Ansari's breakout on Parks and Rec, he had the ability to shepherd a series that reflected his own voice. Thus was born Master of None, which is a definite marriage of Ansari's and Alan Yang's talents, but which Schur does hold a producer credit on.
With a third season rumored at the moment, there might be time for Master of None's IMDb score to tick up a bit. For now, it remains an accurate crystallization of how soaring and thought-provoking the Netflix original can be.
4 Brooklyn Nine-Nine: 8.4
Another show that largely credits Schur as a producer is Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He is credited as a co-creator of the Fox-turned-NBC police comedy, but as he's stated, the show largely belongs to the creative vision of Dan Goor and his writing staff.
Still, though, the Schur sensibility is all over the Andy Samberg vehicle. Smart, gentle humor with satisfying pay-offs, lovely character dynamics, and a few well-written archetypes. That's the Schur way and it works wonders in the nine-nine.
3 Parks And Recreation: 8.6
Of course, many of these archetypes first got their start on the first series Schur was allowed to work as a creator on (along with his The Office supervisor, Greg Daniels), Parks and Recreation. This was Schur's first television baby that he guided from beginning to end.
Over time, Parks found its footing and a singular voice to separate it from other workplace mockumentaries. Credit Schur and his all-star team of writers (including the aforementioned Yang and Goor, as well as Aisha Muharrar), who spun an all-timer from the rainbow of the peacock.
2 Black Mirror: 8.8
A certain departure from Schur's typical fare was his 2016 dip into the world of Black Mirror, the sci-fi/thriller anthology from Charlie Brooker. Schur and fellow Parks star Rashida Jones are credited as the writers on the season three episode, "Nosedive," starring Bryce Dallas Howard.
The episode deals with themes of status, popularity, and social media very astutely and it all stems from the work of Schur and Jones, who are crafting their story from a Brooker script. It helps show Schur can also lend a hand in dramatic territory when called upon.
1 The Office: 8.9
While Schur was certainly an instrumental figure of late-'90s, early-00s SNL, The Office is where he got his first mainstream breakout. He was a member of that early writing staff, which also hosted Daniels, Mindy Kaling, B.J. Novak, and Paul Lieberstein. It was like the 2017 Golden State Warriors at Dunder Mifflin.
In addition to writing many of The Office's best episodes, Schur also portrayed Dwight's cousin, Mose. It wouldn't have been one of the most popular series ever made without him and it will always be a part of Schur's towering legacy.
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April 07, 2021 at 05:30AM
