[craigster59]

The different production companies are involved in financing and distributing the film. They all get a "piece of the pie". As far as producers go, it's gotten way out of hand. Credits are given as incentives, favors, etc.

An example: Bonanza, ran for 14 seasons.....

Series Produced by
David Dortort .... producer / executive producer (425 episodes, 1959-1973)
James W. Lane .... associate producer / production executive / ... (242 episodes, 1961-1968)
Richard Collins .... producer (127 episodes, 1968-1973)
John Hawkins .... associate producer (85 episodes, 1969-1973)
Thomas Thompson .... associate producer (34 episodes, 1960-1961)
Robert Blees .... producer (12 episodes, 1967-1968)
Robert Stillman .... production executive (6 episodes, 1963-1965)


Now, House in it's last season, an 8 year run........

Series Produced by
Peter Blake .... co-executive producer / consulting producer / ... (164 episodes, 2004-2012)
Paul Attanasio .... executive producer (160 episodes, 2004-2012)
Katie Jacobs .... executive producer (160 episodes, 2004-2012)
Thomas L. Moran .... executive producer / co-executive producer / ... (160 episodes, 2004-2012)
David Shore .... executive producer (160 episodes, 2004-2012)
Bryan Singer .... executive producer (160 episodes, 2004-2012)
Gerrit van der Meer .... co-executive producer / producer (160 episodes, 2004-2012)
Marcy G. Kaplan .... producer / co-producer / ... (158 episodes, 2004-2012)
Russel Friend .... executive producer / co-executive producer (139 episodes, 2005-2012)
Garrett Lerner .... executive producer / co-executive producer (139 episodes, 2005-2012)
Allen Marshall Palmer .... co-producer / associate producer (137 episodes, 2005-2012)
Lawrence Kaplow .... co-executive producer / producer / ... (125 episodes, 2005-2011)
Liz Friedman .... supervising producer / co-producer / ... (125 episodes, 2006-2012)
Doris Egan .... co-executive producer / consulting producer (110 episodes, 2005-2010)
Eli Attie .... co-executive producer (94 episodes, 2007-2012)
David Foster .... co-executive producer / producer / ... (90 episodes, 2007-2012)
David Hoselton .... supervising producer / producer / ... (89 episodes, 2007-2012)
Steven Heth .... co-producer / associate producer (87 episodes, 2004-2008)
Sara Hess .... supervising producer / co-producer / ... (78 episodes, 2008-2012)
Julie Hrebec .... associate producer (71 episodes, 2008-2012)
Leonard Dick .... supervising producer / co-executive producer (64 episodes, 2006-2009)
Lindsey Jaffin .... associate producer / producer (60 episodes, 2008-2011)
Greg Yaitanes .... executive producer / co-executive producer (57 episodes, 2009-2012)
Hugh Laurie .... executive producer (47 episodes, 2009-2012)
John Mankiewicz .... consulting producer / co-executive producer (45 episodes, 2004-2006)
Matt Witten .... supervising producer (45 episodes, 2004-2006)
Daniel Sackheim .... executive producer / consulting producer / ... (44 episodes, 2004-2007)
Deran Sarafian .... co-executive producer (34 episodes, 2007-2009)
John C. Kelley .... co-executive producer / supervising producer (33 episodes, 2010-2012)
Seth Hoffman .... co-producer / producer / ... (29 episodes, 2010-2012)
Kath Lingenfelter .... co-producer / producer / ... (29 episodes, 2010-2012)
Geoffrey Colo .... producer: New Media (27 episodes, 2010-2011)
Sara B. Cooper .... consulting producer (21 episodes, 2004-2005)
David Semel .... co-executive producer (16 episodes, 2005-2006)
Sean Whitesell .... co-executive producer (12 episodes, 2007-2008)
Dan Lerner .... consulting producer (9 episodes, 2005)
Bruce J. Nachbar .... associate producer (8 episodes, 2004-2005)
Ben Neumann .... consulting producer (5 episodes, 2004-2008)