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Engadget
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Showrunner, an AI-powered streaming service, launches in alpha this week
Fable, a startup designing tools to generate animated TV shows from scratch, is launching an AI-powered streaming service this week, Variety reports. The service is called Showrunner, and it will allow subscribers to generate scenes, view content created for Fable's in-house AI-generated animated shows and even insert themselves into the animations they generate. Showrunner is launching in alpha, and based on Fable's website, you'll primarily interact with it through the company's Discord to start. Per Variety, subscribers will pay anywhere from $10 to $20 month for credits that can be exchanged for the ability to generate new animated scenes. The word "scenes" is key here. While Fable is launching with a couple of distinct animated shows, they're really more like collections of worlds and characters that subscribers can use to create new scenes. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Those include Exit Valley, a Family Guy-inspired riff on the culture of Silicon Valley, and Everything is Fine, a comedy about a husband and wife who are stranded in an alternate world and trying to reunite. The company's goal is bigger than than just original content. Fable founder Edward Saatchi imagines a Disney-owned "Toy Story of AI" where subscribers could generate endless new scenes of Buzz and Woody interacting. For now, though, interested Showrunner users have to settle with knockoffs. Engadget was able to preview an earlier version of Fable's Showrunner AI models back in 2019 that capably generated new South Park episodes based on audio inputs. The startup's model was able to create a watchable copy of the show's style even back then, which might be why Amazon has invested an undisclosed amount in Fable as part of the launch of Showrunner. While creatives remain skeptical to downright antagonist towards AI, companies have started using it more publicly in production. For example, Netflix recently touted its use of generative AI in its original show The Eternaut. Even if adoption grows, though, that doesn't really clarify whether the average film or TV viewer has any desire to generate content on their own, especially if it's as rough-around-the-edges as most AI-generated media is. Besides being a public demonstration of Fable's tech, Showrunner seems like a test to see if that desire is even there.
Tom's Guide
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Amazon-backed Showrunner launches 'Netflix of AI' platform — and you can star in your own show
A startup that once made headlines for generating AI episodes of "South Park" is officially launching its next act today (July 30). And as someone who got early access to the service more than a year ago, I can honestly say it feels like this might be the future of streaming. Today, Showrunner, a San Francisco–based startup backed by Amazon and founded by Oculus and Pixar veterans, unveiled what it calls the "Netflix of AI," a platform that lets anyone generate custom TV shows and episodes in minutes using natural language prompts. Users can write an idea, upload a selfie and instantly star in their own sitcom, action series or satire, all animated and voiced by AI. The launch follows viral success from the company's "South Park" AI experiment, which drew more than 80 million views despite being unauthorized. Now, Showrunner is betting big on a new form of 'playable television,' where viewers are also creators, cast members and collaborators. 'The next big streaming platforms won't be passive,' CEO Edward Saatchi said. 'You'll describe the show you want to watch and start watching it within minutes. Then make new episodes, add yourself and your friends — fighting aliens, solving crimes, or starring in your favorite sitcom.' At the heart of Showrunner is SHOW-2, the company's proprietary AI model capable of writing, animating, voicing, editing and producing full episodes of television. Early access users can sign up now at where a waitlist of more than 100,000 people is already queued up to try the platform. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The product builds on Showrunner's original SHOW-1 model and AI Showrunner Agents, which can handle every role in a traditional TV pipeline, from writer's room to post-production. According to co-creator Philipp Maas, who led the team behind the South Park AI demos, the goal is to democratize Hollywood. 'Soon, anyone will be able to create their own hit show or become a showrunner for someone else's world,' Maas said. Showrunner's flagship launch title is "Exit Valley," a "Family Guy-style" animated series set in 'Sim Francisco.' The show lampoons tech giants like Sam Altman and Elon Musk, portraying a world where AI moguls promise to end work and money, while becoming the richest humans to ever live. 'Satire is the age-old tool of the powerless against the powerful,' Saatchi said. ''Exit Valley' lets people use AI to fight back—by putting themselves in the show and making scenes that mock the daily tech news.' Some of the first episodes were created by Fable, Showrunner's parent company, while others will be made by users and judged by a panel of filmmakers. The platform's episodic structure makes it easier for AI to handle, though Saatchi admits that 'epic arcs like 'Breaking Bad' or 'Game of Thrones'' are still out of reach for AI storytelling. While OpenAI and Google have AI tools that can generate video or control software, Showrunner's edge is integration: the platform can animate, voice, edit and deliver a watchable episode without needing multiple tools. From experience, I can tell you that it's also far more interactive in that it lets users create within familiar IP worlds. The hands-on experience makes Showrunner more fun and creative for streamers. Saatchi envisions a future where Disney or Lucasfilm could offer branded models, 'Star WarsGPT' or 'PixarGPT,' that fans subscribe to in order to create stories within their favorite universes. 'The Toy Story of AI isn't just a cheaper movie,' he said. 'It's playable. You'll watch a film on Friday, and by Sunday there will be millions of fan-made scenes — all monetizable by the IP holder.' The launch of Showrunner marks a clear shift toward two-way entertainment. Instead of waiting years for renewals or green lights, creators can spin up a season on their own. It also gives aspiring writers and animators; especially those without Hollywood connections, a new path in. Just ask Dov Friedman, co-creator of indie TV pilot "Hutzpah," who said Showrunner finally gave his team the tools to bring their series to life after years of rejection. 'We couldn't even get a yes or a no,' Friedman said. 'Showrunner gave us everything we needed to develop a full season without a big studio.' With Amazon, Intel and Fable's Emmy-winning team behind it, Showrunner may be the first of many platforms redefining what it means to watch, make and be in a can expect more of the following: For now, users can sign up at to get started on creating their own shows. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
