The to-do list behind every show — how to track production tasks with owners, priorities and due dates, keep a history of what happened, and separate general work from show-specific work.
Behind every show is a list of things that have to happen: book the kit, confirm the guest, chase the outstanding VT, order the graphics, test the stream. Some of it belongs to one specific show; a lot of it is general, ongoing production work that spans everything you do. Kept in your head or a notes app, it's where things quietly slip. Tracked properly, it's how you get to air with nothing forgotten. This guide covers managing production tasks. It's part of managing crew, tasks and safety.
General vs. show-specific tasks
The key distinction most simple to-do tools miss:
- Show-specific tasks belong to one production — "confirm Tuesday's guest", "chase the opener VT for Saturday's match". They live and die with that show.
- General tasks are ongoing and not tied to a single show — "renew the streaming licence", "restock SD cards", "review the graphics template". They span your whole operation.
You need both in one place. A task tied to a show should show up when you're working on that show; a general task shouldn't be buried inside a show it doesn't belong to. Being able to link a task to one or more shows — or to none — is what makes the list actually match how production works.
What each task needs
- A clear title — the action, not a vague topic.
- A priority — so the important things surface.
- A due date — especially for anything with a show deadline.
- A status — to-do, in progress, done — so progress is visible.
- A history — a running note of what's happened, so context isn't lost.
Keep a history, don't overwrite it
When a task changes — you chased the guest, they replied, it's confirmed — record it as an update rather than editing the task into a new state and losing the trail. An append-only history means you can see how something got to where it is, which matters when several things are in flight and someone asks "where are we with the opener?".
Tie it to the rest of the production
Task management isn't separate from the show — it's the work that produces it. Tasks that reference a show sit naturally alongside its running order, crew and assets, so the plan and the work behind it stay connected.
Task checklist
- Every task has a clear, action-based title
- Priority and due date set where they matter
- Show-specific tasks linked to their show; general tasks kept separate
- Status kept current so progress is visible
- Changes recorded as updates, not overwrites
How Show Runner handles it
Show Runner includes task management built for production. Each task has a title, description, priority, due date and status, plus an append-only history of updates so nothing is lost. Tasks can be linked to one or more shows or kept as general, standalone work — so your show-specific list and your ongoing production to-dos live in the same place, alongside the running order, crew and assets.
FAQ
Can a task be general rather than tied to a show?
Yes. In Show Runner a task can be linked to one or more shows or stand alone as general production work, so ongoing to-dos and show-specific tasks live together instead of one being forced inside the other.
Can I link a task to more than one show?
Yes — tasks support being linked to multiple shows, which is useful for work that applies across several productions while still being tracked in one place.
How do I keep track of what's happened on a task?
Each task keeps an append-only history of updates, so instead of overwriting the task you add a note each time something changes. That preserves the full context of how the task progressed.
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