Bill Lawrence: A Modern Day Show-runner

Bill Lawrence is a veteran television producer who created Scrubs and co-created Spin City and Cougar Town. When the latest episodes of Cougar Town were waiting to find a place on ABC's schedule, he funded a 'take it to the people' marketing campaign -- parties with open bars and a chance to meet cast members in cities that are major TV markets across the country. He also took to Twitter and encouraged his cast, including Courtney Cox, to do the same. In these weeks of promotion Lawrence has promised that he will answer every tweet. His handle is @vdoozer. Lawrence says these outreach efforts illustrate that the role of the show-runner has changed a lot. He foresees a world in which the Neilson ratings system goes away, they cut out the networks and TV producers take their shows directly to the people.

Today's Banter Topics:

- Box office is up thanks to younger audiences flocking to Contraband, The Devil Inside and Underworld Awakening 3D

- Neilson study shows younger viewers aren't watching television on TV sets

- News Corps. Phone Hacking Scandal update: Piers Morgan and Heather Mills’ roles in the UK News Corps phone hacking scandal

Banner image: Bill Lawrence (far L) with the cast of Cougar Town at a Paley Center event