The twits have taken over TV land.
Twitter, the microblogging service that's exploded in popularity in the past year, rapidly has become an essential tool for anyone trying to keep up with the goings on in the small-screen world.
Just last week, many in Hollywood found out about NBC's stunning decision to dump "Southland" not from a trade paper but via a tweet from Shawn Ryan, the "Lie to Me" showrunner. He got a call from a friend on the "Southland" set and immediately let his 2000 followers in on the news.
And when "Saturday Night Live" newcomer Jenny let slip an errant f-word on her first show last month, the news was all over Twitter long before the mainstream media could react.
While there are plenty of film and music insiders on Twitter, the Twitterverse seems tailor-made for TV types.
The typical movie has a pop culture half-life of two weeks to a month before the world moves on to the next big release. But successful TV shows go on for years, with frequent plot twists, cast changes and ratings ups and downs -- all of which provide steady fodder for tweetage.
Of course, just like primetime, the TV Twitterverse can resemble a vast wasteland of inane fan chatter and inaccurate rumors if you don't know which feeds to follow.
That's why TheWrap has assembled this list of 50 TV-centric folks worth checking out on Twitter. Follow this assortment of writers, producers, executives, bloggers -- and yes, journalists -- and you'll be on your way to being better informed about the state of the small screen.
Just having a well-known name wasn't enough to make this list, by the way. We looked for folks who updated their feeds on a regular basis (sorry, @BarbaraJWalters and @Oprah) and who provided interesting information on their feeds.
And while we wouldn't be presumptuous enough to include ourselves on the list, TheWrap is also on Twitter. Be sure to check out this reporter via @TVMojoe, our media reporter Dylan Stableford (@stableford) and the Big Boss Sharon Waxman (@sharonwaxman.) You can also get links to stories as they break via @theWrap.
Did we leave anyone off? Leave your suggestions for TV twits in the comments section.
WRITERS AND PRODUCERS
Shawn Ryan
The man behind "The Shield" and, now, "Lie to Me," is never shy with an opinion or observation about the TV business, pop culture and even politics.
Kurt Sutter
Like his hit FX series "Sons of Anarchy," Sutter (pictured, top right) pulls no punches (on Jeff Zucker: "a rudderless buffoon") and takes no prisoners (he called CBS's "Three Rivers" "torture porn" and said of Roman Polanski, "Got a child stoned on quaaludes.
