Fable, a San Francisco-based startup, has launched Showrunner, a new AI-powered TV platform that allows users to generate entire animated episodes by typing a short prompt. Backed by Amazon and other investors like Day One Ventures and Greycroft, Fable is positioning Showrunner as the “Netflix of AI,” giving anyone the ability to become a showrunner.
The amount of Amazon’s investment is undisclosed, but it supports Fable’s goal of transforming how stories are created and consumed. After a closed alpha test with 10,000 users, Showrunner is now in public beta. It is initially free to use, with plans to charge $10–$20 per month for credits to generate hundreds of scenes. Viewers can watch the content for free and share AI-generated videos on YouTube or elsewhere.
Edward Saatchi, Fable’s CEO and co-founder, sees this as more than just a new way to animate shows. He believes AI entertainment could become an interactive medium similar to video games. “Our relationship to entertainment will be totally different in the next five years,” Saatchi said. “Audiences can now create episodes and insert themselves into stories using a photo.”
At launch, two original story worlds are available: Exit Valley, a satirical animated comedy featuring AI tech figures like Elon Musk and Sam Altman, and Everything Is Fine, a surreal story about a couple navigating conflict inside an Ikea-like world. One unexpected outcome from early testers: many used the tool to place themselves or friends into fictional scenarios. “People want to be in fictional worlds and also want to tell stories about themselves,” Saatchi said.
Showrunner is powered by Fable’s proprietary AI model, SHOW-2. In 2023, Fable tested its earlier model by releasing nine AI-generated episodes of South Park, which drew over 80 million views. Though made without the creators’ approval, the content wasn’t commercialized, and Fable says it contacted the South Park team to clarify intentions.
While optimistic, Saatchi acknowledges the technology has limits. AI currently performs best with episodic formats such as sitcoms, space adventures, or procedurals rather than long-form narratives like Breaking Bad. The platform also includes built-in content safeguards and copyright protections. “Guardrails” are in place to evaluate whether generated content fits character behavior and avoids offensive material.
Fable is in talks with Hollywood studios like Disney about licensing existing IP. But for now, the focus remains on animated content, which is more computationally efficient than photorealistic video. “If you’re competing with Google, are you going to win?” Saatchi said. “Our goal is to have the most creative models.”
Fable, headquartered in San Francisco’s Mission District, has 15 employees. More information is available at showrunner.xyz.
