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Greg Berlanti is executive producing six shows on three different networks in the fall.
With three shows renewed for next season (NBC's "Mysteries of Laura," CW's "Flash" and "Arrow") and three series just ordered for fall (CBS's "Supergirl," NBC's "Blindspot" and CW's "DC's Legends of Tomorrow"), Berlanti has to shoulder a lot of pressure.
How does he balance all six shows? He surrounds himself with talented people and steps back.
"Honestly, I'm so reliant on others," Berlanti said in an interview with Variety. "It's the long-term relationships I've had that allow me to do multiple things, because you have a shorthand with these people."
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Berlanti joined "Dawson's Creek" for its second season as a writer at age 25 and later became showrunner.
"I learned that I really rely on other writers - that I can break stories quickly, but I can't write quickly," Berlanti, 42, said. "I learned that it's OK that I'm not great at everything, that there are a lot of things that I may never be as good at as some of the other people I hired. Don't be threatened by that. Co-opt that. Be good at the stuff you're good at, but also know what you're not as strong at."
While he's trusting his producing partners and seldom spends time on-set, Berlanti said it's important that his colleagues know that "they can always reach" him.
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"The first thing I always do is ask, 'What is the show if you took away (super) powers?'?" he said. "I only know, as a fan, what I would want to see."
As if his TV ventures weren't enough, Berlanti has a feature film to tend to as well. "Pan," a Peter Pan origin story, counts Hugh Jackman, Rooney Mara and Amanda Seyfried among its stars. It's set to hit theaters in October.