‘The Conners’ Boss Bruce Helford Hired to Run ‘Newlyweds’ at NBC After Gail Lerner’s Firing
NBC has hired Bruce Helford to take over as showrunner of its upcoming sitcom “Newlyweds”, following Gail Lerner’s announcement that she had been fired. The change comes ahead of the series’ premiere on 23 October; Lerner remains an executive producer, and the first six episodes were made under her leadership.
Helford is an experienced comedy writer and producer whose credits include “The Drew Carey Show”, “The Norm Show”, “George Lopez” and “Roseanne”, as well as “The Conners”. “Newlyweds”, co-created by Lerner and Jamie Lee Curtis, stars Téa Leoni and Tim Daly as a couple whose whirlwind marriage brings them into each other’s eccentric social and family circles. Lerner said she had been told the decision was due to “creative differences”.
- Bruce Helford will lead NBC’s upcoming sitcom “Newlyweds”.
- Gail Lerner was fired but remains an executive producer.
- The series premieres on 23 October.
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Newlyweds is a forthcoming NBC sitcom about a couple, played by Téa Leoni and Tim Daly, whose quick marriage draws them into one another’s family and social circles. The series was co-created by Gail Lerner and Jamie Lee Curtis.
A showrunner leads a television series’ day-to-day creative work, including its writing and production. Bruce Helford is a comedy writer and producer whose past shows include The Drew Carey Show, Roseanne and The Conners; Lerner remains an executive producer, and the first six episodes were made under her leadership.
A change in showrunner can affect how a series develops, while leaving work already completed in place. The handover comes before Newlyweds’ planned premiere, with Lerner saying she was told it followed “creative differences”.