Gail Lerner, the co-creator and showrunner of NBC’s new sitcom “Newlyweds,” has been fired two weeks before the show’s Oct. 23 premiere. Lerner announced it on Instagram on Friday, Oct. 9, and said the reason she was given was “creative differences.” An NBC spokesperson confirmed that reason, according to Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and TheWrap.
What Lerner said
“Here’s the good news: I couldn’t be more proud of the new sitcom Newlyweds that I created with the singular Jamie Lee Curtis,” Lerner wrote. “Here’s the bad news: I got fired off it today.” She called the show “the most joyous TV experience of my life” and said the first six episodes were made under her leadership. She added that she predicts the show “is gonna be a barn burner.”
Premiere date not expected to change
TheWrap reports, citing a person with knowledge, that several episodes are finished and filming on Episode 8 is underway in Los Angeles, so the premiere should not be affected. A hiatus was already planned for next week and will now be used to find a new showrunner. NBC declined to comment further. Curtis, who co-created the show, is an executive producer and plays a recurring guest role. She will stay on, TheWrap says.
About the show
“Newlyweds” stars real-life married couple Tim Daly and Téa Leoni, who met on CBS’ “Madam Secretary.” It is described as a later-in-life love story about a free-spirited woman and a buttoned-up professor who marry impetuously after a whirlwind courtship. Variety notes it is one of only two comedies NBC picked up for the 2026-27 season.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, TheWrap, Deadline, TV Insider. Featured image is an editorial illustration.
