NBC’s ‘Newlyweds’ Names Bruce Helford as New Showrunner

NBC‘s first-year comedy Newlyweds has found a new showrunner.

Comedy veteran Bruce Helford (The Conners, Roseanne, The Drew Carey Show) will take the reins of the series starring Tea Leoni and Tim Daly (who are also married in real life) as a “later-in-life” newly married couple. Helford replaces series co-creator Gail Lerner, who said in an Instagram post last week that she was fired from Newlyweds over creative differences.

“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. Premieres 10/23!” Lerner wrote. “Here’s the bad news: I got fired off it today. The reason I’ve been given is ‘creative differences.'”

Helford will take over following a previously planned hiatus for Newlyweds this week. The show is midway through filming its initial order of 13 episodes and will premiere on Oct. 23.

In Newlyweds, the free-spirited Jeanie (Leoni) and buttoned-up James (Daly) “who marry impetuously after a whirlwind courtship,” the show’s logline reads. “James only has eyes for Jeanie, but quickly learns that loving her means learning to love her sprawling, eccentric world of friends and family and vice versa.”

The cast also includes Curtis, Emma Meisel, Ignacio Diaz-Silverio and Bill O’Neill.

Lerner will remain credited as an executive producer along with Helford, Curtis, Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum and Jason Wang for the Tannenbaum Company, Scott Schwartz and Lionsgate Television. Universal Television is the studio.

Lerner, whose previous credits include Black-ish, Happy Endings and Will & Grace, wrote in her Instagram post that working on Newlyweds‘ first six episodes was “the most joyous TV experience of my life.” She also wished the show well: “Sending all my love and hopes for a long and happy run to everyone who gave their talent and open hearts to make this happen.”

Helford was the showrunner of The Conners throughout its seven-season run on ABC. His recent credits as a writer and producer also include NBC’s Lopez vs. Lopez and CBS’ Kevin Can Wait. He is repped by UTA and Ziffren Brittenham.