After Gail Lerner’s recent announcement that she’d been fired as the showrunner of “Newlyweds,” the upcoming NBC sitcom she co-created with Jamie Lee Curtis, the network has hired Bruce Helford to take over.
Helford is a veteran writer-producer who has created and overseen several comedian-driven series over the course of decades. As a creator or co-creator, his credits include “The Drew Carey Show,” “The Norm Show” starring Norm Macdonald, “George Lopez” and more. He also wrote and executive produced on the original run of “Roseanne,” its 2018 revival, and its 2018-2025 sequel series “The Conners.” Helford is repped by UTA and Ziffren Brittenham.
“Newlyweds” premieres on Oct. 23. Lerner announced that she had been fired on Oct. 9, writing in an Instagram caption, “The reason I’ve been given is ‘creative differences.’ The cloudy part: I’m so sad to be separated from the most joyous TV experience of my life. The cast, crew, and writers are unparalleled. The silver lining: the first six episodes were made under my leadership, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Per the official description, “Newlyweds” is “a later-in-life love story about Jeanie (Téa Leoni), a free-spirited woman, and James (Tim Daly), a buttoned-up professor, who marry impetuously after a whirlwind courtship. 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.” Along with Leoni and Daly, the cast includes Curtis, Emma Meisel, Ignacio Diaz-Silverio and Bill O’Neill.
Lerner retains her credit as executive proucer alongside Helford; Curtis; Eric and Kim Tannenbaum and Jason Wang for the Tannenbaum Company; Scott Schwartz; and Lionsgate Television. Pam Fryman directed and executive produced the pilot. Universal Television is the studio.