Matthew Weiner has departed Peacock’s upcoming drama series The Chairman as showrunner following creative disagreements with the show’s producers. The project, which stars and is executive produced by Eddie Murphy, has placed its writers’ room on a two-week hiatus while a new creative team prepares to take over.
Creative Differences Prompt the Departure of Showrunner Matthew Weiner
The creative partnership behind Peacock’s high-profile drama The Chairman has dissolved less than a month after the series was announced to be in development at the streaming platform. Matthew Weiner, the Emmy-winning creator of Mad Men, has stepped down from his roles as writer, executive producer, and showrunner.
While representatives for Peacock declined to comment on the shift, sources across the entertainment industry confirmed that Weiner and the project’s production partners parted ways over creative disagreements regarding the direction of the material. According to Deadline, executives at Peacock, Universal Television, and 101 Studios made the decision based on the pilot script submitted by Weiner, whose take on the premise departed from the original idea that had been conceived and pitched to Murphy.
Matthew Weiner Exits Eddie Murphy Peacock Series 'The Chairman' As Showrunner https://t.co/uhupRPOfqm
Weiner had been brought in to develop and write an idea that had already been conceived and pitched to Murphy, and the take he delivered was a departure from that.
Deadline sources
Production Impact and the Two-Week Writers Room Hiatus
A replacement team is already in place to steer the series forward. The writers’ room has been placed on a two-week pause to accommodate the transition to the new leadership, though most of the writing staff is expected to remain on the project.
Exact plot details for the drama remain strictly under wraps. Despite the sudden turnover at the top of the creative ladder, the series itself is moving forward.
Matthew Weiner Exits Peacock, 101 Studios Series 'The Chairman' Starring Eddie Murphy (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/h8BBNteYdF
Eddie Murphy’s Return to Scripted Television
For the lead star, The Chairman represents a significant career milestone. The project is positioned to be Murphy’s first scripted television role and his first regular series appearance since he departed Saturday Night Live in 1984. Beyond starring in the drama, Murphy serves as an executive producer.
The series is a collaborative venture between Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, and 101 Studios, the production company run by Yellowstone executive producer David Glasser. It marks the first project to emerge from a first-look film and television deal that commenced at NBCUniversal in January.
Collaboration for NBCUniversal and 101 Studios
The venture also serves as the inaugural project involving former Paramount Global co-CEO Chris McCarthy. Under an agreement first reported in November 2025, McCarthy stepped into a consulting role to help manage NBCUniversal’s relationship with Glasser, 101 Studios, and Taylor Sheridan.
For Weiner, the departure pauses what would have been his first television writing credit since his 2018 Amazon Prime Video series, The Romanoffs. His defining professional legacy remains Mad Men, the critically acclaimed AMC drama that ran for seven seasons and earned 16 Emmy Awards.
Matthew Weiner exits Eddie Murphy’s Peacock drama series ‘The Chairman’Read more : https://t.co/YnawXeAOHk#ARYNEWS pic.twitter.com/aH6rf4n9Cs
Unresolved Questions Surrounding The Chairman
As the production manages its sudden leadership change, several details regarding the series remain unconfirmed by the networks and studios involved.
Matthew Weiner is no longer involved with the drama series “The Chairman” that is currently in development at Peacock, with Eddie Murphy attached to star. According to sources, creative differences between Weiner and the show’s producers caused them to part ways.…
- The exact identity of the incoming replacement showrunner and creative team has not yet been formally announced.
- No official release date, premiere window, or episode count has been provided by Peacock or its production partners.
- Plot specifics, character loglines, and the supporting cast remain entirely undisclosed.
‘Mad Men’ Creator Matthew Weiner Exits Eddie Murphy-Led ‘The Chairman’ Due to Creative Differences https://t.co/8axUhtdIdh