STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Has A New Showrunner

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The status quo is changing once again on the deck of U.S.S. Discovery. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Star Trek: Discovery‘s executive producers and showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg have left the show. Alex Kurtzman, a fellow executive producer and co-creator of the show, will take over as the showrunner for its second season.

A CBS Television Studios spokesperson gave the following statement:

“We’ve made some producer changes at ‘Star Trek: Discovery.’ The series continues under the creative vision and leadership of executive producer and co-creator Alex Kurtzman. ‘Discovery’ remains on course for season two in 2019 with new and continuing stories that build on its successful premiere season.”

As you might recall, this marks the second time in the show’s history of a change in its showrunner. Bryan Fuller, the show’s co-creator and original showrunner, exited the series months before its premiere last year. Following his departure, Harberts and Berg took over from Fuller and Kurtzman became more involved with the big-budget drama.

Based on the behind-the-scenes picture painted by THR’s sources, this change might be a welcome one for the remaining team involved:

“Sources say the decision to oust Berg and Harberts was based not on the creative but instead for leadership and operational issues… Sources say the budget for the season two premiere ballooned, with the overages expected to come out of subsequent episodes from Discovery‘s sophomore run. Insiders also stress that Berg and Harberts became increasingly abusive to the Discovery writing staff, with Harberts said to have leaned across the writers room table while shouting an expletive at a member of the show’s staff. Multiple writers are said to have been uncomfortable working on the series and had threatened to file a complaint with human resources or quit the series altogether before informing Kurtzman of the issues surrounding Berg and Harberts. After hearing rumors of HR complaints, Harberts is said to have threatened the staff to keep concerns with the production an internal matter.“

If any of that is true, I sincerely hope conditions improve for the writers team over at Star Trek: Discovery.

What do you think? Are you excited for the second season of Star Trek: Discovery? Whatever your thoughts may be, please share them with us in the comments section down below!

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter