Showrunner For Netflix’s ‘Chelsea’ Has Exited After Only Three Weeks

Published May 31, 2016, 10:40 a.m. ET

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Chelsea

We’re just three weeks in, and Chelsea is already having some drama. As reported on Friday by Deadline, the showrunner and executive producer for Netflix’s first talk show, Bill Wolff, has left the series. This news comes just three weeks and nine episodes after the show’s premiere.

Chelsea is comedian Chelsea Handler’s latest delve into the world of talk shows. Handler, who is known for her stand up, books, and former E! show, Chelsea Lately, made headlines prior to the premiere of her Netflix talk show by claiming that Chelsea would be different than any other late night show out there. The show is set to run three nights a week for 90 half-hour episodes in its first year, but 81 of those episodes will be without Wolff. The show is expected to continue without a showrunner, and reportedly, Handler will remain very involved in the series creatively.

In a statement, Wolff said about the show’s future:

“I am excited for Chelsea as she continues to produce her singular vision for a television talk show,” he said. “My friends at Netflix provide the foremost platform in developing ambitious and compelling creative content.”

Host and executive producer Chelsea Handler also released a statement, thanking Wolff:

I’m grateful that Bill was part of the pioneering effort to get Netflix’s first talk show off the ground.

Amicable press statements aside, having a showrunner split so quickly definitely raises an eyebrow, especially when paired with Wolff’s rocky 2015 and Chelsea’s ratings. Prior to joining Chelsea, Wolff served as executive producer for The View for one very shaky season. Wolff has also worked on The Rachel Maddow Show as well as Outside the Lines. As for Chelsea, the talk show has been getting mixed reviews, with some critics lamenting about how predictable this supposedly revolutionary talk show is. It’s still too early in the game to pass a final judgment on Chelsea since talk shows take a while to develop. After all, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah is still being described as experiencing growing pains, and it’s been on the air for eight months. However, dropping a showrunner is a particularly big growing pain. Fingers crossed it pays off.

[Where to stream Chelsea]

Photos: Netflix