‘Roswell, New Mexico’ Showrunner Resigns Citing “Fundamental Differences”

Roswell, New Mexico showrunner Carina Adly MacKenzie is leaving the CW series ahead of Season 3, she announced in a statement today. MacKenzie, who also served as executive producer on the series, cited “fundamental differences” as the reason for her exit.

In her statement released on Twitter today, MacKenzie explained why she was resigning from the show, which she’s worked on for over two years.

“I have made the difficult decision to resign from my role on Roswell, New Mexico,” she wrote. “I do not take this decision lightly, but ultimately due to fundamental differences, I must depart and entrust Roswell, New Mexico to capable hands. I am so proud of what we built over the last two years, and I believe in the heart and soul of the show: asking tough questions, striving to make the world better, amplifying marginalized voices, and fighting the good fight.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, MacKenzie’s exit comes after months of tension behind the scenes of Roswell, New Mexico. Just last month, she expressed frustration in a series of tweets after the U.K.’s ITV censored a same-sex love scene on the show.

“Really, really, REALLY upset to hear that @itv cut out a (pretty tame) love scene between two men and kept a (much more raunchy) heterosexual sex scene in their airing of an episode of #RoswellNM tonight. There are a lot of angry tears happening at my house tonight,” she wrote June 24. “It’s just blatant homophobia/biphobia/bigotry and I’m so, so sorry and so, so angry.”

ITV refuted MacKenzie’s claims in a statement to THR. “Editing is only ever undertaken to ensure content is suitable for scheduling in a pre watershed time slot when younger age groups may be watching,” a rep told the outlet. “Scenes involving sexual content were edited in keeping with the regulator, Ofcom’s, guidelines.”

During her time as showrunner, Mackenzie reportedly spent a large part of her time on the New Mexico set, and not in the writers room in Los Angeles, which caused an issue with some of the show’s writers. THR also reports that Mackenzie and the Roswell, New Mexico actors — including star Jeanine Mason — didn’t always get along, that the situation reacquired intervention from Warner Bros. HR.

While Warner Bros. did not comment on the alleged controversy surrounding Mackenzie’s tenure as showrunner, they did confirm her departure in a statement. “Carina Adly MacKenzie has departed as executive producer/co-showrunner of Roswell, New Mexico,” they said. “The third season of the series will return to The CW as part of the network’s 2021 midseason lineup.”

Mackenzie’s exit from the series comes right when writers are beginning to work on Season 3. Before she joined Roswell, Mackenzie worked on The CW series The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. She’s also written for The Flash. 

Where to watch Roswell, New Mexico