NBC fires 'Newlyweds' co-creator Gail Lerner — just before the premiere

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents NBC fires 'Newlyweds' co-creator Gail Lerner — just before the premiere.

She co-created the NBC sitcom "Newlyweds" with Jamie Lee Curtis — and was fired as showrunner before a single episode had even aired. Comedy veteran Gail Lerner made the firing public on Instagram on Friday. The series is scheduled to premiere on October 23.

How Lerner announced the firing

Lerner announced her firing on Friday via Instagram. "Here's the good news: I couldn't be more proud of the new sitcom Newlyweds that I created with the singular Jamie Lee Curtis," she wrote, according to trade publication Variety. She ended her post with the words "I'm so sad" — while promoting in the same post the premiere set for October 23.

Here's the good news: I couldn't be more proud of the new sitcom Newlyweds that I created with the singular Jamie Lee Curtis.

Who's behind "Newlyweds"

The sitcom is one of the most high-profile new NBC formats this season. According to Deadline, Téa Leoni and Tim Daly are part of the cast, with Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis appearing as "featuring." Lerner had developed the series together with Curtis and was slated as showrunner and executive producer. The comedy-savvy writer began her TV career in the 1990s on NBC's "Will & Grace."

Unusual timing ahead of the launch

Deadline describes the move as a "behind-the-scenes shakeup." Neither NBC nor Lerner have commented so far on the reasons for the change at the top. The Hollywood Reporter highlights what's remarkable: the series has not yet aired a single episode. With the firing, "Newlyweds" loses its most important creative architect just days before the planned premiere.

Updated: 2:00 p.m., more details to follow.