Top 10 Creators FIRED From Their Own TV Shows
#10: Donald P. Bellisario
“NCIS” (2003-)
It’s strange to think that this immensely successful and long-running crime drama ever had a period of strife. Donald Bellisario co-created the series as a spin-off of his other show, the also long-running “Jag.” Despite Bellisario’s experience, he had apparently developed what could be referred to as a “chaotic” management style. That’s how star Mark Harmon put it, who clashed with Bellisario frequently over extensive shooting schedules and last-minute production changes. It got so bad that CBS gave Bellisario’s showrunning and writing duties were handed over to others, and he retired soon after. However, he may have held a bit of a grudge. He ended up suing CBS later over “NCIS: Los Angeles,” arguing that he had first rights to any spin-off.
#9: Chris Savino
“The Loud House” (2015-)
This animated comedy about the middle child, a boy with 10 sisters, has been celebrated for its diverse characters. It’s just a shame that it came from such a problematic creator. Chris Savino created and ran the Nickelodeon series until 2017. Midway through the airing of its second season, harassment allegations from around a dozen women came to light, stretching back around a decade. Nickelodeon quickly gave Savino the boot, with story editor Michael Rubiner taking his place. Thankfully, Savino’s behavior hasn’t tarnished the show’s legacy. It’s received multiple awards, including a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Animated Series, as well as two films, a spin-off, and a live-action series currently in development for Paramount+.
#8: Scott Buck
“Iron Fist” (2017-18)
Leading up to “Iron Fist,” it seemed Netflix and Marvel could do no wrong. “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones,” and “Luke Cage” were all well-received. However, the debut of the fourth hero was met with harsh criticism from both fans and critics alike. Marvel had hired Scott Buck as creator, a questionable pick as he had recently finished a divisive tenure on the last three seasons of Showtime’s “Dexter.” With the show anything but a hit, Buck was replaced for “Iron Fist’s” second season by Raven Metzner. The sophomore season is widely considered to be better, though nothing could’ve saved it from cancellation. Unfortunately for Marvel, it had also hired Buck as creator of a show that would turn out even worse: “Inhumans.”
#7: Bryan Fuller
“American Gods” (2017-21) & “Star Trek: Discovery” (2017-)
Bryan Fuller has had a somewhat rocky career in TV. Not only has the creator seen cancellations of critically adored TV shows, like “Pushing Daisies” and “Hannibal,” but he’s also been fired from some high profile projects. He co-created “American Gods,” based on the Neil Gaiman novel, but was fired midway through writing Season 2. Reasons behind his firing included budgetary issues and disagreements with Gaiman over how to further adapt the source material. Before “American Gods,” Fuller worked as creator on “Star Trek: Discovery”: officially, the decision to leave was mutual, but unofficially, he was pushed out by CBS before the show aired due to budget and deadline issues. We can’t blame him for wanting to leave the TV world behind; he’s currently adapting Stephen King’s “Christine” for Sony and Blumhouse.
#6: Glenn Gordon Caron
“Moonlighting” (1985-89)
“Moonlighting” is best remembered these days for introducing the world to Bruce Willis. The future action star played a detective alongside Cybill Shepherd, his partner and romantic interest. While the show was a ratings and awards darling, at least in its initial seasons, it seems things behind the camera were anything but smooth. Shepherd reportedly constantly fought with creator Glenn Gordon Caron, whose manner of showrunning resulted in production delays, massive scripts, and long shooting days. Though some reports say Caron left on his own after realizing it’d be him or the lead actress, Shepherd’s alleged demand that he be replaced was a request that ABC obliged leading into the show’s fifth season. By this time, the show was already in decline and it didn’t return for a sixth.
#5: John Kricfalusi
“The Ren & Stimpy Show” (1991-96)
“The Ren & Stimpy Show” is one of the most mature children’s shows of all time and one of Nickelodeon’s first original cartoons. Kids marveled at and adored the shocking material. But the network took issue with how far creator John Kricfalusi and his animation studio wanted to go. The controversial, banned episode “Man’s Best Friend” is thought to be one of the final straws, though Kricfalusi’s constant failure to meet episode deadlines certainly didn’t help. Kricfalusi and his studio, Spümcø, were fired after the first two seasons. It was probably best for Nickelodeon to distance itself from him; in 2018, allegations of underage grooming and mistreatment from former artists surfaced. Needless to say, a revival announced in 2020 is moving forward without him.
#4: Dan Schneider
“Henry Danger” (2014-20)
If you’ve watched any of Nickelodeon’s live-action offerings, chances are good you’ve heard Dan Schneider’s name before. He was the creator behind beloved shows like “All That,” “Drake & Josh,” “Zoey 101,” “iCarly,” and “Victorious,” just to name a few. However, in 2018, Nickelodeon cut its profitable ties with Schneider and his production company. At the time, numerous allegations of verbal abuse, and even more inappropriate behavior towards the child stars, were coming to light. Schneider’s show at the time, “Henry Danger,” kept on moving without him. Schneider has of course denied any allegations. However, “iCarly” star Jennette McCurdy’s 2022 memoir tells a different story and claims Nickelodeon offered her $300,000 of what she believed to be hush money.
#3: Frank Darabont
“The Walking Dead” (2010-)
“The Walking Dead” became one of AMC’s most profitable shows, scaring up plenty of high ratings and several spin-offs with more on the way. However, the series left its creator behind a long time ago. Frank Darabont, known for directing several Stephen King adaptations, including “The Shawshank Redemption,” adapted Robert Kirkman’s comic series for the small screen. But he was fired by AMC soon after the second season began airing. Darabont clashed with the network over budgetary issues, but was also let go for abusive language leveled at other crew members. The creator responded by suing AMC in separate lawsuits, a process that lasted for the better part of a decade.
#2: Andrew Kreisberg
Arrowverse (2012-)
The future of the DCEU may constantly be in question. But on the small screen, the CW brought together multiple famous heroes like The Flash, Supergirl, and, of course, Green Arrow. Although it hasn’t been without its flaws, the ArrowVerse has still managed to build an engaging shared universe. Andrew Kreisberg co-created the three shows starring the aforementioned heroes, as well as “Legends of Tomorrow.” In 2017, during the height of the ‘Me Too’ movement, harassment allegations from 4 men and 15 women surfaced against Kreisberg, prompting Warner Bros. to fire him from all projects. Thankfully, the shows kept moving forward, growing and expanding with the other co-creators.
#1: Dan Harmon
“Community” (2009-15)
Dan Harmon’s firing from “Community” is one of the most famous instances, and a rare occurrence of a creator returning to the show they were fired from. Harmon served as showrunner on “Community” during its first three seasons, but was let go by NBC leading into its fourth. Reasons included late scripts, unpredictable behavior, and a very public feud with actor Chevy Chase, who played Pierce on the show. Season 4 was a significant downgrade in quality that everyone from the fans to the studio execs could see. With some help from star Joel McHale, Harmon returned to his old position, which he would keep until the show wrapped up in 2015.
