Eddie Murphy's Peacock Drama Loses 'Mad Men' Creator Matthew Weiner

Executives parted ways over his pilot for 'The Chairman,' sources say, less than a month after Peacock's series was announced.

Matthew Weiner wrote the pilot for Eddie Murphy's first TV drama. Based on that script, executives at Peacock, Universal Television and 101 Studios decided to go on without him, Deadline reported Thursday, citing sources.

Weiner, who created Mad Men, had signed on to write The Chairman, produce it and run it. Variety had the exit first, not even a month after word of Murphy's casting went public. The show's writers' room is on a two-week break while a new boss comes in.

There's a twist in Deadline's account. The Chairman wasn't Weiner's idea. According to Deadline's sources, somebody had already dreamed it up and pitched it to Murphy, and Weiner's job was to develop it and write it. What he turned in went in a different direction.

The three trades that ran the story don't all explain it the same way. Variety and TheWrap each pinned it on creative differences with the producers, citing sources. Only Deadline named the pilot script as the reason and said the call came from executives at all three companies. A Peacock representative declined to comment to TheWrap, and none of the three trades carried a word from Weiner's side.

They also differ on how close the replacement is. Variety and TheWrap both said a new team is already lined up, and Variety said an announcement would come within days. Deadline said only that a new showrunner is close. None of the three named who it is.

Those executives had a lot riding on this one. It's the first project announced under 101 Studios' deal with NBCUniversal, which started in January. 101 is run by David Glasser, an executive producer on Yellowstone. Variety added that it's also the first show to come from the NBCUniversal arrangement held by Chris McCarthy, the former Paramount boss. A new partnership's first big swing paired one of TV's biggest stars with one of its most celebrated writers. As of Thursday, it has only the star.

Murphy is staying as star and producer, Variety reported. Deadline said most of the writers' room is expected to stay through the change, and that the show will keep going.

Both men had something to gain here. Murphy hasn't been a regular on a TV series since he left NBC's Saturday Night Live in 1984, TheWrap noted. Mad Men collected 16 Emmys over seven seasons on AMC, according to Variety. If Peacock orders The Chairman to series, Murphy still gets his return. Weiner, who hasn't had a TV writing credit since The Romanoffs, his 2018 series for Amazon Prime Video, doesn't.

Source: Deadline, retrieved October 30, 2026. Other sources: Variety, TheWrap.