'Revenge' creator Mike Kelley stepping down as showrunner
Credit: Zimbio.com
If ABC renews Revenge for a third season, it will be without its creator, as Mike Kelley is stepping down as showrunner of the primetime soap following what he describes as “a difficult mutual decision between myself and ABC studios.”
“Helming this series has been the ride of a lifetime,” Kelley told Deadline, “and my producing partner, Melissa Loy, and I will look back on our Revenge time with deep gratitude and respect for Emily [VanCamp] and Madeleine [Stowe] and the rest of the incredible cast, our heroic crew, the dedicated and imaginative producing and writing team, and the tireless post-production department.”
Reportedly, Kelley had been lobbying ABC for shorter, 13-episode seasons, a la cable TV. The network’s reluctance to adopt this model reportedly inspired the tensions that resulted in Kelley parting ways with ABC. One could see how a 13-episode season might have benefitted the series, as we've gotten a lot of aimless excess in season two, from a needlessly protracted plot with new baddies The Initiative, to the wheel-spinning story of the Ryan brothers. A shorter season might have streamlined many of those stories, making for a more focused narrative. That said, there was no way ABC was going to shorten the episode count of one of their few genuine hits in recent years.
Despite the less-than-amicable parting, Kelley remained positive about the network, thanking “[ABC President] Paul Lee, his marketing team, and the creative executives at ABC and ABC studios for their profound support throughout this journey.”
Kelley went on to state that he's “excited about finishing post-production on the Season 2 finale, which I hope will stand among the best episodes of the series thus far.”
As for who will inherit Kelley's job as showrunner, the frontrunner is executive producer Sunil Nayar. However, Kelley might not be entirely finished with his creation, as there remains the possibility that he could remain as a consultant for the third season.
ABC just has to renew the show first.
Via: Deadline
