‘State of Affairs’: Katherine Heigl’s new NBC show loses showrunner; why?

Is there already some significant turmoil over on Katherine Heigl’s new NBC drama? The answer to that is “yes,” but not for the reasons that you would initially think.

According to Deadline, “State of Affairs” showrunner Ed Bernero has decided to step down from the project, originally developed by Alexi Hawley, with the main reason being creative differences. This has nothing to do with Heigl, which is a shadow that she has been trying to avoid since her unceremonious departure from “Grey’s Anatomy” after many seasons on the job. As a matter of fact, Bernero defended the show’s star when she was asked about her reputation earlier this summer.

The main source of the differences came between Bernero and Joe Carnahan, who rewrote the script for the pilot after Hawley penned the original version. Carnahan (of “The Blacklist” fame) also directed the pilot for NBC. This departure is all about the creative end of things, and not about the cast. Given that Bernero was not the original developer of the project in the first place, there is no reason to necessarily have your jaw on the ground about this news.

So where does this leave “State of Affairs” moving forward? While the show may be in a somewhat-strange position, it is not one where there is any real reason to worry at all about the future. Another showrunner should be named soon, and the series is still on track to premiere this November in the coveted timeslot after “The Voice.”

As for the overall quality of it, we’ll reserve judgment until we make it a few episodes in. Shows sometimes can shift and adapt following a pilot.

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Photo: NBC