Matthew Weiner Exits Peacock, 101 Studios Series ‘The Chairman’ Starring Eddie Murphy (EXCLUSIVE)

Matthew Weiner is no longer involved with the drama series “The Chairman” that is currently in development at Peacock, Variety has learned exclusively from sources. The project was first reported to be in the works at the streamer less than a month ago, with Eddie Murphy attached to star. According to sources, creative differences between Weiner and the show’s producers caused them to part ways. A new showrunning team is already said to be in place and will be announced in the coming days. The show’s writers’ room has been placed on a two-week hiatus as the new creative leads come onboard. Exact plot details for “The Chairman” remain under wraps. Should it get picked up to series, it would be the first live-action series in which Murphy has starred since his days as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live.” The series will be produced by Universal Television and 101 Studios, which is run by “Yellowstone” executive producer David Glasser. 101 is currently under a first-look film and television deal at NBCUniversal that began in January. “The Chairman” will also be the first project to come out of ex-Paramount boss Chris McCarthy’s deal at NBCUniversal, which was first reported in November 2025 and put him in a consulting role on the studio’s relationship with Glasser and 101. Murphy serves as a producer “The Chairman” in addition to starring. Weiner is best known for creating the seminal TV drama “Mad Men,” which aired for seven seasons on AMC and won 16 Emmy Awards. “The Chairman,” assuming it is to be greenlit, would have marked Weiner’s first TV writing credit since 2018, when he created the Amazon Prime Video series “The Romanoffs.”