‘The Neighborhood’ Hit With Major Behind-the-Scenes Shakeup

There are some pretty major changes happening to The Neighborhood‘s production team. According to Deadline, Jim Reynolds, who created The Neighborhood and also served as the showrunner and executive producer, is departing the CBS series, which stars Cedric the Entertainer and Max Greenfield. Reynolds released a statement about his departure from the show, sharing that he does not feel as though he is the right person to tell this particular story right now.

“I am very proud of The Neighborhood and have given everything of myself over the last three years to make this the best show possible,” Reynolds told Deadline in a statement in response to the news of his departure. “I am so happy that the show has found such an enthusiastic audience and that it will live on. At this moment, in light of everything going on in the world, I had concluded that I am not the right person to continue to tell these stories. I am excited to see the show thrive and wish everyone involved the very best.”

Deadline reported more details about what allegedly led to Reynolds’ exit from The Neighborhood. Despite what the producer said, it appears as though it was CBS Studios’ decision to have a change in leadership for the upcoming fourth season of the sitcom. CBS Studios reportedly implemented a leadership change after receiving feedback about Reynolds’ role as The Neighborhood‘s showrunner. They reportedly received feedback about Reynolds from two Black staff writers who left the show after finishing up their work on Season 3, which recently wrapped production.

The Neighborhood frequently addresses topics tied back to race, as the show revolves around a white family moving to a neighborhood in Pasadena, California, that is predominantly African-American. Reynolds reportedly created The Neighborhood and incorporated his own personal experiences into the series. The former showrunner previously worked on shows such as 9JKL and The Big Bang Theory. At the moment, it’s unclear who will be named the new showrunner for The Neighborhood. But, CBS Studios is expected to name a new individual to the position before Season 4.

In February, Deadline reported that both The Neighborhood and fellow CBS sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola were picked up for additional seasons on the network. At the time, Thom Sherman, the Senior EVP Programming at CBS Entertainment, released a statement about the renewals, which read, “We’re extremely proud of these two comedies and delighted to bring them back next season. The Neighborhood and Bob [Hearts] Abishola masterfully blend humor with relatable and culturally relevant storylines, and are tremendous, successful Monday night anchors.” Disclosure: PopCulture is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.