Bryan Fuller Steps Down as ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Showrunner

Bryan Fuller has stepped down as showrunner of Star Trek: Discovery, the eagerly awaited space reboot slated for CBS All Access. Fuller spoke with great exuberance of the project at the TCA press tour in August. CBS Television Studios cited a raft of other Fuller projects as the reason.

He will stay on as an executive producer on the series.

The show was scheduled for a January debut, though that was pushed to May last month.

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In a statement, CBS Television Studios thanked Fuller for his work thus far:

"We are extremely happy with the creative direction of Star Trek: Discovery and the strong foundation that Bryan Fuller has helped us create for the series. Due to Bryan's other projects, he is no longer able to oversee the day-to-day of Star Trek, but he remains an executive producer, and will continue to map out the story arc for the entire season. Alex Kurtzman, co-creator and executive producer, along with Fuller's producing partners and longtime collaborators, Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts, will also continue to oversee the show with the existing writing and producing team. 

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“Bryan is a brilliant creative talent and passionate Star Trek fan,” continued CBS Television Studios, “who has helped us chart an exciting course for the series. We are all committed to seeing this vision through and look forward to premiering Star Trek: Discovery this coming May 2017."

Variety previously reported Fuller’s stepping down.

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The show is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Kurtzman's Secret Hideout, Fuller's Living Dead Guy Productions and Roddenberry Entertainment. Kurtzman, Fuller, Heather Kadin, Berg, Harberts, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth are executive producers.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.