Bull may be renewed for a sixth season, but there are some big changes on the horizon for the embattled CBS procedural.
Showrunner Glenn Gordon Caron and co-star Freddy Rodriguez are bowing out of the series following a workplace investigation.
The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.
CBS has yet to elaborate on what went on behind the scenes of the show to lead to such an exodus, but there was an internal investigation by CBS Studios after a number of writers quit.
This occurred after production on Bull Season 5 concluded, with reports alleging that Caron often berated the writing staff.
Additionally, Caron’s overall deal with CBS Studios has been terminated.
Bull writers Kathryn Price and Nichole Millard have been tapped to replace Caron as co-showrunners for Bull Season 6, which was ordered by CBS earlier this year.
Since the beginning, Rodriguez has been a part of the ensemble, playing Bull’s former brother-in-law Benjamin “Benny” Colòn.
He was a part of the cast since the 2016 debut and remained one of the most pivotal parts of the show five years later.
There’s no telling how the character will be written out, and there’s been no insight into why he exited the show.
As a result, we may never know what went on behind the scenes of the show, but what we do know is that it is no stranger to controversy.
Former co-star Eliza Dushku was added to the series during its freshman run with the eye of being elevated to a series regular for the second season and beyond.
The actress alleges she lost her job with the show after complaining about lead star Michael Weatherly’s sexually suggestive comments on the set of the series.
Dushku reached a $9.5 million settlement with the network and was able to open up publicly about it after its existence had been exposed by an internal review into the inner workings of the network.
Many expected the series to be canceled due to the controversy surrounding both the show and its leading man, but CBS entertainment president Kelly Kahl made it clear that the situation had been handled, and the show was renewed because it remained a solid option.
Despite noticeable slippage, it is one of the best performers on the network when delayed viewing is factored in.
Now that another scandal has rocked the series, it remains to be seen whether CBS will pull the plug, but given that new showrunners have been named, it will probably air its sixth season.
The future beyond that, however, is considerably murkier.
What are your thoughts on this news?
Do you think it’s time to put the series out of its misery?
Hit the comments below.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.