‘Superstore’ Creator Justin Spitzer Steps Down As Showrunner; He, Gabe Miller & Jonathan Green Re-Up Overall Deals With Uni TV
A showrunner change is ahead for Season 5 of Superstore. Creator Justin Spitzer is stepping down as showrunner as he, Gabe Miller and Jonathan Green have re-upped their overall deals with Universal TV, the studio behind NBC’s critically praised comedy series. Spitzer has served as showrunner of Superstore since the series’ launch. Beginning with Season 5, Miller and Green will take over showrunner duties, while Spitzer will shift to develop new projects for the studio.
Spitzer has his own deal with the studio, and Miller and Green have re-upped as a team.
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“I can’t thank Justin enough for giving us one of the smartest comedies on television and I’m grateful we now get to pick his very fertile brain for new ideas,” said Pearlena Igbokwe, President, Universal Television. “He is leaving Superstore in the very capable hands of Gabe and Jonathan who, along with America, Ben and the entire cast and crew, will continue to deliver the high-quality show we’ve all come to love.”
Before creating Superstore, Spitzer spent seven seasons writing for and producing on the Emmy-winning comedy The Office in which he rose from story editor to co-executive producer.
“I’m excited to develop new projects with Pearlena and everyone else at Universal Television, which has been my home for the last 13 years,” said Spitzer. “Meanwhile, Gabe and Jonathan have been running Superstore with me from the beginning, and there’s no one I have more faith in to continue guiding it into the future.”
Miller and Green have served as writers/executive producers on Superstore since the first season. The two spent three seasons as writers on The Late Show with David Letterman before transitioning to primetime comedy as co-executive producers on The Office and The Mindy Project.
Superstore has been a solid ratings performer for NBC/Universal TV. In Live+7, Superstore is averaging a 1.4 rating in adults 18-49 and 4.4 million viewers overall its Thursday 8-8:30 PM time period against rival programming as The Big Bang Theory, Grey’s Anatomy and NFL Thursday Night Football. With 35 days of linear and projected digital viewership added, Superstore grows to a 2.7 rating in 18-49.
It also is a strong digital performer, deriving 44% of its live plus 35 day plus digital rating in 18-49 from non-linear sources, the second biggest percentage on the NBC schedule behind only Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Superstore centers around Amy (America Ferrera), the store’s most stalwart employee as well as the glue holding the place together. Jonah (Ben Feldman), who is often the target of his colleagues ribbing, is joined on the floor with his fellow associates, including sardonic Garrett (Colton Dunn), the ambitious Mateo (Nico Santos) and sweet teenager and new mom Cheyenne (Nichole Bloom).
The series is produced by Universal Television in association with the Spitzer Holding Company and The District. Director Ruben Fleischer, Jackie Clarke and David Bernad also executive produce.
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