#’I Am Not the Right Person to Continue to Tell These Stories’

The Neighborhood is getting a new leader for Season 4. (It was renewed in February, along with another Monday night comedy Bob ♥ Abishola.)

Jim Reynolds, who created the CBS comedy and has served as showrunner and executive producer, is exiting after its current third season, Deadline reports. (They’ve already finished production, with the season finale set for Monday, May 17.)

“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 said in a statement. “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.”

According to the report, Reynolds’ exit coincides with CBS Studios planning to bring in someone new as showrunner after receiving “feedback, including complaints …. about [him] involving race-related issues over a period of time,” some of which came from two Black writers who have also exited before the 2021-2022 season.

The Neighborhood follows a white family from the Midwest after they move to a predominately Black neighborhood in California. Season 3 began by addressing police brutality against people of color. The comedy stars Cedric the Entertainer, Max Greenfield, Tichina Arnold, Beth Behrs, Sheaun McKinney, Marcel Spears, and Hank Greenspan.

The series is executive produced by Aaron Kaplan, Dana Honor, Wendi Trilling, Cedric the Entertainer, and Eric Rhone. There’s no word yet on who will be the new showrunner (or if it will be one of the EPs already with the show or someone new).

The Neighborhood, Mondays, 8/7c, CBS