‘All Rise’ Creator Greg Spottiswood Fired After Allegations of Misconduct
All Rise creator, executive producer, and co-showrunner Greg Spottiswood has been fired.
This comes after Warner Bros. Television launched an investigation following allegations made about his behavior in the virtual writers room in Season 2, according to Deadline. His “use of offensive language … triggered accusations of racism,” the report says. His co-showrunner, Dee Harris-Lawrence, will finish out the season as the only showrunner. All Rise is working on the 15th episode of Season 2. It has two more episodes to go for its episode order on the season.
“Warner Bros. Television has relieved All Rise executive producer Greg Spottiswood of his duties, effective immediately,” the studio said in a statement to Deadline. “Executive producer Dee Harris-Lawrence will continue to serve as showrunner of the series, working closely with fellow executive producers Michael M. Robin and Len Goldstein. We remain committed, at all times, to providing a safe and inclusive working environment on our productions and for all employees.”
Spottiswood had also been investigated in the first season of the CBS legal drama. Five writers, including the three highest-ranking writers of color, left after disputes with the creator about how the series depicted people of color. “We had to do so much behind the scenes to keep these scripts from being racist and offensive,” Shernold Edwards said as part of The New York Times‘ report in August 2020. Harris-Lawrence came in to serve as co-showrunner with Spottiswood after her predecessor, Sunil Nayar, quit.
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Warner Bros. TV’s investigation into that “identified areas for improvement” but “did not reveal conduct that would warrant removing Spottiswood,” the studio said in a statement at the time.
All Rise has aired 10 of its 17 episodes so far for Season 2. Its fate for the 2021-2022 season is still up in the air, though CBS has started announcing decisions for its programming. Mom and NCIS: New Orleans are ending this May, while FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, The Neighborhood, Bob ♥ Abishola, and The Equalizer have already been renewed.
All Rise, Mondays, 9/8c, CBS
