YOU DID WHAT?: Emily VanCamp stars in “Revenge,” the addictive series that’s now in turmoil. (ABC)
The action on “Revenge” isn’t just limited to series protagonist Emily Thorne’s intrigue.
There’s plenty of behind-the-scenes drama as well.
Mike Kelley, the show’s original showrunner, is leaving after this season’s finale, just a year after launching “Revenge” to critical kudos and healthy ratings on ABC.
While it’s not unusual for a showrunner to leave a series, there seems to be more to Kelley’s departure from “Revenge” than just the old “time to move on” refrain, considering the show’s loyal fan base and large social media following.
According to deadline.com, Kelley butted heads with ABC, pushing the network to cut the number of original “Revenge” episodes down to around 13, because he felt that maintaining a dramatic edge for 22 episodes was too difficult for the prime-time soap — which stars Emily VanCamp as wealthy twentysomething Emily Thorne, who returns to the Hamptons to avenge her father’s death.
Kelley might have a point: some fans of the show have complained this season about its uneven plots, too many reruns and about the “enhanced” episodes that have aired for the past month (they’re basically repeats of “Revenge” with factoids flashed on the screen).
Ratings for “Revenge,” though, haven’t suffered: the show is actually up 7 percent over this point last season and is averaging a respectable 9.2 million viewers. It’s also up 7 percent in the all-important demo of adults 18-49.
Kelley declined to be interviewed for this article but, in a statement released by his publicist yesterday, he called his departure “a difficult mutual decision” between himself and ABC.
“Helming this series has been the ride of a lifetime,” he said in part, thanking ABC and ABC Studios “for their profound support throughout this journey.”
“I’m excited about finishing post-production on the season two finale, which I hope will stand among the best episodes of the series thus far,” he said. “Continued success to all.”
ABC has not yet announced whether “Revenge,” which co-stars Madeleine Stowe, will return for a third season.