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Christina Applegate Leaving 'Up All Night'

Reid Nakamura |
February 12, 2013 | 7:28 p.m. PST

Staff Reporter

"Up All Night" stars Will Arnett and Christina Applegate (NBC)
"Up All Night" stars Will Arnett and Christina Applegate (NBC)

Looks like it’s time for bed for Christina Applegate. The “Up All Night” star has announced that she’ll be leaving the NBC sitcom before the show returns from its hiatus.

According to Deadline.com, Applegate said “It’s been a great experience working on ‘Up All Night,’ but the show has taken a different creative direction and I decided it was best for me to move on to other endeavors.” She continues, “Working with Lorne Michaels has been a dream come true and I am grateful he brought me into his TV family. I will miss the cast, producers and crew, and wish them the best always.”

This is just the latest of many major behind-the-scenes changes to the show. After returning to weak ratings last fall, NBC and executive producer Lorne Michaels decided to revamp the last five episodes of the second season with a new multi-camera format and a live studio audience. Not much later, it was announced that showrunner Tucker Cawley would be replaced by Linda Wallem and series creator/executive producer Emily Spivey would be leaving the show.

How the show plans to continue without one of its stars remains to be seen. Deadline reports that NBC may be looking to recruit Lisa Kudrow, who previously starred in NBC’s hit sitcom “Friends.” Kudrow is currently starring in “Web Therapy” on Showtime.

All of this backstage turmoil is a troubling sign for the low-rated comedy. Few shows have ever successfully undergone the shift from single-camera to multi-camera (most notably “Happy Days” in 1975 and “The Odd Couple” in 1971) and now “Up All Night” is looking to do it without one of its major players. When the format change was originally announced in October, NBC Chairman Bob Greenblatt specifically cited Applegate’s episode as host of “Saturday Night Live” as evidence of the cast’s ability to perform in front of an audience.

Originally focusing on the struggles of new parents (Applegate and co-star Will Arnett) as they return to work, “Up All Night” is looking less and less like the show it once was. Even if the show does survive, will it be a show fans recognize?

Reach staff reporter Reid Nakamura here.



 

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