A star, a prestige creator and a streamer with something to prove
Eddie Murphy is attached to star in and executive produce The Chairman, a drama in development at Peacock from Matthew Weiner, the creator of Mad Men and a writer and executive producer on The Sopranos. Plot details have not been announced, which makes this announcement a talent-package story rather than a programming story.
The project is being produced by 101 Studios and Universal Television. It is the first title to surface from the first-look film and TV deal that 101 Studios CEO David Glasser signed with NBCUniversal in January. It also pulls in Chris McCarthy, the former Paramount Global co-CEO, who moved to a producing role at NBCUniversal with a brief that includes managing the company’s relationship with Taylor Sheridan.
Why the package matters
For Peacock, the combination solves three positioning jobs at once. It attaches a global film and comedy star to a drama; it pairs that star with a nine-time Emmy-winning creator; and it starts converting the NBCUniversal-101 Studios arrangement into a real project.
- Murphy’s first scripted television role gives Peacock a clean return-to-TV marketing hook.
- Weiner’s Mad Men and Sopranos pedigree helps the streamer chase upscale, appointment-viewing audiences.
- The 101 Studios link places The Chairman inside NBCU’s broader bet on proven showrunners and franchise creators.
What the record shows
Murphy has executive produced before, including Fox’s animated series The PJ’s, but this is his first scripted TV role and his first regular series role since leaving Saturday Night Live in 1984. His film credits include Beverly Hills Cop, The Nutty Professor, Dreamgirls, Coming 2 America, You People, Candy Cane Lane and The Pickup.
Weiner won nine Emmys across his career, and the new project is still in development. That means no episode count, no premiere date and no series order yet.
What it signals for the Peacock slate
The same day, Peacock also greenlit a scripted series based on the Fast & Furious franchise from Mike Daniels and Wolfe Coleman. Together, the two moves show a streamer building in two directions at once: established franchise IP for broad reach, and a talent-led drama for a more adult audience.
For media planners and entertainment marketers, the immediate takeaway is to watch how Peacock positions The Chairman once casting and plot details emerge. The early story will be Murphy’s return to series television, because that is the one fact an audience can understand before a synopsis exists.
What to do with it
Treat this as a development signal, not a buying opportunity. There is no inventory to plan around yet. It is, however, evidence that Peacock is investing in talent-led originals beyond its Sheridan pipeline, and that milestone returns are still a reliable way to generate launch attention.
For creators and marketers, the lesson is simple: a first-in-decades talent hook can make a project feel like an event before the story is even revealed.
Source: TheWrap
