‘Revenge’ Creator Mike Kelley Won’t Return Next Season

Revenge showrunner Mike Kelley won’t return to the series after this season.

Kelley revealed that he intends to part ways with the program he created two years ago. Although he won’t spearhead the show anymore, Kelley revealed that he will be available to help out as a consultant. Beyond that, it would appear that his time on the program is finished.

The Revenge showrunner explained that the decision to leave the popular ABC show was mutual. However, Mike Kelley admitted that it was “difficult” to say goodbye.

He explained to Deadline:

“Helming this series has been the ride of a lifetime, and my producing partner, Melissa Loy, and I will look back on our Revenge time with deep gratitude and respect for Emily (VanCamp) and Madeleine (Stowe) and the rest of the incredible cast, our heroic crew, the dedicated and imaginative producing and writing team, and the tireless post production department.”

Kelley added that he was still “excited about finishing post production on the season two finale, which I hope will stand among the best episodes of the series thus far.”

Rumor has it that the Revenge creator was interested in crafting shorter seasons of the drama for ABC. The stress of churning out a whopping 22 episodes per season has apparently caused some tension on-set. This reportedly factored into his decision to leave the series behind.

“Mike Kelley created a distinctive series for our studio and network with tremendous passion and dedication. We wish him all the best as he moves on to his next television achievement,” ABC Studios said in a statement.

It’s believed that Revenge executive producer Sunil Nayar will take the reins as showrunner. However, nothing official about Kelley’s replacement has been revealed by ABC as of this writing.

Are you a fan of Revenge? Do you think the series will stay strong now that Mike Kelley has decided to leave?