There’s a change at the top of CBS’ rookie legal drama All Rise.
Co-showrunner Sunil Nayar has departed the series starring Simone Missick. In his place, David Makes Man boss Dee Harris-Lawrence has joined the drama and will serve as co-showrunner alongside creator Greg Spottiswood.
Sources say Nayar asked to exit the Warner Bros. TV-produced show about prosecutors, judges and public defenders and the studio released him. It’s unclear why Nayar wished to leave All Rise, which was picked up for a full season in October. Nayar’s credits include Revenge, Oz, CSI: Miami, Body of Proof and, more recently, CBS’ The Red Line.
For her part, Harris-Lawrence is fresh off the first season of OWN’s critically praised David Makes Man. The coming-of-age drama, which counts Oprah Winfrey, Michael B. Jordan and Tarell Alvin McCraney among its exec producers, is also produced by Warners and hails from its cable-focused Warner Horizon Scripted TV. Harris-Lawrence was a first-time showrunner on the show, which was included on Time‘s best TV of 2019 list and is awaiting word on its second season at OWN. Harris-Lawrence’s role as co-showrunner on All Rise would not impact her involvement with a potential second season of David Makes Man.
Harris-Lawrence started out working for Quincy Jones, ditching a career in aerospace to work in entertainment. The showrunner detailed her career path and aspirations in an August interview with The Hollywood Reporter‘s TV’s Top 5 podcast. (Listen to that conversation here.) Her credits include Unsolved, Shots Fired, Star, Zoo and the original New York Undercover.
All Rise airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBS. Exec producers on the series also include Michael M. Robin and Len Goldstein.
