I’ve been a fan of MTV’s Awkward. since the get-go, which is why I was a bit shocked and sad to see the onslaught of headlines today announcing Lauren Iungerich’s departure from the series.
Iungerich is not only the series creator of Awkward., but has been the showrunner for all three of its seasons. Plus she’s a credited writer on every single episode of the series, and she’s directed 10 of the 34 episodes to date.
So even though the series isn’t exactly based on her own high school experiences, Iungerich has obviously been very instrumental in creating the tone of the show and the voice of its main protagonist, Jenna Hamilton.
According to Deadline, MTV will most likely renew the series for a 4th season, which means a new showrunner will need to be found. And of course this is what really scares me. Sure, I’m happy that MTV believes in Awkward. and that is has found an audience, but will it be the same without Iungerich?
The two most memorable examples of a TV show going on without its showrunners / creators are mostly memorable for how disastrous they were. Do you recall the 7th season of Gilmore Girls? Yeah, that wasn’t pretty. Or how about the Dan Harmon-less 4th season of Community we just endured.
This was, and is, Lauren Iungerich’s show, and unfortunately I think Awkward. is only going to get more awkward if season 4 comes to fruition. And I don’t mean that as a good thing.
The second half of Awkward.‘s third season is expected to air this fall. Until then, Your Welcome!
