Eddie Murphy signs on for first scripted TV series

Eddie Murphy is set to return to TV for the first time since the '80s.

On Thursday, producers at Peacock announced that the actor-comedian is to headline a new drama series, The Chairman.

The project is being developed by Matthew Weiner, who is known for his work on iconic TV shows such as Mad Men and The Sopranos.

Murphy and Weiner will produce The Chairman alongside executives at 101 Studios and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

No details about the programme, including plot and casting, have been disclosed.

The show will mark Murphy's first television series regular role since he left NBC's Saturday Night Live in 1984. He was also the executive producer of the animated series The PJs, which ran for three seasons from 1999 until 2001.

Producers at 101 Studios have a number of productions in the works, including shows within the Yellowstone?universe and the upcoming series, The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey, co-starring Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen.

Most recently, Murphy was seen in the 2025 Netflix documentary film Being Eddie. He also appeared in several recent movies, such as The Pickup and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.

His next film is Shrek 5, which is set to be released in 2027.