Eddie Murphy is attached to star in The Chairman, a Peacock drama series being developed by Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner. Should Peacock order it to series, the project would give Murphy his first role in a live-action scripted television show, a fairly significant first after more than four decades in entertainment.
Peacock has not revealed any plot details, so the chairman in question could be running a corporation, a political machine or an unusually tense neighborhood committee. For now, the title, Murphy’s involvement and the production team are the main public details.
Who is producing the Peacock drama?
Universal Television and 101 Studios will produce the series. David Glasser, an executive producer on Yellowstone, runs 101 Studios, which entered a first-look film and television agreement with NBCUniversal in January.
The project is also the first to emerge from former Paramount executive Chris McCarthy’s deal with NBCUniversal. First reported in November 2025, that arrangement placed McCarthy in a consulting role focused on the studio’s relationship with Glasser and 101 Studios.
Murphy and Weiner will both serve as producers on The Chairman. Peacock has not announced additional cast members, a production schedule or a possible release date. More importantly, the show has not yet received a green light, meaning it remains in development rather than officially headed for viewers’ screens.
Why would this be a television first for Eddie Murphy?
Murphy became a major star through television, joining Saturday Night Live in 1980 and remaining with the NBC sketch series for four seasons until 1984. He then concentrated largely on stand-up specials and films rather than taking regular live-action television roles.
His previous scripted series work came through voice acting on The PJs, the animated comedy he co-created. Murphy voiced building superintendent Thurgood Stubbs, but he has never led a conventional live-action scripted series. Apparently, becoming one of the most successful comedy stars in Hollywood still leaves room for a new entry on the résumé.
His film career includes the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, which stretched from 1984 to 2024, as well as Coming to America, Harlem Nights, Dr. Dolittle, Dreamgirls and Dolemite Is My Name. The prospective Peacock role would move him into drama series territory, although the undisclosed premise leaves the show’s exact tone unclear.
What has Matthew Weiner made before?
Weiner created and served as showrunner of Mad Men, the acclaimed AMC drama that ran for seven seasons from 2007 to 2015. The series became one of the defining television dramas of its era and collected extensive critical praise during its run.
Before that, Weiner worked as a writer and executive producer on HBO’s The Sopranos. His other television credits include writing and producing for the CBS sitcom Becker from 1999 to 2002.
In 2018, he created the Amazon Prime Video anthology series The Romanoffs. That project followed separate stories involving people who believed themselves to be descendants of the Russian royal family.
For the moment, The Chairman pairs Murphy’s largely film-based career with a creator closely associated with prestige television. Whether the combination reaches production now depends on Peacock making the decision that gives development announcements their preferred sequel: an actual series order.
