The co-showrunners of ABC sitcom The Goldbergs have addressed the fate of Jeff Garlin’s character in the forthcoming season, following allegations of on-set misconduct levelled at the actor.
Garlin, who played family patriarch, Murray Goldberg, left the show in 2021 after an internal investigation into allegations of the 60-year-old actor’s physical and verbal conduct that reportedly made his coworkers uncomfortable.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly in a new interview, Alex Barnow explained that Garlin’s character will have already met his demise when the show returns for season 10.
“This is going to be a family that has not reconciled the fact that their father’s gone but has sort of moved on and has dealt with a lot of that,” he said.
“So we’re starting with optimism about a baby coming and looking forward to the future. It’s an opportunity for this interesting emotional basis for the way people are behaving.”
Co-showrunner Chris Bishop added: “It honestly feels like a huge reboot for us. So we have tons of momentum rolling into this new season.”
Shortly after the 2021 news, Garlin denied claims that he was fired, admitting that he had faced annual investigations by human resources during his last three years on the show, which he chalked down to “missed” jokes.
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“I’ve had a conversation with Jeff and he’s aware that he’s not being replaced,” Barnow said. “The truth is, I don’t know if he knows what his fate is, but I’m assuming he knows.”
Meanwhile, Garlin is set to continue his role in the upcoming 12th season of HBO’s Larry David-led Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Season 10 of The Goldbergs premieres on ABC on 21 September in the US.