New Passenger Boards CBS' 'Hack'

Sun Sep 22, 9:38 PM ET

By Josef Adalian

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - The CBS drama Hack, which stars David Morse as an ex-cop turned taxi-driving vigilante, is getting a behind-the-scenes makeover before it even premieres.

Robert Singer (Falcone) has signed on as executive producer-showrunner of the series, replacing executive producers Thomas Carter and David Shore, who had also served as director and writer, respectively.

Creator David Koepp ("Spider-Man") and production executive Gavin Polone remain executive producers.

Hack, shoots on location in Philadelphia, while the writers are based in Los Angeles. The difficulties associated with a two-city production convinced CBS executives that the show needed the services of a showrunner exclusive to Hack, which Carter was not. Shore apparently quit Hack rather than report to Singer, according to network insiders.

A producer shakeup so early in a show's production life usually indicates network or studio displeasure with the skein's creative direction. A CBS spokesman indicated that wasn't the case with Hack.

"David Koepp's vision is now being executed by a new leader," he said. "The show has great actors, a great concept, and we're behind it 100%."

Hack premieres Friday at 9 p.m.