Earlier this year, Showtime’s City on a Hill underwent a quiet change in management. The Boston crime drama allegedly reduced the role of the show’s creator, Chuck MacLean, after an inquiry found that he had allegedly committed misconduct, according to Deadline.
In the series, Kevin Bacon (Footloose) plays a cynical FBI agent, who ventures through a crime-ridden 1990s Boston. Although Ben Affleck (Argo) is credited with creating the show’s premise, he gave the project to MacLean, who penned the pilot script and became the series’ Executive Producer. Since City on a Hill was MacLean’s first project, official show-running duties were given to Tom Fontana (OZ).
After the first season, a formal complaint was made to Showtime’s Human Resource department, accusing MacLean of multiple offensives. (So far, there has been no reporting on the exact nature of the offenses.)
Following several months of investigation, those involved concluded that misconduct allegedly did occur. Micheal G. Roderick, then-VP of Employee Relations at CBS Corp., stated, “The complaint was thoroughly investigated by the Company” and “we were able to corroborate that inappropriate comments were made in violation of CBS policy. Appropriate action has been taken in response to (the) complaint that we believe achieves this goal and addresses the conduct… At this point, we consider this matter closed.”
As a result, MacLean faced several consequences for his actions: he attended sensitivity training; he was no longer allowed on set; he was no longer allowed to participate in post-production; and he lost his Executive Producer title.
Since the incident went public, Maclean told Deadline, “During City on a Hill, I focused specifically on supporting anyone who was underrepresented or felt marginalized on set and in the writers’ room. As a result, I was shocked and saddened when I heard that an anonymous individual had made these allegations. I cooperated fully with CBS’s investigation and I was pleased when it found that the overwhelming majority of this individual’s claims were unfounded and that I was cleared to continue working on the show. I have always believed in treating all people equally and with respect, and I continue to do so.”