Hit ABC TV show “Designated Survivor” is having a change in direction yet again. Season 1 has seen three showrunners and now the alphabet network is looking for a fourth person to run the series.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the current showrunner of “Designated Survivor,” Jeff Melvoin, is stepping down at the end of the freshman season. ABC and the creator of the series, David Guggenheim, is searching for a new showrunner for Season 2. Although the Kiefer Sutherland-fronted drama has yet to be officially renewed for a second season, a multiple-season deal with Netflix indicates that a renewal is almost a done deal.

The new showrunner will be the fourth person to run the show. “The Carrie Diaries” writer Amy B. Harris was its first showrunner. After “Designated Survivor” received a pickup in May last year, she was replaced by Jon Harmon Feldman. He, in turn, left the political thriller in December and Melvoin became the series boss after the show earned a full-season pickup.

READ: Kiefer Sutherland didn’t want to do “Designated Survivor” initially.

In short, this show has seen a number of behind-the-scenes changes. One might guess that it has to do with changing the series’ creative direction in Season 1. However, another reason could be a case of a bad marriage between ABC and the showrunners. In the era of peak TV, networks have a lot of pressure to keep ratings steady and when the first or the second episode of a new drama doesn’t do as well as expected, networks are pressured to change its creative direction or hire someone else.

Indeed, those who have watched “Designated Survivor” closely since its launch can see a visible change in its creative direction. The series, in the beginning, delved into Tom Kirkman’s (Sutherland) family issues including the paternity of his son Leo (Tanner Buchanan). After the winter finale, the Kirkman family was jettisoned to Camp David and they went into the background. Furthermore, the show’s pace became faster in the second half of Season 1.

Although several changes have taken place in “Designated Survivor” off-camera, it continues to be a key asset for ABC. Wednesday’s episode drew 5.20 million viewers and a 1.1 rating, reports Zap2It.

Many fans are invested in knowing the details of the conspiracy and finding the identity of the traitor inside the White House. The question of who bombed the Capitol continues to be the hook of the show.

“Designated Survivor” airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. EDT on ABC.

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