Earlier today, we reported on the controversy surrounding Kurt Metzger, a comedian and writer for the Comedy Central sketch show Inside Amy Schumer, who made some bafflingly ill-advised and offensive comments regarding rape victims.
(UPDATE: Schumer now says the show is merely on hiatus. There is no return date set.)
In a series of tweets, Schumer distanced herself from Metzger, saying that while she considers him a friend and an immense talent, she in no way condones his recent behavior.
Schumer also stated that she didn’t fire Metzger, as though he often contributed jokes and sketches, he was never a staff writer for Inside.
Shortly thereafter, Schumer further clarified her statement in a way that has many wondering if her once-popular series is no more:
"I didn’t fire Kurt. He isn’t a writer for my show because we aren’t making the show anymore. There are no writers for it," Schumer tweeted.
She later re-tweeted a fan who wrote, "We’ll miss your show."
So is it safe to say that inside Amy Schumer won’t be returning for a fifth season?
Well, not quite yet.
Schumer deleted her tweets, and her reps have declined to comment on the situation, so at this point, no one really knows what’s going on.
In one way, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Schumer and Comedy Central decided to part ways.
Inside averaged just 491,000 same-day viewers in Season 4, a decline from the third season’s already less-than-stellar ratings.
However, Schumer is one of the biggest names in comedy right now, and the network has made it clear that keeping her on its roster is a top priority.
Following this week’s news that The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore has been canceled, the once-powerhouse network is looking awfully paltry with regard to both its talent and its viewership.
Basically, if the Broad City girls and South Park guys call it quits, CC is gonna be back to airing round-the-clock SNL reruns from the Joe Piscopo years.
Nobody wants that.
So you can bet that even if Inside is a thing of the past, Comedy Central will do everything in its power to keep Schumer around in some capacity.