Slow Horses just premiered its season 5 finale this week, and as was reported this summer, it was the last season for creator and showrunner Will Smith. In a new interview, Smith explains why he’s leaving the show despite it being renewed for two more seasons.
Showrunner Will Smith talks leaving Slow Horses
Slow Horses season 5 may feel like it just started, but due to the tight six-episode season, the finale is already available.
While Apple has renewed the hit show for seasons 6 and 7, those future seasons will be without a key creative force: creator and showrunner Will Smith (not the actor) is leaving the series.
Smith previously referenced the show’s intense production schedule as a factor in his decision. But in a new interview, he goes more in-depth on the change.
Speaking to TheWrap, Smith said:
“It wasn’t a decision. It was a practical acceptance of reality…As the deadlines for Season 6 approached, it was clear I was never going to be able to get the scripts done, because it’s kind of a juggling act working on this show. When we were doing the writers’ room for Season 5, it was at the same time we were editing Season 3 and [shooting] Season 4.” […]
“it just hit a point where it was like, ‘I’m not going to be able to do [Season 6]’ and they couldn’t move the schedule around. It was with great sadness on both sides, but I sadly couldn’t keep going”
Often times showrunners stay on in a reduced role when scheduling or personal demands force them to make a change, but Smith says he is no longer involved in the series at all.
Why not? He explains: “I thought it was best to just [step completely away]…I’m not very good at bringing a light touch to things. Something like this is all-consuming for me.”
Apple already has two Slow Horses veterans lined up to take over showrunner duties in seasons 6 and 7. And Smith doesn’t sound concerned at all about the show pressing on under new leadership.
Although he is disappointed he could not stay at the helm of “Slow Horses” for its entire run, the creator is optimistic about the show’s future without him. The series tapped Gabby Chiappe and Ben Vanstone to run Seasons 6 and 7, respectively. “It’s an amazing team. It’s an amazing cast. It’s an amazing production,” he remarked. “It will [keep going], and Mick is still writing amazing books, so it will continue to fly and keep getting better and better.”
Season 6 has already been shot, and a trailer is attached to the end of the season 5 finale. It’s expected to premiere on Apple TV in summer or fall 2026.
You can watch the first five seasons of Slow Horses here on Apple TV.
What do you think of Slow Horses getting a new showrunner in season 6 and beyond? Let us know in the comments.
Apple TV is available for $12.99 per month and features hit TV shows and movies like Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Silo, and Shrinking.
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