In spite of the surge in ratings last season, Castle creator Andrew Marlowe will step down as showrunner for season 7. Executive producer David Amann, who is credited for his work on Without a Trace, Crossing Jordan and The X Files, will serve as his replacement. 

“Over the past four seasons, David has proven himself to be a tremendous leader and a great steward of our show’s unique voice,” Marlowe said in a statement. “I’m excited to continue our creative collaboration as he assumes his new responsibilities.”

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Marlowe, who has run the crime drama series for the past six seasons, will continue to work on Castle though he will also concentrate on new projects as part of his overall deal with ABC Studios.

Meanwhile, Marlowe confirms that there will be no time jump in the season 7 premiere as fans will witness the aftermath of the tragic season 6 finale. “We feel like, given the way we left off, we have an obligation to start exactly where we ended,” Marlowe told TV Line. “We’ll be picking up in real time.”

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Spoiler alert! Castle wrapped up it’s sixth season with a huge cliffhanger as Rick was seen in a car crash, leaving his fate unknown and leaving Beckette, as well as Castle fans, devastated.

Since then plenty of theories have been floating around as to who was behind Rick’s crash, including the involvement of Rick’s dad. However, Marlowe’s latest statement regarding the Jackson Hunt storyline seems to suggest otherwise. “There’s always stuff floating in the back of our minds, but it all depends on [James] Brolin’s availability and finding a story that makes sense and honors the characters,” Marlowe told TV Line.

What do you think of Castle‘s new showrunner? Any theories about Rick’s car crash? What do you think will happen in season 7?

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(Image courtesy of ABC)

Dean Bextor

Staff Writer, BuddyTV