The writers working on the upcoming season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine have reportedly thrown their work in the bin.
Actor Terry Crews says the current atmosphere in America and the tension between the public and police meant that writers had to rethink the way they would do Season Eight.
Speaking to Access Daily, Crews, who plays Sergeant Terry Jeffords on the show, said: "Our showrunner Dan Goor, they had four episodes all ready to go, and they just threw them in the trash. We have to start over. Right now, we don't know which direction it's going to go in.
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"We've had a lot of somber talks about it and deep conversations, and we hope through this, we're going to make something that will be truly groundbreaking this year. We have an opportunity, and we plan to use it in the best way possible."
The actor has previously highlighted the need for B99 to address the situation that has unfolded in America since the death of George Floyd.
While the Black Lives Matter movement has been gathering pace over the years, it has reached fever pitch in the United States after Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis. What has followed has been days and nights of unrest, large-scale protests, riots, accusations of police brutality and anger.
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When he was asked whether the eighth season would reflect current events, Terry said they would do their best.
"Definitely. We all got on a Zoom call just the other day because of what is happening in this country," he told Seth Meyers via video call.
"We are witnessing so many abuses of power. We had some sombre talks and some really eye-opening conversations about how to handle this new season."
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It comes after the cast and creators announced they would be donating USD$100,000 (£78,541) to support Black Lives Matter protesters.
In a post on Instagram, Stephanie Beatriz - who plays Rosa Diaz - said: "The cast and showrunner of Brooklyn Nine-Nine condemn the murder of George Floyd and support the many people who are protesting police brutality nationally.
"Together we have made a $100,000 donation to the National Bail Fund Network. We encourage you to look up your local bail fund: the National Bail Fund is an organisation that can lead you to them. #blacklivesmatter."
Speaking to Meyers, Crews also clarified a tweet in which he said: "Defeating White supremacy without White people creates Black supremacy. Equality is the truth. Like it or not, we are all in this together."
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The 51-year-old was widely criticised for the remark, but the actor said he had been misunderstood.
He said: "The term 'black supremacy' was just destroyed and what I was trying to say is the fact that, as a member of the black community, there have been so-called gatekeepers who decide who's black and who's not.
"And in this effort to really push equality and to end white supremacy and systematic racism, there are certain black people that determine that what I'm doing has no bearing - I have been rendered moot because I am successful. My point is just the fact that we need all of us."
No release date for Season Eight has been given and any timeline will likely be pushed back now that the scripts have been dumped.
Featured Image Credit: NBCTopics: Entertainment, TV and Film