Lauren Iungerich, creator of MTV's 'Awkward,' to exit show after season 3

Lauren Iungerich, creator and showrunner of MTV's hit scripted series Awkward, has reportedly reached a mutual decision with the network to exit the show after its current season.

MTV programming president Susanne Daniels released a statement, commenting “Awkward is a wonderful series and we appreciate the creativity and devotion Lauren brought to this show,” and “We wish her the best in her new ventures.” Iungerich, for her part, cited professional and personal reasons for her exit.

Iungerich was previously attached to Hot Mess, another MTV scripted pilot, but exited the project 3 months ago, ahead of the network's decision to pass on the show. Both Awkward and Hot Mess, along with a third Iungerich project, Dumb Girls, which also never made it to series, were developed before an executive shakeup at the network.

With 34 episodes having aired, Awkward marks MTV's longest-running scripted comedy. Unlike previous 12-episode runs, season 3 received an extended order of 20 episodes. The mid-season finale aired June 11, with the second half of the season scheduled to begin airing in Oct.

Though it's not uncommon for shows to change showrunners, Iungerich has been instrumental in shaping the series' themes, and its authentic, satirical portrayal of teenage life. MTV has not officially made a decision regarding the status of the show's fourth season, though the network is reported to be on the hunt for a new showrunner.

Check out a bonus webisode from the show, below.