Christina Applegate exiting "Up All Night"

Christina Applegate and Will Arnett in a scene from NBC's "Up All Night." / NBC

Christina Applegate is leaving behind her starring role on the NBC comedy series "Up All Night."

"It's been a great experience working on 'Up All Night,' but the show has taken a different creative direction and I decided it was best for me to move on to other endeavors," Applegate said in a statement released Friday, according to Entertainment Weekly. "Working with Lorne Michaels has been a dream come true and I am grateful he brought me into his TV family. I will miss the cast, producers and crew, and wish them the best always."

Series creator and executive producer Emily Spivey had left the show back in January, with no fewer than three other producers having served in the showrunner position since the series first began in 2011.

"Up All Night" starred Applegate as Reagan Brinkley, with Will Arnett co-starring as her husband, Chris, and Maya Rudolph as her best friend Ava.

Some have questioned how the show will be able to continue without Applegate. Deadline, which first broke the news of the actress' departure, reports that NBC could be eyeing former "Friends" star Lisa Kudrow as a potential replacement for Applegate.

The series was also set to change from a single-camera format to multi-camera one during the next part of its second season.

Tell us: Do you think "Up All Night" can go on without Applegate?

[meetdannywilson]

Yeah... no, that's so not happening! The show is a success because of the chemistry of the cast - meaning Applegate and Arnett. The show is over if she's gone. It's a shame, cause it's a really good show. Too good. With a two year old and another on the way, my wife and I refused to watch any more than the handful of episodes we caught when it first started - it was just way too close to home.

[hypnotoad72]

I never heard of the show until now, but I've seen Ms. Applegate in a number of shows in the past. She's a great character actress. That's all I know.

[SerenaStephens]

We just don't think a replacement for Applegate is the answer. It's in the category of: attempting to replace Elizabeth Montgomery in Bewitched. It just can't be done.