Darabont leaving The Walking Dead!?!?!?

[kidgloves]

Interesting take on Darabonts departure http://www.theatlantic.com/entertain...rabont/242749/

[Sammich]

I think they should ask Romero to take over. If not, get someone competent like Uwe Bol.

[bassman]

I think they should ask Romero to take over. It's hard to read sarcasm through text, but i'm taking this as such. I hope that's what you intended. It has to be after the Boll comment. Although I'm not so sure after some comments around this place. Certain members actually would like to see Romero take over....

[rongravy]

Interesting take on Darabonts departure http://www.theatlantic.com/entertain...rabont/242749/ I didn't think Merle was annoying. I wanted more of him, and was kind of sad that was all we got. Wonder when/if he'll pop up again.

[kidgloves]

I didn't think Merle was annoying. I wanted more of him, and was kind of sad that was all we got. Wonder when/if he'll pop up again. Neither did I although i get the impression that he was written to be a disposable character but Rooker made him so memorable its difficult to let him go.

[rongravy]

Neither did I although i get the impression that he was written to be a disposable character but Rooker made him so memorable its difficult to let him go. I know. I was amazed, with his star power, that he was nothing more than what he was. Which was barely even in there... I want to know just what happened to him after he hacked off his hand. I bet THEY would, too, since they went back to find his ass.

[shootemindehead]

I agree with the article, Merle is a rubbish character. I literally face-palmed within a few minutes of him appearing on screen. Especially after the equally ridiculous T Dawg had shown up. Fu*king T Dawg , I still can't say that stupid crap without laughing. It was blindingly obviously where it was all going. Terrible writing.

[bassman]

I liked Merle. He was a real friggin character. I see those guys all the time (unfortunately). Anyway.....here's an article that may shed some more light on Darabont's departure. As we've heard before, it may all be down to AMC being greedy with their money. First it was failing negotiations with the Mad Men crew, then it was Darabont claiming they wanted to give out less money, now they're saying they don't want to give out the money for the fifth, and final season of Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad is already shopping around to other networks. WTF? AMC might be spreading themselves a little thin.

[AcesandEights]

AMC might be spreading themselves a little thin. Yeah, one has to wonder if it's growing pains, especially with AMC networks going public last month

[kidgloves]

Looks like its all Don Drapers fault http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...0,106600.story One of the challenges for AMC is that it does not own most of the shows it airs. That's why Sony was able to threaten the network with moving "Breaking Bad" if a deal was not to its liking. AMC owns "The Walking Dead," which is why it could enforce such a dramatic budget cut, though it came with the loss of the show's creative force. Cutting $250,000 an episode is suicide.

[Danny]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...d-fired-221449 saw a few articles like this. seems the general consensus is "the budget for season 2 was directed at the clothes and alcohol for mad men".

[bassman]

Wow....that really paints the people at AMC to be complete morons. If it's all true, this looks like it may be the beginning of the end for AMC's stellar original programming. It almost makes me not want to watch Season Two. Obviously I will watch it, but I won't be happy about what they've done!

[clanglee]

Wow....that really paints the people at AMC to be complete morons. If it's all true, this looks like it may be the beginning of the end for AMC's stellar original programming. It almost makes me not want to watch Season Two. Obviously I will watch it, but I won't be happy about what they've done! Exactly, especially if the cuts show

[MinionZombie]

Wow....that really paints the people at AMC to be complete morons. If it's all true, this looks like it may be the beginning of the end for AMC's stellar original programming. It almost makes me not want to watch Season Two. Obviously I will watch it, but I won't be happy about what they've done! Remember when you (rightly) bemoaned the 'end of the world' wails when it was said that Season Two would, naturally, start in October? While this is a different situation, and it is indeed bloody stupid of AMC to be shifting money away from a huge success to a much more well established show (that surely has enough money as it is), and all-the-time biting off more than they can chew, but at the same time I'm sure the programme makers of TWD will persevere and continue to make an excellent show. I do hope that the budget cut doesn't show, but at the same time I trust the show runners to provide us with a show that's just as good, if not better. It doesn't necessarily take money to make a moment, or an episode, or a season, that really haunts you forever after.

[bassman]

...it is indeed bloody stupid of AMC to be shifting money away from a huge success to a much more well established show (that surely has enough money as it is)..... Although it's silly of AMC to harm TWD, their biggest success yet, it kinda makes sense when you consider that it's the only show they fully own. So they take the money from their own show and pump it into Breaking Bad and Mad Men, both of which are owned by movie studios that always have the right to shop around at other networks.. Sony and Lionsgate, I believe it is. AMC wants to keep them in bed together. So AMC is doing their best to keep those shows on their network, but hurting their only OWNED show in the process. It's a shame, really. And now that we know Darabont was actually fired rather than quit, what does that mean to his friends and collaborators? Of course the actors are going to stay on for a while, but what about Nicotero? Kirkman? Those guys were only really doing it because of Darabont. What if they walk in protest? The future of TWD does not look good...