Darabont leaving The Walking Dead!?!?!?

[Sammich]

Also, TWD is AMC's highest rated, wholy-owned show which I highly doubt they would intentionally fuck up because that would be an alltime epic high in dumbfuckedness. Let me tell you from firsthand experience, when psychopathic MBA types are in charge they are capable of screwing up a one float parade. The damage will be minimal in season 2, but they will have complete and utter control in season 3 and it will be TWD in name only. Just think of how fast downhill Return of the Living Dead went sequel after sequel.

[tabalt]

The first thing that AMC needs to do is fire every single one of the MBAs in the front office who did not work their way up from the mailroom. The MBA has to be the single most destructive force to U.S. industries. 99% of the time their only "qualification" is just an expensive fancy piece of paper they bought from a "school". They have little to no knowledge or respect of the product manufacturing process in the companies for which they are employed. The MBA view workers as expendable and often with contempt. There is nothing more infuriating as some brand new snot nosed kid from middle management showing up one day out of the blue to tell YOU how to do the job you have done for years, even though said dweeb has no clue as to how to do the job himself. They are nothing but psychopaths looking to do anything they can to further themselves at someone elses expense (quite often unjustly) and kiss the butt of the execs above them. If they are allowed continued free reign at AMC, after the current batch of successful shows run their course AMC is going to cry for a fed bailout. MBA = Moron, Backstabber, A$$kisser OUCH!!! That one hurt. I am just a few classes away from my MBA and I insure you I am not a moron, backstabber, or an a$$kisser. I work in the automotive industry and started out (with a BBA) as a temp on the floor for six months catching bumpers on a mill, continued on the floor for eight months after hired putting bumpers into a press, and now work in R&D as a testing tech for new products and concepts. So I insure you I know the product, understand the process, and am humbled by the guys who have been on the floor for 20 plus years doing 12 hour days for 10% or less of the pay as the VP’s of the company make. Maybe it’s just because of the bad economy, but I have had to earn my way up the ladder of the company even being educated when I started. So not every body with a MBA is what you think they are… either that or I fall in the 1% you didn’t mention in your rant. Anyways, I hope the show works out, because it is my favorite on TV right now. It does seem that TWD is the red headed step child at the moment but my guess is because AMC can cut and control without fear of loosing it to another channel. Currently they have to give BB and MM anything they demand or loose them to FX or someone else. TWD don’t have the luxury of threatening to walk, so one could say that TWD is the only flex account they have when it comes to cutting/controlling their budget. I wish it wasn’t true but that is likely the only reason behind the cuts. At the same time sounds like Stillerman don’t have faith in the show and is a real dick behind the scene too. There is a shit ton of money to be made off of this series through premiers, reruns, DVDs, and syndication if they just keep the quality that the fans like me and you expect. You need hordes of zombies, high quality make-up, well writing script, good direction, and great actors for it to work. Plus the post production made the first seasons what it became. Just watch some of the behind the scene shit and see what they actually pulled off… it was amazing. So cutting from anything that dick suggested will hurt the show. You must give ample budgets to all those factors or it will go down hill fast. Let’s just hope this season is still hitting 4-6 million viewers an episode and I bet they will reconsider what can be spent.

[bassman]

tabalt - first of all, welcome to the forums! Hope you stick around. While your post is filled with basic facts, I have to argue one point. Sure it makes financial sense for them to cut costs on their hit show that they fully own in order to keep the hits that were established prior, but it's also like they're shooting themselves in the foot. Breaking Bad will be over in the next year or two. They've got Mad Men lined up for at least three more years with other original programming to follow. So why hurt TWD? Their first fully-owned hit. It's kinda like looking a gift horse in the mouth, ya know? I understand what the "higher-ups" are trying to do here. It kinda makes sense, but on the other hand it also makes no sense when you consider that TWD could potentially go on for years and years to come. Just like the comics, this show could basically be a never-ending story. They're protecting their current hits while failing to see the long run. Keep Breaking Bad(my favorite, btw), keep Mad Men, but don't intentionally do away with your bread and butter. I hope for the best with future TWD seasons. I really do - we all do. But letting the creator and visionary behind the series go is a poor move. Sure, maybe he was used to film schedules and budgets, so I understand they were a bit weary. But it's also that vision and drive that created the awesome show we now have. Especially the first episode. Darabont may have taken more time and money, but he did so in the name of creating a quality product. In the long run, it may have made more sense to keep the brains on board. I hope i'm wrong and the series continues to be great, but if starts a decline in quality the AMC executives have only one thing to blame. Themselves.

[Trencher]

First I hear that Dead Island is a "funny ha-ha" game and not the serious drama that the trailer eluded to and now this? Just awful, I don't want all the usual suspects to gang up on me and talk about this in other threads again so I am just going to say look up what happend to Firefly to see what management can do.

[Darksider18]

The Walking Dead is a great programme! Finally theres a director who shines through the rest and shows us a zombie apocalypse on tv! Not all this reality shit like Jersey Shore, the oldest and longest living horror concept brought to screaming, blood-curdling life in HD with phenominal acting and a spot-on storyline. It shows us what could happen if the apocalypse arises and what would happen within an emotionally collided group. Darabont and the writers have GOT to keep this going. Its reached the million-fans point now. I wish they wont give up easy, theyve created something great.

[Trencher]

I agree with you there Darksider18, I just wish they would keep the original director he is the one who made the iconic visuals that got people hooked in the first place. I see the new seasons director is trying to recreate his style (or maybe is just follwing his script notes) but its not quite there. Its still good, but not as good as Darabount.

[bassman]

I agree with you there Darksider18, I just wish they would keep the original director he is the one who made the iconic visuals that got people hooked in the first place. I see the new seasons director is trying to recreate his style (or maybe is just follwing his script notes) but its not quite there. Its still good, but not as good as Darabount. Darabont only directed the pilot episode. He was then the showrunner(develops the story, helps editing, etc) for the rest of the first season, but other writers and directors take over from episode to episode. He continued to be the showrunner up until just after they began filming in Atlanta this past summer. So if you see a change in this second season so far, it's not really because of Darabont's departure. He helped develop the story and get everything going on these first few episodes, plus the writing on the rest of the season. Not to mention Glen Mazzara, who became his replacement, was previously chosen by Darabont to be the number two man. At least Darabont's own choice is now(or soon will be) in control.