CBR: New Details Emerge On Darabont's "Walking Dead" Exit

[CBR News]

The firing of show-runner and executive producer Frank Darabont from AMC's hit "Walking Dead" TV show has raised many questions, and new details point to financial fights at the heart of the change.


Full article here.

[the goddamn batman]

dunnow hat to say about this.

AMC are definitely slashing budgets on their shows, and that's a shame. some of the most well made TV running.

[fanboyspodcast]

I'm sorry but 3 hit shows...The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and Mad Men...and I'm hearing the same thing from each production...NO appreciation from AMC as the channel's CEO works to cut budgets, kill creative avenues, and basically work against the creative minds who helped build the ratings of this TCM wannabe.

What a shame that the tool in charge is going to end up destroying each of these shows!

Someone needs to sit down with Mathew Weiner, Vince Gilligan, and Frank Darabont and take their side before all these series get turned into typical network under-produced eye candy.

[Another Aaron]

I bought the DVD set for season one about a month ago and was planning on having 2 or 3 friends over in the next week to introduce it to them so they'd be caught up for season 2.

Now I don't even know if it's worth bothering. To be honest, I'm wondering if *I* should stop watching it now just to avoid the whole "Firefly" anguish later.

[batGRRRl4ever]

I'm sorry but 3 hit shows...The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and Mad Men...and I'm hearing the same thing from each production...NO appreciation from AMC as the channel's CEO works to cut budgets, kill creative avenues, and basically work against the creative minds who helped build the ratings of this TCM wannabe.

What a shame that the tool in charge is going to end up destroying each of these shows!

Someone needs to sit down with Mathew Weiner, Vince Gilligan, and Frank Darabont and take their side before all these series get turned into typical network under-produced eye candy.

So they say that Darabont is "notoriously a pain in the ass" who is known for "taking a feature-film approach to television." Yet it was specifically that feature-film approach in the first episode of season one that had everyone both talking and watching, myself included. I remember thinking to myself how, "Wow, this comes across like an actual movie in terms of quality, not just some dreck tv show like Lost."

When you rush actors on a show that requires such intensively inner psychological turmoil the quality WILL suffer. Maybe in drips at first but it will happen.

This reminds me of how Sci-Fi channel (now lamely 'sy-fi') used to have the incredible Farscape as the channel's signature show, and even renewed for a two-year deal, but then reneged at the end of the first year of the renew and cancelled the show out of budget concerns.

When are these network bigwig idiots in charge of sci-fi/fantasy/horror shows going to realize that these types of shows require either CGI or physical special effects to WORK. And that means $$$. I now have this dreadful feeling that we might only see 2-3 zombies maybe every OTHER episode as our survivors hole up in secluded farms longterm and it turns into a zombie inspired weekly drama ONLY about various soap opera plots that would be better seen on Desperate Housewives.

[jyeager11]

I see everyone saying "Networks need to stop being cheap" and should give us the big-screen quality we deserve.

Why? It's NOT the big screen. Who is going to give the studio the money to afford that? You guys? Are you willing to donate to the studio so they give you the quality you want? Of course not.

You're no different than the studio itself. How many of you drive BMWs? You all want the best but don't want to pay top dollar for it. You end up buying what you can afford.

That's what the studios are doing.

The internet has affected ad revenue like you can't possibly imagine. It killed the music industry, it's killing the movie industry, and it's going to kill the TV industry.

How do these studios make their money when half the people watching their shows downloaded them off torrents, with all of the ads stripped out? THOSE ADS PAID FOR MAKING THE SHOW.

The same people who then complain that the studios are slashing their budgets.

Don't you think the studio would RATHER have a big-screen quality show under their belt than a low budget one? Of course they would. But if they spend more than they'll make, why are they in business in the first place?

If it cost you more money to GET to work than you got back every 2 weeks, would YOU keep working there?

THINK, people. It's easy to ask studios to spend money that isn't yours. It's THEIRS. And if they thought they'd make it back by spending more, they would. They have people working for them crunching the numbers every which way possible. People who went to school and studied this stuff. People who know more about it than the audience.

The internet is going to affect the bottom line of every type of business that can be found on it. Music, movies, TV... if we could download food, the restaurant business would be next. Thankfully for them, we can't.

All of us are responsible for it. And no, I'm not saying we should all stop. I know I won't. There's too much money involved.

I will, however, stop complaining that the people I'm stealing from aren't spending more to entertain me.

There are limits to even *my* arrogance and narcissism.

How about you guys?

[ian33407]

@bat: couldn't have said better.

Frankly, let the producers hit the wall. Some of these kind will end being replaced, and that would do no harm for the public and certainly not the quality of the shows.

A guy fired because he takes his work at heart, c'mon...At last, we know these are words coming from true assholes..

[batGRRRl4ever]

I see everyone saying "Networks need to stop being cheap" and should give us the big-screen quality we deserve.

You're no different than the studio itself. How many of you drive BMWs? You all want the best but don't want to pay top dollar for it. You end up buying what you can afford.

I will, however, stop complaining that the people I'm stealing from aren't spending more to entertain me.

There are limits to even *my* arrogance and narcissism.

How about you guys?

Funny, I know I'M not stealing as I pay for my cable for my tv thank you very much. So I'm NOT part of the problem, I guess it's those admittedly like yourself who admit to stealing via torrent, etc. And there is nothing wrong with wanting quality on tv. When I was younger there was a LOT more quality programming on, not like today where over half of all programming is cheaply made "reality" garbage.

I EXPECT good acting and a return on my investment for scripted tv on the outrageous amounts I pay for cable for 15 sports channels I never wanted and heaps of reality shows about celebrities with NO talent like the Kardashians who exist to be party girls.

But I guess it's the people who admit to stealing to watch scripted shows and who also admit they aren't going to stop who are affecting the overall quality of shows like The Walking Dead.

Thanks a lot, NOT.

[devildinosaur]

Well, if the show tanks--AMC will have made an enormous mistake. Season 1 was so, so good.

[jyeager11]

But I guess it's the people who admit to stealing to watch scripted shows and who also admit they aren't going to stop who are affecting the overall quality of shows like The Walking Dead.

I certainly aspire to be as perfect as you, who claims never to have downloaded a show, movie, or mp3 song in their life.

Not that I believe you for a minute, but let's say I did... how many of the people in this discussion who agree with your viewpoint do you think are as flawless as you claim to be?

Shouldn't you be berating them as well, or do you save the hypocrisy only for those who disagree with you on internet message boards?

[Paul McEnery]

I see everyone saying "Networks need to stop being cheap" and should give us the big-screen quality we deserve.

Why? It's NOT the big screen. Who is going to give the studio the money to afford that? You guys? Are you willing to donate to the studio so they give you the quality you want? Of course not.

Don't talk rot.

All of these shows are/were profitable.

The problem the studio heads have is a) greed; and b) control.

That's all this is.

[Michael P]

It killed the music industry

Then I must be imagining all these singles and albums that get released every week.

[jyeager11]

It's amazing how knowledgeable everyone here is about what goes on in everyone else's back yard.

Gotta love internet message boards. :) I'll leave you all to your anti-establishment whining.

Y'all are right, everyone else is wrong. My apologies to everyone here. Especially the guy who said the internet didn't hurt the music industry. That guy in particular is a genius.

[edhopper]

Then I must be imagining all these singles and albums that get released every week.

And barely make the money it takes to produce them, or lose money.
Look at the numbers on the billboard chart today and ten years ago.

A lot of indies release comics that never make a dime too.

[Deep_Sleeper]

I see everyone saying "Networks need to stop being cheap" and should give us the big-screen quality we deserve.

Why? It's NOT the big screen. Who is going to give the studio the money to afford that? You guys? Are you willing to donate to the studio so they give you the quality you want? Of course not.

You're no different than the studio itself. How many of you drive BMWs? You all want the best but don't want to pay top dollar for it. You end up buying what you can afford.

That's what the studios are doing.

The internet has affected ad revenue like you can't possibly imagine. It killed the music industry, it's killing the movie industry, and it's going to kill the TV industry.

How do these studios make their money when half the people watching their shows downloaded them off torrents, with all of the ads stripped out? THOSE ADS PAID FOR MAKING THE SHOW.

The same people who then complain that the studios are slashing their budgets.

Don't you think the studio would RATHER have a big-screen quality show under their belt than a low budget one? Of course they would. But if they spend more than they'll make, why are they in business in the first place?

If it cost you more money to GET to work than you got back every 2 weeks, would YOU keep working there?

THINK, people. It's easy to ask studios to spend money that isn't yours. It's THEIRS. And if they thought they'd make it back by spending more, they would. They have people working for them crunching the numbers every which way possible. People who went to school and studied this stuff. People who know more about it than the audience.

The internet is going to affect the bottom line of every type of business that can be found on it. Music, movies, TV... if we could download food, the restaurant business would be next. Thankfully for them, we can't.

All of us are responsible for it. And no, I'm not saying we should all stop. I know I won't. There's too much money involved.

I will, however, stop complaining that the people I'm stealing from aren't spending more to entertain me.

There are limits to even *my* arrogance and narcissism.

How about you guys?

I have to agree with a lot of this. I'm sure a lot of people are raving crazy about how awful it is that certain industries cut budget and hike up prices, without looking at why certain things happen.

I'm a big comic fan. I buy comics in trade formats. I can't support monthlies anymore. For a few reasons, I don't think it's a great format, but I also understand why certain concessions need to be made.

If the production budget of the Walking Dead causes you to not like the show anymore, I say stop watching it. Don't waste your time hoping it'll turn around.

Yeah, it still sucks to this day that Fox cancelled Firefly. If it was still airing, I'd watch it every week. What I can't get annoyed about is that I didn't watch the show when it came on the air. I didn't really watch a lot of TV shows when it was on the air and the TV shows I did keep up with, it was hard to because my work schedule didn't allow for it.

I caught up with Firefly years later because of the sheer amount of out-pouring of love for the show and how much I enjoyed watching Buffy and Angel on TV (at this point, I actually became more involved with TV shows).

I think some people who complain (keep in mind some) are not accepting personal responsibilities. If you're watching the show through torrents or downloads, stop complaining. If you aren't watching the show, stop complaining. If you think the production of the show is going to affect the product, don't support it and stop complaining.