The Walking Dead, AMC's Comic Book based acclaimed series is about to lose some writing talent courtesy of Frank Darabont.
Deadline reports that
"Frank Darabont has let go of the writers on the hot freshman AMC series, which has already renewed for a second season. That includes Darabont's No. 2, writing executive producer Charles “Chic” Eglee. Writer turnover on series between seasons is commonplace but wholesale overhauls are unusual. "
Darabont directed the Pilot episode of the First Season while one of the episodes was written by Robert Kirkman, the writer of the Original Comic Book on which the Show is based. The First season was a total of 6 episodes but the Second season will reportedly have 13 episodes. What exactly does he plan on doing?
"Darabont is looking to forgo having a writing staff for the second season of Walking Dead altogether and assign scripts to freelancers. The freelance model is employed by the Starz/BBC series Tourchwood, which in turn borrowed it from the U.K. where the show originated. Having BBC as producer has allowed Torchwood to proceed with no writing staff but I hear such a plan on an U.S.-based network series such as Walking Dead may face issues with the Writers Guild. And, while the first season of Walking Dead was only 6 episodes, its second-season order is for 13, which may prove harder to manage in pre-production, production and post-production with no writing staff.
AMC hasn't given the go-ahead to use free lance writers only. I have a bad feeling about this. According to fans of the Comic Book itself, the show has deviated from the source material. What will this mean for the Second season?
Missed any of the episodes? AMC is having a Season 1 Marathon on Sunday, December 5 starting at 4:30/3:30c to be followed by the Season 1 Finale episode at 10/9c.