As ratings continue to climb for “The Walking Dead,” (Sunday’s episode was the series’ most watched), it would seem that everything is clicking for the AMC series.
That is, unless you’re part of the writing team for season one. Seem that your services won’t be needed for season two.
Deadline reports that executive producer Frank Darabont is letting the entire writing staff go, including executive producer Charles “Chic” Eglee. The report indicates that Darabont may farm out writing duties to freelancers for the upcoming thirteen episode second season.
Writing staff changes are nothing new in Hollywood, though the wholesale change in writing staff is unprecedented. The concept of a freelance writing staff overseen by an executive producer or showrunner is fairly common in the UK for shows like “Doctor Who” and “Torchwood.”
So, “Dead” could be OK for season two if it can follow the successful model of those shows.
“The concept of a freelance writing staff overseen by an executive producer or showrunner is fairly common in the UK for shows like “Doctor Who” and “Torchwood.”
So, “Dead” could be OK for season two if it can follow the successful model of those shows.”
I still don’t like it. You know the old saying: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Now that the show is going awesome, we’ll get rid of everything that made it great. Brilliant move!
:-/
Of course they did, I totally understand —- Wait…what??
I never read the comics, but the show is great. I wonder what genius thought that was a good idea?
The only hope here is that the “freelancers” they are talking about are Rock Stars in the comics or genre writing world. Otherwise this time next year we’ll all be sending in half chewed up body parts into AMC in an effort to save the show.
If one reads the article one would find out the episodes were not being written by the staff of writers that were let go. If I get the gist of it right, they are/were superfluous.
The only problem mentioned is that the Writer’s guild may not be happy about the use of freelance writers.
well this show is headed down the Heroes road. have a great first season, then fire the writers and watch the show tank. I guess they are afraid of success.
The difference between Walking Dead and Heroes is that there’s already source material from which they’ll be drawing plot for Walking Dead. Heroes was driven by Tim Kring from his original ideas.
Did Heroes get rid of its entire writing staff after season one or did they all bolt to try and strike while the iron was hot with development deals of their own?
The article also says that this is a RUMOR, not confirmed yet. Still…. makes you wonder huh?
According to the article on Deadline Hollywood:
http://www.deadline.com/2010/12/the-walking-dead-lets-go-of-writers-considers-no-writing-staff-for-season-2/#more-87296
Darabont wrote or co-wrote all 6 episodes. Maybe he just wasn’t happy with any of the other writers work.
Not concerned. They do have the source material on hand.
I would have to agree with Lee and KG, while there is source material at hand it is also seems rather foolish to up and fire the writing staff that got them to this point..
A better model would have been to introduce freelance episodes at a slower rate and gauge the audience response, rather than fire them all and hope for the best.