Glen Mazzara Steps Down As Walking Dead Showrunner

It looks like The Walking Dead will be getting a new showrunner for Christmas this year.

Glen Mazzara has parted ways with The Walking Dead, the AMC hit series he has helmed for the better part of two seasons.  Supposedly the split is amicable, but over a difference of opinions between Mazarra and AMC as to where the show should go in the recently announced Season Four.

“[We’re] grateful for [Glen’s] hard work. We are both proud of our shared success,” AMC said in a statement they issued Friday.  “Both parties acknowledge that there is a difference of opinion about where the show should go moving forward, and conclude that it is best to part ways. This decision is amicable and Glen will remain on for post-production on Season 3B as showrunner and executive producer.”

So the good news is, this shakeup (the second in the series’ run after Frank Darabont was fired at the top of Season Two) shouldn’t impact the back half of Season Three when it returns in February.  This is very good news, as the third season saw a definite improvement in the wildly popular yet not very good series.  I’m hoping that the energy we finally saw in the first half of Season Three (and, you know, the STUFF THAT HAPPENS) will continue to close out what has been the best year for The Walking Dead by far.

The thing that makes me nervous is the difference of opinions between Mazzara and the network… I’d assume Season Three has been much more costly, what with its multiple sets, larger cast and multitude of zombies, and aside from critics like me, most fans didn’t seem to be bothered by the terrible second season– it wouldn’t surprise me if AMC has decided to go back to that model– no zombies, plodding stories, limited sets– as a way to save a buck on their top-ranked show, since history has proven that cheap, boring Walking Dead will be generally received just as well as improved, exciting Walking Dead.

Time will tell, but until a new showrunner is named… who do you think should take the reins?

Source: TV Line