In the least surprising news of 12/21/12 (well, besides the world not actually ending), AMC renewed The Walking Dead for a fourth season. The ratings juggernaut has only gotten bigger (and better) in its third season, and it was just a matter of time until it was renewed.
The surprising aspect, however, comes from the fact that for the second time in two seasons, the show lost its showrunner in Glen Mazzara. For those that remember, the really terrible second season was preceded by the departure of showrunner Frank Darabont at the eleventh hour, and now it’s losing Mazzara due to creative differences, although the departure was “amicable” according to an MTV Splashpage article.
So the day is a small, unsurprising “yay!” for Walking Dead fans, and a bit of a “Nooooo!!” and an unsuspecting shuffle and groan as well. I think AMC has realized that this is a well-oiled machine that can (and will) survive and thrive no matter who is running it. It feels to me that they are looking for someone they can creatively push around. Otherwise, why would Darabont and Mazzara (two long timers in this industry) have washed out so quickly? It’s especially disappointing, as Mazzara has helped drive this show to finally being a good one.
I’m sure we’ll hear more on this eventually, but as per usual, the only thing stranger than our favorite televised zombie apocalypse is what is happening behind the scenes.
