All Things:AMC television

roenick said:
Not really sure what to think of Darabont leaving. He brought such a joy to this show in terms of his enthusiasm for the content. Really not sure what to make of it all. Agree that a person from The Shield will help and has instant credibility but man this is disappointing.
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I think Darabont lost a LOT of his enthusiasm when he realized that he could not bring MOVIE sensibilities to a TV show. Hopefully he will stay on in a reduced role and continue to share his passion for this. One way or another I think it was a necessary move for FD and the show, maybe now he can just concentrate on the ideas of the show and not be brought down by the day to day comprimises that need to be made. The fact that Mazzara is 'part of the family' already(he wrote one of the last eps last season) means that it should be seamless. I really think this is more of a headline than a cause for concern.
 
Glen Mazzara is Your New ?The Walking Dead? Showrunner | /Film

Last night a bombshell hit The Walking Dead: Frank Darabont, who launched the show along with The Walking Dead comic writer Robert Kirkman and producer Gale Anne Hurd, stepped down as showrunner as the series is in the middle of shooting its second season. We were told that there would be no significant interruption in production. To achieve that, a new showrunner has already been named: Glen Mazzara, who wrote for the first season and was hired as Frank Darabont?s right-hand man for season 2.


Deadline breaks the news, quoting an interview with Mr. Darabont from about a month back in which he spoke about Glen Mazzara?s hire: We hired Glen Mazzara as our Number Two in the room? We consider him our head writer and he?s just a fantastic asset.? Mr. Mazzara wrote the first season episode ?Wildfire,? and was a writer/producer on The Shield, Crash, Hawthorne and Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior.
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Think that he was being groomed from the get go and FD just had to get out.
 
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SPOILERS


This weeks episode of Breaking Bad was a mixed bag. The loss of humanity in Walt has been very hard to deal with. The show worked before because he was a good man forced to do bad things. Now you have to question that. His wife is a shrew. Really unlikeable. Calling into question why he would have done anything at all for her. Hank and his wife, that is actually more interesting. Kind of cliche, but still well done. The biggest revelation though is Mike the fixer. Having seen how disposable he is I think he is beginning to question a life of violence and questionable morals he just seemed to accept as necessary. Sadly I think his story is going to end with him making a Vader like choice. He's like the anti-Walt and easily the most sympathetic character on the show. Not bad 2 episodes in and this show always gathers momentum the closer it gets to the finale.
 
BREAKING BAD Recap: “Open House”


Really good breakdown of the season so far...

AND SPOILERS












I was thinking the same thing about Jesse. They can only bring a guy to the edge so many times before he almost has to go over. With Hank getting involved and the revelations in the preview for next week that has Walt saying 'they found fingerprints' it seems inevitable that there is going to be a considerable body count at the end of this season. And we all know that Vince Gilligan will have no trouble doing an Eddard Stark and taking out an important character. Good stuff.
 
Excellent Extended Trailer For ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 2 Released | Geeks of Doom

Troubling news...

Steady Leak: Great Shows, Stingy Network | CHUD.com

Now comes Breaking Bad (my extensive recent coverage). A juggernaut of a show that has showcased nearly perfect consistency and quality from episode one to this past Sunday?s romp. The show?s creator has said that the next season may be its last. For creative reasons, as a show about this subject has a definitely arc and to run it into the ground would scuttle so much great work. AMC has another golden goose with the show. Its ratings have grown, which is terrific. It?s a critic?s darling, which is terrific. It?s an awards magnet, which is terrific. It is ?must see? television, which is terrific. It?s not The Killing, which is terrific.

Cue news (LA Times, The Hollywood Reporter) about the show running into trouble.

Yep, budget issues. Network pressure to trim the episode load. Stupid ****. AMC, what in the name of Dr. Giggles are you thinking? You have a massive hit in the zombie show. You have two of the best television shows EVER in your current queue with the creative team intact and energized and at least another year of guaranteed television gold ahead. You?ve pawned the overly expensive Damages off to Direct TV. You felt so good about The Killing that you renewed its mangy ass for another year.

It?s sit back and admire the breadth of your domain time, not open up the ledger and squeeze pennies out. In reality The Killing shouldn?t be an issue here. I?m ripping it because I hate it and it deserves it. The issue should be that a network has a very diverse array of successful properties, some for material and some for their handle on the zeitgeist. That is a recipe to MAKE money, not a beacon to ruin all that progress over it.

AMC had better get right because it?s a very vital corner of the dramatic television world and believe you me? HBO and Showtime and FX have been paying attention. They?re in this business to win it and they have the horses to pull it off. AMC is no worse a network. It?s time to step up and show it.
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The guy needs to check his math because Damages was an Fx show.
 
and more...

BREAKING BAD May Leave AMC for Season 5

If you?d like to save some time, the answer to the headline is, ?No, probably not.? But the chance that Breaking Bad will go off-network for season five is greater than zero. Talks are ongoing between AMC and Sony Television to produce another season at the network. AMC proposed an order of six to eight episodes rather than the normal thirteen; the creative team promptly rejected that offer.

Sources inform the LA Times Sony ?sent feelers to at least three other cable networks? in a move that is likely equal parts negotiating tactic and backup plan. More after the jump:



AMC has previously had trouble locking down Mad Men. In the initial struggle, I attributed that mostly to creator Matthew Weiner, who was seeking an unprecedented deal for a writer/producer on a basic cable show. You could attribute the subsequent breakdown over season five negotiations to Weiner again, especially since he ended up with $30 million for three more seasons. Then word leaked about budget cuts on The Walking Dead which, unlike Breaking Bad and Mad Men, is an unqualified commercial hit for the network. Couple this news with the announcement that Frank Darabont had stepped down as Walking Dead showrunner ? not to mention the fact that the Killing finale sucked ? and it?s clear not all is well at the American Movie Channel. AMC is starting to develop a reputation as the Marvel of the TV world: quality product, but tough negotiators.

To reiterate, the acclaimed drama will almost certainly stay at AMC. What intrigues me is creator Vince Gilligan?s flexibility on the scope of the series. The initial plan (purportedly) was a four season arc. Given the negotiations, that has obviously been extended to at least five seasons. As the Times notes, it?s unlikely any outside network would sign up for a one-and-done ? if the show does go to another network, we may expect at least two more seasons.

By the way, any guesses for the three networks? Breaking Bad would be a great fit for FX, though I don?t know they?d be interested. I bet Starz got a call ? that would be good for exposure as they try to develop into a major player among premium cable networks. Nothing else fits quite so well, though you might as well ask HBO if you?re sending out resumes.
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The powers that be @ AMC need to be given their walking papers...
 
AMC President Charlie Collier on The Walking Dead Season 2 Budget | Horror Movie, DVD, & Book Reviews, News, Interviews at Dread Central

Speculation has been swirling as to why Frank Darabont stepped down as showrunner of AMC's "The Walking Dead": Was it creative differences? The budget the network was offering? Well, AMC President Charlie Collier spoke with Deadline today and did a bit of dancing around the issue. Read on for the details and tell us what you think he's saying.

Q: Did you cut the budget on "The Walking Dead" in Season 2?

Collier: If you look at pilot budgets vs. pattern budgets, usually the pilot budget is much higher than what ends up being the pattern budget. With "The Walking Dead", instead of doing a pilot, we went straight to 6 episodes because we believed in the team and the talent in front and behind the camera. Then we came back with a 13-episode second season, and amortization over 13 episodes is very different than over 6. But we settled into one of the highest pattern budgets for a basic cable series.

Q: So the overall budget for Season 2 is lower than Season 1 because of the amortization factor?

Collier: We went straight to series with the first season serving in many ways as a pilot, and then we have settled into a 13-episode pattern budget.

See what we mean? Dancing.
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Wow, is anyone else reminded of Martin Short on the 6o minutes Saturday Night Live sketch, smoking and sweating and twitching????
 
The ugly truth comes out about Darabont & The Walking Dead | CHUD.com

Holy crap. Check out this article in the Hollywood Reporter. It details the savage firing of Frank Darabont from the successful show he shepherded into production last year, AMC?s The Walking Dead. To summarize, he was fired for trying to fix an episode the network had deemed unfixable. Obviously, they waited to can him until after he had promoted the show at Comic Con. Ruthless. Also, the cast is terrified to say anything to the press for fear of getting sacked (it?s a zombie show, they are all expendable) and Darabont isn?t talking until his final settlement is negotiated.

Darabont isn?t known for keeping mum about things that p*ss him off, so expect the fine details to emerge eventually. What this means for the show is anyone?s guess, and I know a lot of people had problems with the first season, but I kind of doubt Darabont?s leadership was one of them. I can?t imagine a terrified cast (although it is a horror show) and a messy showrunner changeover like this will help, but who knows. I?m sure lots of crazy **** has gone down on shows before that didn?t interfere with the quality of the episodes. But still, this is a nasty bit of business, that?s for sure.

I?m going to go on record and say regardless of how it affects the show, this sucks. Boo AMC.
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Wow.
 
Wowza, Darabont Fired from Walking Dead? - ShockTillYouDrop.com

Everyone was a bit taken aback when news broke Frank Darabont departed The Walking Dead.

Some speculated he had a feature film coming up and he need to make time for that, but THR did some digging. According to the trade paper, Darabont was fired. The cast and crew were separately informed and, says THR, they're afraid to speak about the situation because AMC is being rather aggressive about keeping the firing under wraps.

THR says Darabont was fired after trying to salvage an episode in which the footage - from another director - was deemed unusable. More from THR's article: "What remains a central mystery, even to those closely involved, is what triggered AMC's move to fire Darabont. As noted, AMC's decision to cut the budget dated to the previous fall, when the network instructed Darabont to produce 13 episodes for a second season, up from six for the first season, for less money. Not only would the show get a lower budget, but AMC also decided that Walking Dead would no longer reap the benefit of a 30 percent tax credit per episode that came with filming in Georgia. Now the network was going to hold on to that money."

Is the show facing a financial crisis? Did AMC bite off more than it could chew? It's an interesting read, folks
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adgy-san said:
What the ****?

WHY???????
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Because AMC is clearly in over their heads. They are compounding this by making 'my way or the highway' type decisions. Too much success too soon...they need to take a page from Langraffs book over at Fx. That guy knows how to run a network.
 
jerseydevil said:
Because AMC is clearly in over their heads. They are compounding this by making 'my way or the highway' type decisions. Too much success too soon...they need to take a page from Langraffs book over at Fx. That guy knows how to run a network.
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Well, if that's the case then, I hate to say it, but **** them.
 
Totally agree with you JD and Adgy. Screw AMC. This ticks me off to no end. I knew there was more to this whole Darabont thing. There is no way that guy, with the raw love and enthusiasm he showed for the core material, was going to quit without a big deal. He obviously is waiting to get his final settlement before saying anything. I predict this won't end well for AMC. I hope they don't screw TWD up but I bet they will.

You are dead right JD. AMC is in WAY OVER THEIR HEADS! This is very interesting with all these others (Netflix, etal.) trying to get their own programming going.
 
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