AMC has renewed The Walking Dead for a fourth season, but without the showrunner Glen Mazzara. The fan-favorite series wrapped its record-breaking fall run with a midseason finale on December 2 that drew an impressive 10.5 million total viewers, much better than last year's fall finale.
Brought in during the beginning of the second season as executive producer under series creator and previous showrunner Frank Darabont, Mazzara is largely credited for the recent success of the show. In a joint statement, AMC and Mazzara said, “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.”
Deadline Hollywood reports that AMC seems to have a history of contentious relationships with its showrunners and executive producers. Frank Darabont left The Walking Dead abruptly at the beginning of the 2nd season, Rubicon creator Jason Horwitch left the show during production of the first season, and Hell on Wheels showrunner John Shiban called it quits after two seasons. Also, we all remember the heated renegotiations with Mad Men's Matt Weiner and Breaking Bad's Vince Gilligan.
Meanwhile, the basic cable channel is quietly making history with the success of its shows. The series premiere of The Walking Dead on October 14 is the most successful program on broadcast or cable this fall among adults aged 18 to 49. The series also boasts the best average ratings this fall in the same demographic on cable or broadcast.
The Walking Dead's third season will return on AMC for its second half on February 10.
