Many people might not know that The Walking Dead has experienced multiple shake ups behind the scenes. When the series was initially conceived, Frank Darabont himself was hugely responsible for getting it made. He was showrunner up until midway into the second season before AMC fired him after budget disputes. So basically AMC rewarded a successful television show by cutting back its resources. Another showrunner, Glen Mazzara, was hired as a replacement only to be fired shortly after. So in the span of only a couple years The Walking Dead has had 3 different showrunners, and this is no doubt a major cause of the wildly inconsistent nature of the show. The Walking Dead is the only show AMC completely owns the rights to, so theyve gotten their greedy mitts all over it. This makes for mediocre television because the creative forces behind the show arent allowed to express themselves without the network constantly looking over their shoulder. There are too many cooks in the kitchen, and if AMC doesnt like the way you are running their #1 show, they wont hesitate to get rid of you. This explains why The Walking Dead feels so artificial compared to even other AMC shows like Mad Men or Breaking Bad. More than those shows, The Walking Dead is made to appeal to and be consumed by as many people as possible. Each year it becomes more of a product used to sell toys, books, and crappy video game tie ins. Its too bad; in the hands of a network more confident in its content, The Walking Dead could be as bold and daring as it proclaims to be.
