It's hard to hate AMC. After all, they're still the network that brings us Mad Men and Breaking Bad, two of the best dramas on television. But with The Walking Dead, they've really dropped the ball. Sam Witwer certainly feels that way. The Being Human star recently expressed his displeasure with the network over their firing of Frank Darabont -- and of their nixing of Darabont's fantastic idea for the second season premiere.
"[The cast and crew of The Walking Dead] have been threatened to not speak out [about Darabont's firing]," Witwer told ParanormalPopCulture.com. "I mean, it's ugly. I've heard some reports from people who are there, on the ground, and it's really, really ugly, what happened."
Witwer, who is friends with Darabont, also happened to share a little bit about the Walking Dead season 2 premiere that almost was -- a "prequel story about how Atlanta fell... Black Hawk Down with zombies." Witwer would have been the main character in the episode, reprising his role from the show's pilot -- the zombie in the tank.
Speaking to Ain't It Cool News, Darabont confirmed Witwer's story, revealing the awesome storyline for the episode, which would see a battalion of soldiers attempting to secure Atlanta "as communications break down, supply lines are lost, escape routes are cut off, morale falls apart, leadership unravels, mutinies heat up, etc."
And Witwer's character would be right at the forefront until his inevitable death in the tank from a zombie bite. "After the soldier dies this squalid, lonely death...and after a quiet lapse of time... we do a shot-for-shot reprise from the first episode of the first season," Darabont described. "Rick comes scrambling into the tank to escape the horde...blows that zombie soldier's brains out...now Rick's trapped...fade out...the end."
Darabont had this planned from the very first episode of The Walking Dead. He had more episodes planned that would be disconnected from the main narrative of Rick and the survivors, intended to give the show more of an "anthology" feel. AMC didn't like that, however, and according to Witwer, wanted to save "a few bucks" by chopping the show's budget by 35%.
It makes The Walking Dead season 2 feel even more like a tragedy, doesn't it? The season's had some shining moments, sure, but it's also had a meandering pace. I'm sure expenses entered into AMC's decisions a little bit, but why they refused to cooperate with Darabont is still a bit of a mystery. After all, Mad Men's Matthew Weiner gets what is essentially complete creative control over his series, which doesn't attract nearly the ratings that The Walking Dead does. And guess what? Mad Men's a creative and critical success.
If you can't tell, I'm personally a little frustrated and disappointed with the way that The Walking Dead is being strong-armed into mediocrity. But there's no use crying over spilt milk, it seems. Darabont's moving on to other things, and Witwer remains the star of the North American remake of Being Human, which returns for its second season on SyFy January 16.
The Walking Dead returns February 12 with the episode "Nebraska" on AMC.
Of all the things AMC did, i'm not mad about firing Darabont. The show was really slow…
It might be weird, but I actually like season 2 more. To be honest I enjoy all the psychological elements and storylines that base on relationships between characters even more than I'd enjoy seeing them fight for their lifes and saving the world. But I REALLY regret not seeing Sam Witwer in this episode that never happened, it would be awesome. I love Sam and I would most definitely love this episode.
But still, it's a good season and all the crap going on behind the curtain doesn't change it to me ;)
i would have really loved to see the atlanta scene. damn amc. now its just yap yap yap yap talk talk talk ahh zombie kill it ok yap yap yap talk talk talk drama drama drama. first season was edge of your seat whats gonna happen next. season 2 is just meh
Absolutely agree, I gave up two episodes into season 2. Just "for pity's sake SHUT UP with the existential boo hoo hooing" After awhile you start cheering for the zombies. Its even worse hearing about how good it could have been. The ratings should be dropping like zombies.
I've enjoyed both seasons. But AMC dealt a double blow to the series with the firing of FD and the budget cut. I would hate to watch it being 'strong-armed into mediocrity.' (Excellently put, by the way, Sam!) And the teaser about FD's original idea for the Season 2 premiere is just too bad.)
But we all know that beneath all the glitz and glamor, the business is pure crap. It's almost not worth getting too fond of any series – you just never know when the network/executives will dumb it down or destroy it completely with their power grabs, hubris, and just plain greed.
I honestly think that the whole soldier intro was a crap idea, not at all in sync with what the whole book and show is about, even Darabont wrote it off months before being fired. Seriously, if the showrunners were smart, they've have the gang stumble upon a nearly abandoned prison ward at the end of the season, and then everything'd be hunky dory, there rarely a dull moment after that in that comic. I don't understand the complaints either, the comics are almost universally praised and they move at nearly the same pace as the show. You learn about the characters, their motivations, how they survive in the world, how they cope with loss, its not about zombies, they are simply just an everpresent threat, but not the focus. The Walking Dead is the main characters themselves, as even Rick says in the comic. I've yet to become bored by this show, and I don't know how anyone can be when shit like NCIS and Law & Order are still on TV
Ive enjoyed both seasons, however season 2 is moving at an anemic pace. There’s a little show over on The CW called ‘The Vampire Diaries’ that covers more in one episode than ‘The Walking Dead’ covers in an entire season. And TVD does it better, too. I’m sad to read about what might have been for season 2. It sounds like it would’ve been fantastic. What a shame at what AMC did.