Darabont just fired the Walking Dead writing staff.

[Bolo Boffin]

Yeah, seriously.

http://tv.ign.com/articles/113/1137550p1.html

Deadline is reporting that executive producer Frank Darabont has let go of the show's entire writing staff, including his number 2, Charles H. Eglee (Dexter, The Shield). As Deadline notes, many shows have some writer changes in-between seasons, but it's unusual for such a major overhaul.

In addition, Deadline says they hear Darabont wants to go forward into Season 2 without a set writing staff, instead assigning all scripts he doesn't write himself to freelancers....

One hurdle for Darabont to do this however may come in the form of the Writer's Guild. Torchwood -- which just added another Buffy alum, Kelly Manners, as a producer -- is coproduced by the BBC, who got the okay from the Writer's Guild to continue with their UK template.

I've heard great things about this show, but I haven't caught an episode yet because I heard about it late and I wanted to start from the beginning. But, wow, what a dick move.

[Silver Gaia]

1. WTF?

Way to ruin a hit show. I hope this is just a rumor.

[Mojambo]

2. It's really not that big a deal

Frankly, I'd rather see Darabont and Kirkman doing the majority of the writing anyway.

[ZombieHorde]

3. The show has strayed far off from the original story. nt

[dr.strangelove]

4. And they will continue to do so

They said from the beginning that this is not a TV version of the comics, its a new telling of the story. The basics for the characters are there, but results from any given situation may be different.

I hope the change in writing does not hurt the second season. The finale was very good.

[Silver Gaia]

5. Sounds like the initial reports may have been a bit inaccurate.

Here's an interview with Kirkman, who sets the record straight: http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/12/03/robert-kirkman-says-the-walking-dead-writers-werent-fired/

Judging from what Kirkman said, what basically happened was that Chic Eglee left the show. Darabont was going to leave after S1 and Eglee was going to become showrunner in S2. But Darabont decided he wanted to stay, so Eglee quit. And the rumor mill began to grind...

[Mojambo]

6. And Eglee has now moved on to be showrunner on Brian Michael Bendis's "Powers" on FX

Good result for both shows.