Recently, Frank Darabont(The Shawshank Redemption) the man who brought Robert Kirkman's "Walking Dead" to AMC TV was rumored to have stepped down from the show that he heralded to the highest ratings in AMC's broadcast history for original programming. But now it has been revealed that he was fired from the show. The cause for this shake up seems to be due to Matthew Weiner's fight for "Mad Men's bigger budget. Is this leaner budget the death rattle of "Walking Dead"? Should this budge cut matter?
"Mad Men" has been on longer, and in my opinion is a better show. Character development, design, and overall feel, it's the successor to HBO's "The Sopranos" considered one of the best TV shows ever. I think "Mad Men" is better than "The Sopranos". Mad Men costs between $2 Million and $2.5 Million to make, and it shows up on the screen. As for "Walking Dead" it costs about the same as Mad Men to make.
Well after Matthew Weiner won his argument to get Mad Men to keep it's budget the cuts had to be made somewhere, that somewhere was both the Walking Dead and Breaking Bad(In full disclosure I watched Breaking Bad's first two seasons but hated everyone except for Walter, I wished his wife, and son would be executed Gangland style), and reportedly Walking Dead was cut by $650 Thousand Dollars, at which point Darabont wasn't going to take it any more. Well not many details have creeped out from the dispute between Darabont and AMC execs but it's clear that AMC doesn't feel that it needs Darabont to keep the show going. I tend to agree with AMC.
That'd put Walking dead a little shy of $1.5 Million an episode, and I think that is more than enough to do great zombie TV. You don't need to have millions and millions of dollars for a character piece. Which is what both Walking Dead the comic book, and TV series is all about. George A. Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" thought of as his best work(my favorite is "Day of the Dead") was made in 1978 for $500,000. In today's money that would be about $1.5 Million. See where I am coming from?
If you have a positive and truly creative force behind it, they can do a Walking Dead TV series on a leaner budget. To me it all comes down to preference. I like Mad Men more than both Walking Dead, Breaking Bad and The Killing(which I never got past the first 5 minutes of the Pilot episode). I want to see what happens to Peggy(even though the actress that play's her is a Scientologist, I don't like Scientologists), what happens to Sally Draper, what will happen to Don, a pregnant Joan and her mothering abilities, so on and so forth.
In the end the short, and slow Season One of the Walking Dead didn't get me psyched for Season Two. Maybe if (SPOILERS) Shane was shot by Carl, or they made it to the prison I'd be more pyched, that was my favorite part of the comic. (END SPOILERS) I will probably check out Season Two Walking Dead but as of right now I look more forward to season Five of Mad Men.
Come back Don, and crew, I miss you.
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