FX programming head takes his own jab at ‘The Walking Dead’

As it turns out, Kurt Sutter and Shawn Ryan are not the only people with FX connections (present or former) to be taking shots at AMC over their decision to part ways with “The Walking Dead” showrunner Glen Mazzara; the executive at the cable network are doing something rather similar.

Speaking to the press at the TCA press tour this past week, FX president John Landgraf made a pretty powerful argument as to the success of his shows, while also making a pretty strong case as to why showrunners in the future should choose his network rather than some of the other competitors out there. While he did not say “The Walking Dead” by name, it’s pretty clear just what he is talking about:

“We’ve never fired a showrunner. These shows are very personal, you can’t ‘plug and play.’ The author needs to complete the journey… What would The Shield have been had Shawn Ryan not written the final season?”

FX has some of the most dynamic showrunners in the business now, whether it be Graham Yost (“Justified”), Kurt Sutter (“Sons of Anarchy”) or even from the world of comedy Rob McElhenney (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”). All three of these shows have been on at least four years, and not one of them have even briefly considered a major changing of the guard. “The Shield” is arguably the cable program that got them on the map, and that was really the creation of Ryan. Sutter and Mazzara also played roles on the show over the course of its run, which probably explains why both they and FX are being quick to defend him against the likes of AMC so swiftly.

Want to read some more on what is coming up during Mazarra’s final “Walking Dead” episodes? If so, you can do so over at the link here.

Photo: FX