Glen Mazzara, Former ‘Walking Dead’ Showrunner, In At Fox TV

Glen Mazzara, former showrunner for The Walking Dead, has found a new home at Fox TV Studios, Deadline reported on Thursday.

Mazzara launched 44 Strong Productions, named for the street where his office is located, to develop series specifically for Fox TV. He will also “shepherd” writers on their own shows.

The announcement is a reunion of sorts for Mazzara, who spent six seasons on Fox TV Studios’ very popular The Shield.

Fox TV president David Madden said Mazzara was “a huge part of that show’s success” in referencing the dearly departed crime-drama.

“Years later, Glen has become a lauded and expert showrunner, and after his extraordinary stint on The Walking Dead, we are proud to bring Glen back home,” Madden added.

Mazzara also released a statement, noting, “This is where I want to be, and I couldn’t ask for a better partner as I take the next step in my career.”

Mazzara has kept a cool head following his highly publicized departure from The Walking Dead over creative differences, unlike Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy creator) and Shawn Ryan, producer of The Shield, who both came out guns blazing when it was announced that Mazzara was essentially removed from the series.

“AMC is run by small-minded, bottom-line thinkers who have no appreciation or gratitude for the effort of its creative personnel. Time and time again we see events like what happened … with Glen Mazzara. They continue to disrespect writers, sh*t on their audience and bury their network,” said Sutter.

Ryan added, “With FX, Showtime, HBO, Starz, Cinemax, A&E, TNT and others to sell to, it’s a real question now why good show runners should sell to AMC.”

The Los Angeles Times noted that Scott Gimple will be taking over for Mazzara with the new season, which begins shooting in May for an October 2013 release.

As for Mazzara, he took the high road, calling his stint on the show “an amazing experience.”

“When you’re the creator, you can say, ‘This is what the show is,'” he explained. “I didn’t create the show. I didn’t create the comic book, so I’m just glad I was able to contribute.”

Are you excited about the Glen Mazzara Fox TV deal? Will you still be watching The Walking Dead under Scott Gimple?

[Image via Wikipedia Commons]