'Walking Dead' will continue to credit Frank Darabont as executive producer

Published Sep 13 2011, 08:51 BST  |  By Hugh Armitage

Frank Darabont will still receive an executive producer credit on The Walking Dead.

The creators of the television series discussed the departure of the show's frontrunner at the premiere of the first episode of season two, reports Comic Book Resources.

"I think there's been all this concern that I'm going to f**k up the show," Glen Mazzara, Darabont's replacement and former deputy said.

"I believe in Frank, Frank's a talented individual. I think he's a terrific guy who was a mensch to me and I really loved working with him. I think part of the reason we've had such a smooth transition is that it's a fully articulated world, both coming from the comic and what Frank and everybody here has been able to put on screen.

"There's no plan to deviate from what we worked out, there's no different vision of the show."

Mazzara and Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman declined to discuss the details of Darabont's sudden firing from his position on the show.

Mazzara said that the cast were upset by the departure of the "big daddy figure".

"I just spoke to them honestly and said, at some point, there's going to be material that's going to feel different," he said.

"I think the show would feel inauthentic if I tried to mimic Frank's voice. I'm not Frank Darabont. I shouldn't try to be and I think that would hurt the show."

The Walking Dead will return to AMC in the US and FX in the UK in October with a double-length opening episode.

Watch a trailer for season two of The Walking Dead below: