has gotten terrific ratings for AMC and a quick renewal, as it heads into its season finale this weekend. But now comes word of a curious overhaul behind the scenes.

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. Deadline points out that Darabont fully wrote two episodes of the first season (and co-wrote or re-wrote the others) and that two of the others were written by non-staff writers, including Walking Dead comic book creator Robert Kirkman . They also note that Darabont would be using the same model employed by Torchwood, which has several writers working on episodes for the upcoming re-launch on Starz (including Buffy's Jane Espenson), but no full time writing staff.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.