"The Walking Dead" executive producer Scott Gimple will become "The Walking Dead's" third showrunner following the departure of Glen Mazzara after season three.

Less than a month after showrunner Glen Mazzara announced he won't be returning for the fourth season of "The Walking Dead," The Live Feed reports AMC has named executive producer Scott Gimple to replace him. He will become the hit drama's third showrunner.

A veteran of NBC's "Life" and ABC's "FlashForward," and a screenwriter of "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance," Gimple joined "The Walking Dead" during Season 2, penning such episodes as "Save the Last One," "Pretty Much Dead Already" and, more recently, "Hounded." When Mazzara was named showrunner in late July 2011, following the surprise firing of series developer Frank Darabont, he named Gimple as his No. 2.

Mazzara, who will oversee post-production on the second half of Season 3, parted ways with AMC over what the network characterized as "a difference of opinion about where the show should be going forward." However, The Hollywood Reporter later quoted a source who contends Mazzara's shortcoming as showrunner became "abundantly clear" as the season progressed, with production shutting down "several times" because of a lack of material. Still other "insiders" pointed to producer Robert Kirkman as a chief reason for Mazzara's ouster, a charge the comic writer refutes.

"The Walking Dead" returns from its midseason hiatus Sunday, Feb. 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on AMC.