The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic horror television series developed by Frank Darabont for AMC that is based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. Andrew Lincoln plays the show's lead character, sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma discovering a world overrun by zombies, commonly referred to as "walkers". Grimes reunites with his family and becomes the leader of a group he forms with other survivors. Together they struggle to survive and adapt in a post-apocalyptic world filled with walkers and opposing groups of survivors, who are often more dangerous than the walkers themselves. Much of the series takes place in and around Atlanta, Georgia, and later Alexandria, Virginia.
The Walking Dead premiered in the United States on October 31, 2010, exclusively shown on cable television channel AMC and internationally on Fox International Channels. As a result of very favorable Nielsen ratings that rank the show unprecedentedly high for a cable series, AMC has renewed the series each year. Beginning with its third season, The Walking Dead has attracted the most 18 to 49-year-old viewers of any cable or broadcast television series. Its eighth season debuted on October 22, 2017, and it has been renewed for a ninth season to debut in October 2018. The series has been well received by critics and nominated for several awards, including the Writers Guild of America Award for New Series and the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series â€" Drama. An AMC spin-off series, Fear the Walking Dead, debuted on August 23, 2015.
Series overview
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The Walking Dead takes place after the onset of a worldwide zombie apocalypse. The zombies, colloquially referred to as "walkers", shamble towards living humans and other creatures to eat them; they are attracted to noise, such as gunshots, and to different scents, e.g. humans. Although it initially seems that only humans that are bitten or scratched by walkers can turn into other walkers, it is revealed early in the series that all living humans carry the pathogen responsible for the mutation. The mutation is activated after the death of the pathogen's host, and the only way to permanently kill a walker is to damage its brain or otherwise fully destroy the body, such as by cremating it.
The series centers on sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes, who wakes up from a coma to discover this apocalypse. He becomes the leader of a group of survivors from the Atlanta, Georgia region as they attempt to sustain themselves and protect themselves not only against attacks by walkers but by other groups of survivors willing to assure their longevity by any means necessary.
Season 1 (2010)
Sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes wakes from a coma discovering a world overrun by zombies. After befriending Morgan Jones, Rick travels alone to Atlanta to find his wife Lori, his son, Carl, and his police partner, Shane Walsh, encountering other survivors. The group travels to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), but find from the sole remaining CDC member that no cure exists for the epidemic.
Season 2 (2011â€"12)
Traveling from Atlanta, Rick's group takes shelter at Hershel Greene's farm while they search for Carol's missing daughter, Sophia. Tensions between Rick's group and Hershel's family worsen after it is discovered that Hershel has kept friends and family turned into zombies, including Sophia, in his barn. Shane and Rick's friendship becomes increasingly unhinged when Lori reveals that she is pregnant, and Rick is forced to kill Shane in self-defense. Carl then shoots Shane in the head after he reanimates. The noise draws zombies, forcing Rick's group and Hershel's surviving family to evacuate the farm.
Season 3 (2012â€"13)
Eight months after fleeing Hershel's farm, Rick's group finds a prison, which they clear of zombies to make their new home. Lori dies in childbirth, and Rick becomes withdrawn. Meanwhile, Andrea is rescued by Michonne and the two discover Woodbury, a fortified town led by a man known as the Governor. He learns of Rick's group at the prison, leading to conflict between them. Rick's group eventually raids and destroys Woodbury, but the Governor has Andrea ultimately killed and escapes. Woodbury's citizens live with Rick’s group at the prison.
Season 4 (2013â€"14)
Several months after the Governor's attack, a deadly flu kills many of the population at the prison. The Governor finds his former right-hand men and kills them, taking over their group and destroys the prison. Rick's group are forced to separate and flee, but not before Hershel and the Governor are killed. The survivors divide, face their own trials and meet new faces before finding signs pointing to a safe haven called Terminus. One by one, they reunite at Terminus, but all the group are captured for some unknown purpose.
Season 5 (2014â€"15)
Rick discovers the residents of Terminus engage in cannibalism, but the group manage to destroy Terminus and reunite. Some are injured and kidnapped to Grady, a hospital run by corrupt cops and doctors. When the remaining survivors regroup, they are approached by Aaron, inviting them to join a fortified community called Alexandria. They are initially welcomed, but Rick's group realize the residents have not faced the zombie threat directly. Morgan, who has been searching for Rick, arrives and is shocked to see Rick killing an Alexandrian, who has been abusing his wife, in anger.
Season 6 (2015â€"16)
The residents of Alexandria put more trust in Rick's group to protect the town better. A group known as the Wolves use a zombie horde to attack Alexandria, and many lives are lost before the living regain control. While recovering, they learn of a community called the Hilltop, who offer to help trade supplies if they can end the threat of the extortionist Saviors led by a man named Negan. Although Rick's group decimate one Savior outpost, they are later caught by Negan, and forced to swear loyalty to him.
Season 7 (2016â€"17)
Negan murders Glenn and Abraham to coerce Rick's loyalty. Rick initially submits, but Michonne persuades him to fight back, and recruits a community called the Scavengers for help. Meanwhile, Rosita and Eugene make a bullet to kill Negan. When this fails, Negan forcibly recruits Eugene as a Savior. Separately, Carol and Morgan befriend Ezekiel of the Kingdom, another community, while Maggie and Sasha rally the Hilltop. Negan, the Saviors and the turncoat Scavengers attack Alexandria, but it is repelled by Sasha's sacrifice and the aid of Kingdom and Hilltop soldiers.
Season 8 (2017â€"18)
Rick, Maggie, and Ezekiel rally their communities into war against Negan and the Saviors. Losses are heavy on both sides: many of the Kingdom soldiers are killed, Alexandria falls to a Savior attack, and Carl is bitten by a walker. Before euthanizing himself, Carl convinces Rick to end the war and restart society anew. Negan attempts to wipe out Rick and his allies, but Eugene disrupts his plan and his neck is slit by Rick. Against Maggie’s wishes, Negan is spared and imprisoned, ending the war.
Season 9
In January 2018, the series was renewed for a ninth season, which is planned to premiere in October 2018. It was announced that showrunner Scott Gimple would be promoted to Chief Content Officer for both The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, while current writer and co-executive producer Angela Kang would take Gimple's role for The Walking Dead. Most of the cast's contracts had to be renewed for the ninth season and beyond, and most of the cast did re-sign; the notable exception is Lauren Cohan who plays Maggie Greene. Cohan had sought a pay increase from AMC given her high demand from other networks; while she had signed onto star in a new series for the ABC network, this contract would still enable her to participate on The Walking Dead in a limited role. In April, Cohan confirmed she signed on for the ninth season but only for 6 episodes.
Work on the ninth season's production started in March 2018, following the conclusion of editing of the eighth-season finale. In May 2018, it was reported that the ninth season will be the final season for Andrew Lincoln, who plays lead character Rick Grimes.
Kang stated that the season will include a timeskip, which coincides with the comic's narrative after the "All Out War" arc. She stated that they were aiming to give the show a "fresh look and feel", and "focusing a lot on the core character relationships in the show that have kind of been long-lasting, as well as all of our wonderful series regulars".
Future seasons
Executive producer David Alpert said in 2014 that the original comics have given them enough ideas for Rick Grimes and company over the next seven years. "I happen to love working from source material, specifically because we have a pretty good idea of what Season 10 is gonna be", Alpert said. "We know where seasons 11 and 12 [will be]... we have benchmarks and milestones for those seasons if we're lucky enough to get there."
Cast and characters
The list below contains those that have been credited within the show's title sequence and those who are credited as "also starring". Recurring and guest stars are listed on the individual season pages.
- Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes: The series' protagonist and a former sheriff's deputy, who is the leader of the main group of survivors. He becomes a more cold and calculating leader over the course of the series.
- Jon Bernthal as Shane Walsh: Rick's former police partner and close friend. (seasons 1â€"2; special guest star season 3)
- Sarah Wayne Callies as Lori Grimes: Rick's wife, who has an affair with Shane when she believes Rick is dead. (seasons 1â€"3)
- Laurie Holden as Andrea: A former civil rights attorney and member of the original Atlanta group of survivors. (seasons 1â€"3)
- Jeffrey DeMunn as Dale Horvath: An older member of the group, who owns the RV with which the group travels. He is often the voice of reason within the group. (seasons 1â€"2)
- Steven Yeun as Glenn Rhee: A former pizza delivery boy, who saves Rick's life. He begins a relationship with Maggie Greene, and over the course of the series, becomes an integral member of the group. (seasons 1â€"7)
- Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes: Rick and Lori's young son, who is forced to mature and learn to survive in the deadly new world. (seasons 1â€"8)
- Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon: The group's primary hunter, who becomes a key member of the group. (season 2â€"present; recurring season 1)
- Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier: Originally a meek housewife, she overcomes domestic abuse to become a strong and empowered woman capable of making difficult decisions. (season 2â€"present; recurring season 1)
- Lauren Cohan as Maggie Greene: The eldest daughter of the Greene family and who begins a relationship with Glenn. (season 3â€"present; recurring season 2)
- Danai Gurira as Michonne: A katana-wielding, quiet, but fierce woman who joins Rick's group. (season 3â€"present)
- Michael Rooker as Merle Dixon: Daryl's racist and volatile older brother. In season three, he is the right-hand man to the Governor. (season 3; guest seasons 1â€"2)
- David Morrissey as The Governor: The antagonistic leader of the town of Woodbury. He is ruthless, paranoid, and dangerous. (seasons 3â€"4; special guest star season 5)
- Scott Wilson as Hershel Greene: A veterinarian and farmer, who maintains his faith and acts as the group's primary moral compass. (seasons 3â€"4; recurring season 2)
- Emily Kinney as Beth Greene: A soft-spoken teenage girl, Hershel's younger daughter, and Maggie's younger half-sister. (seasons 4â€"5; recurring seasons 2â€"3)
- Chad L. Coleman as Tyreese Williams: Tough and compassionate, he places an emphasis on moral reasoning. He struggles to cope with the immoral nature of some of the group's survival tactics and finds it difficult to kill in defense of the group. (seasons 4â€"5; recurring season 3)
- Sonequa Martin-Green as Sasha Williams: Tyreese's fiery younger sister and a former firefighter, who is the group's sharpshooter. After several personal losses, she suffers from PTSD. (seasons 4â€"7; recurring season 3)
- Lawrence Gilliard Jr. as Bob Stookey: A former army medic and recovering alcoholic, who develops a close relationship with Sasha. (seasons 4â€"5)
- Michael Cudlitz as Abraham Ford: A former military sergeant, who is on a mission to bring a survivor to Washington, D.C., to find a cure for the walker virus. (seasons 5â€"7; recurring season 4)
- Alanna Masterson as Tara Chambler: A former police academy student and ally of the Governor's before joining Rick's group. She serves as a primary supply runner. (season 5â€"present; recurring season 4)
- Josh McDermitt as Eugene Porter: A man who claims to know a cure for the walker virus. He is weak and inefficient when dealing with walkers, but is very smart. (season 5â€"present; recurring season 4)
- Christian Serratos as Rosita Espinosa: A tough, focused, and a very capable survivor and also Abraham's girlfriend. (season 5â€"present; recurring season 4)
- Andrew J. West as Gareth: The cannibalistic leader of Terminus, who captures and coerces Rick's group into submission. (season 5; guest season 4)
- Seth Gilliam as Gabriel Stokes: A priest, who joins Rick's group. He lacks experience of walkers and struggles with his faith in the new world. (season 5â€"present)
- Lennie James as Morgan Jones: The first survivor Rick encounters in season one. After suffering a psychological break, he comes to peace with the world around him. (seasons 6â€"8; recurring season 5; special guest star season 3; guest season 1)
- Ross Marquand as Aaron: An Alexandrian recruiter, who brings Rick's group to Alexandria. (season 6â€"present; recurring season 5)
- Tovah Feldshuh as Deanna Monroe: A former Congresswoman and leader of Alexandria. (season 6; recurring season 5)
- Alexandra Breckenridge as Jessie Anderson: An Alexandria resident, who develops a relationship with Rick. (season 6; recurring season 5)
- Austin Nichols as Spencer Monroe: Deanna's son and a guard of Alexandria. (seasons 6â€"7; recurring season 5)
- Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan: The psychopathic leader of the Saviors that he rules in tyranny. (season 7â€"present; special guest star season 6)
- Austin Amelio as Dwight: A ruthless and reluctant member of the Saviors. (season 7â€"present; recurring season 6)
- Tom Payne as Paul "Jesus" Rovia: A member and scout for the Hilltop Colony. (season 7â€"present; recurring season 6)
- Xander Berkeley as Gregory: The selfish and arrogant leader of the Hilltop Colony. (season 7â€"present; guest season 6)
- Katelyn Nacon as Enid: An isolated teenager in Alexandria, who forms a bond with Carl. (season 8â€"present; recurring seasons 6â€"7; guest season 5)
- Khary Payton as Ezekiel: The "king" of a community known as the Kingdom. (season 8â€"present; recurring season 7)
- Steven Ogg as Simon: A high-ranking member of the Saviors, serving as Negan's right-hand man. (season 8; recurring season 7; guest season 6)
- Pollyanna McIntosh as Jadis: The impassive leader of the Scavengers. (season 8â€"present; recurring season 7)
Darabont connections
The series features several actors whom Walking Dead developer Frank Darabont has worked with previously, including Laurie Holden (Andrea), Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale Horvath), Melissa McBride (Carol Peletier), Sam Witwer (the dead soldier in the tank where Rick hides in "Days Gone Bye"), and Juan Pareja (Morales). All five appeared in his 2007 film The Mist, along with Thomas Jane, who originally was set to star in the series when it was pitched to HBO. Jane was later in talks with Darabont to possibly guest star on the series as of fall 2010, but with Darabont's departure, it is unknown whether the guest spot will happen or not. Laurie Holden also appeared in the 2001 film The Majestic (as Adele Stanton, Jim Carrey's character's love interest), which Darabont directed. DeMunn has also appeared in several of Darabont's films; in addition to The Mist and The Majestic, he appeared in The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and The Green Mile (1999). It was planned that Witwer (Private Jessup in Darabont's The Mist) would reprise his "Days Gone Bye" role in the original conception of The Walking Dead's season two premiere and in a webisode, but both plans were discarded.
Production
Development
On January 20, 2010, AMC officially announced that it had ordered a pilot for a possible series adapted from The Walking Dead comic book series, with Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd acting as executive producers and Darabont writing and directing. The entire series was pre-ordered based just on the strength of the source material, the television scripts, and Darabont's involvement. In January 2010 a review of the pilot episode's script attracted further attention. The pilot began filming in Atlanta, Georgia on May 15, 2010 after AMC had officially ordered a six episode first season. The series' remaining episodes began filming on June 2, 2010 with Darabont serving as showrunner. On August 31, 2010, Darabont reported that The Walking Dead had been picked up for a second season, with production to begin in February 2011. On November 8, 2010, AMC confirmed that there would be a second season consisting of 13 episodes. He would also like to include some of the "environmental elements" that take place during Volume 2 of Kirkman's book.
Crew
The first season writing staff consisted of series developer and executive producer Frank Darabont (who wrote/co-wrote four of the six episodes), executive producer Charles H. Eglee, executive producer and creator of the comic book Robert Kirkman, co-executive producer Jack LoGiudice, consulting producer Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara, all of whom contributed to one episode each. Along with Darabont, who directed the pilot episode, the remaining five were directed by Michelle MacLaren, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Johan Renck, Ernest Dickerson and Guy Ferland.
On December 1, 2010, Deadline Hollywood reported that Darabont had fired his writing staff, including executive producer Charles "Chic" Eglee, and planned to use freelance writers for the second season. Kirkman called the announcement "premature" and clarified that Eglee left to pursue other projects when Darabont decided to stay on as showrunner, and no definitive plans had been made regarding the writing staff for season two.
[Chic Eglee] was brought onto The Walking Dead with the idea that Frank was going to work on the first season and then go off and do movies [...] Chic didn't want to be second-in-command on a show when he's used to being a top dog, and so he decided to go off and do something else, which is something that happens and is not a big deal.
On December 3, 2010, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, executive producer Gale Anne Hurd commented: "It's completely inaccurate. [In] the writers' room, there are people that have set up other projects that will be their first priority if their own series is picked up as a pilot or if it's a series. I think [Eglee] just decided that he wants to run his own show." She revealed that it would be likely for the show to return in October 2011, as Darabont and Kirkman planned on mapping out the next season early in 2011. She also confirmed that, "every one of the principal cast is signed up for multiple seasons." In July 2011, series developer and showrunner Frank Darabont stepped down from his position as showrunner for the series, over unclear circumstances (see Lawsuit below).
Executive producer Glen Mazzara was appointed the new showrunner in Darabont's place. New writers joined the writing staff in the second season, including co-executive producer Evan Reilly, producer Scott M. Gimple, story editor Angela Kang, and David Leslie Johnson. New writers in the third season included producers Nichole Beattie and Sang Kyu Kim, with Frank Renzulli contributing a freelance script.
After the conclusion of the third season, Glen Mazzara stepped down from his position as showrunner and executive producer for the series, per a mutual agreement between Mazzara and AMC. The press release read, "Both parties acknowledge that there is a difference of opinion about where the show should go moving forward, and conclude that it is best to part ways." Scott M. Gimple succeeded Mazzara as showrunner for season four, with new writers joining the writing staff, such as Curtis Gwinn, Channing Powell, and Matt Negrete. In January 2018, it was announced that, upon Gimple's promotion to the newly created position of Chief Content Officer of the entire Walking Dead franchise, that Angela Kang would replace him as showrunner beginning with the forthcoming ninth season.
Writing
The television series generally tends to follow Kirkman's comic series across major characters and plots; for instance, events of the premiere episode of the seventh season correlate to events in issue #100 of the comics. The show does not attempt to go step-by-step with the comics, and has leeway in the narrative. In particular, the show's writers, along with Kirkman, often "transfer" how a character has died in the comics to a different character in the show. For example, in the fourth season, where Hershel Greene is beheaded by The Governor in the standoff with Rick's group at the prison; in the comic, Tyreese is the one who receives this fate. Some of the television characters, like Carol, have far outlived their comic counterpart, while others that have already been killed off, like Sophia and Andrea, remained alive for some time in the ongoing comic series. In addition, the writers have included characters wholly novel to the series such as Daryl Dixon, which producer Gale Anne Hurd says helps to create a new dynamic for the show, and keeps the audience guessing from what had already been established in the comic series.
Music
Bear McCreary was hired to compose the score for the series. McCreary stated that the main theme was based on his viewing of production designs for the opening title sequence. Instead of doing a full theme song as with his earlier works, McCreary chose to use a simple, repeating motif from the strings section.
It repeats over and over, and in fact in the pilot episode, you start hearing it before the main title begins, and this is something that continues episode to episode. You hear the main title music before the main title begins, so you know it's coming. That, to me, was the little hook â€" that little thing that, whenever you hear it, it takes you to the series.
Soundtracks
Four soundtracks for The Walking Dead have been released to date. The Walking Dead: AMC Original Soundtrack, Vol. 1 was released on March 17, 2013. The second volume was released on March 25, 2014. Songs of Survival is a soundtrack for the third season and it was released on August 27, 2013, by Republic Records as a Walmart exclusive for the special edition release of the third season. Songs of Survival, Vol. 2 is a soundtrack for the fourth season and it was released on August 26, 2014, by Republic Records as a Walmart exclusive of the fourth season release.
Makeup
Greg Nicotero is an executive producer and the key special effects makeup artist on the series. Each walker is put through "zombie school" and is taught how to move like zombies. There are three levels of zombie makeup: Hero, Midground, and Deep Background. Hero zombies are featured walkers and are completely made over from head to toe. Midground zombies get highlights and shadows on the face, but do not get close enough to the camera to require full makeup. Deep background zombies often wear masks and are only meant to be used as a backdrop.
Filming
The Walking Dead is mostly filmed in Georgia. Since 2002, the state has offered a tax incentive for large film productions to drive producers to the state and bolster its economy.
The first season was filmed primary in Atlanta, though required a great deal of coordination with the city to shut down streets and parks for film. Production for subsequent seasons moved mainly to Riverwood Studios (doing business as Raleigh Studios Atlanta), a plot of land approximately 120 acres (0.49Â km2) outside of Senoia, Georgia. Some existing buildings were used here, such as a subdivision that is used by several families that serves as the Alexandria Safe-Zone, while other buildings are constructed as sets, such as the exterior shots of the main Hilltop mansion, the trash heaps used by the Scavengers, or Father Gabriel's church. Sets are torn down when no longer needed; the church, after its use in the fifth season, was removed and its spot used for the iconic setting for the first meeting between Rick's group and Negan in the seventh season. The property includes sound stages constructed for interior shots, which then may be reused; the interior sets for the prison during the third season were reused to serve as the buildings and sets for the Savior's Sanctuary in the seventh season. In July 2017, AMC purchased the studio lot from Riverwood for $8.25 million.
Some scenes are shot outside of the studio. Woodbury, during the third season, was filmed in downtown Senoia. Other exceptions include the Kingdom, which is filmed at the former military base Fort McPherson, now converted to studios for Tyler Perry.
The series is completely shot on 16 mm film. David Tattersall was the director of photography for the pilot episode with David Boyd as the director of photography on the remainder of the episodes. Production design is done by Greg Melton and Alex Hajdu. The effects team includes veteran special effects makeup designers Greg Nicotero and Toby Sells, special effects coordinator Darrell Pritchett, and visual effects supervisors Sam Nicholson and Jason Sperling.
Marketing
The Walking Dead debuted during the same week in 120 countries. As part of an expansive campaign to advertise and heighten anticipation for the premiere, AMC and Fox International Channels coordinated a worldwide zombie invasion event on October 26, 2010. The stunt involved invading 26 major cities within a 24-hour period, starting with Taipei and Hong Kong, and ending in Los Angeles for the U.S. premiere.
The show's official website released, just prior to the San Diego Comic-Con in 2010, a motion comic based on Issue No. 1 of the original comic and voiced by Phil LaMarr. The site also posted a making-of documentary primarily about the first episode, as well as a number of other behind-the-scenes videos and interviews. In the documentary, comic series creator and show executive producer Robert Kirkman as well as artist Charlie Adlard say they are pleased with how faithful the show is to the comic and remark on the similarities between the actors and the comic's original character drawings.
Action figures of characters from the series were created for release in November 2011 and have continued throughout the years with eight line-ups. The figures, which are manufactured by McFarlane Toys, are designed to resemble the actors on the series. Figures created to resemble the characters as drawn in the comic book were released in September 2011.
Green initiatives
With a primary objective of reducing the environmental impacts of film and television productions, including The Walking Dead, producer Gale Anne Hurd has directed the cast, crew, production team, suppliers, and bloggers about her shows to adopt the Doddle app to make the production almost paper-free; this works by digitally transmitting interactive call sheets and other intra-team and team-supplier communications (such as directions, images, menus, and updates) to people's cell phones and tablets. Hurd said of using Doddle: in addition to conserving paper, "It's also easier, and it's better for security. People are less likely to leave their smartphone or tablet lying around for someone else to pick up."
Hurd describes additional steps taken to increase efficiency and cut production costs: "If you use vehicles that get better gas mileage, that are electric or hybrids, you're going to pay a lot less in fuel. If you use compact fluorescent bulbs, you're going to save a lot of money in utilities. If you recycle even your own sets, and use them again, that's going to save money. You don't have to buy new lumber. So there are cost savings, absolutely." Additionally, the production team aims to reduce vehicle idling, which decreases carbon dioxide emissions.
Hurd also cuts down on plastic waste by personally using a refillable, stainless steel EcoUsable water bottle and promoting its use among her colleagues. She shared: "on a lot of my projects I give them as crew gifts before we start production, and have water stations available, but you can't force people to use them."
Franchise and spin-offs
Webisodes
To date, four web series based on The Walking Dead have been released via AMC's websiteâ€"Torn Apart (2011), Cold Storage (2012), The Oath (2013) and Red Machete (2017).
Motion comic
In 2011, AMC debuted an animated comic book version of The Walking Dead novel's beginning, featuring the voice of actor Phil LaMarr.
Talking Dead
A live after-show titled Talking Dead premiered on AMC on October 16, 2011, following the encore presentation of The Walking Dead's season two premiere. Talking Dead features host Chris Hardwick discussing the latest episode with fans, actors, and producers of The Walking Dead.
Fear the Walking Dead
Fear the Walking Dead is a companion series to The Walking Dead, developed by AMC. AMC started development of the show around September 2013 and committed to a two-season broadcast by March 2015. Fear the Walking Dead was first broadcast on August 23 2015.
Fear the Walking Dead features a different set of characters, developed by Kirkman. The series starts at the onset of the zombie apocalypse, and follows several people that escape Los Angeles as the military attempts to quarantine the city, and seek refuge along the west coast of the United States and Mexico. The fourth season of Fear the Walking Dead will feature a crossover with The Walking Dead, specifically through the character Morgan Jones (played by Lennie James) during events between the first and second season of The Walking Dead.
Parodies and spoofs
Due to its popularity, The Walking Dead has inspired dozens of parodies and spoofs featured on YouTube channels like Bad Lip Reading and TV shows such as Saturday Night Live and Mad TV. Bad Lip Reading made a widely viewed parody involving Rick and the Governor, entitled "La-Bibbida-Bibba-Dum". The series' cast was shown the parody at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2013, and David Morrisseyâ€"who portrays the Governorâ€" reacted by saying he now understood why so many people would walk up to him on the street and blurt, "Hey, La-Bibbida-Bibba-Dum!". Until seeing the video, he had wondered, "what's wrong with these people?" The Walking Dead has also been represented as a live comedy performance by English comedian Dan Willis at the Edinburgh Festival.
Release
Scenes from the pilot were screened July 23, 2010, as part of the San Diego Comic-Con in 2010. It premiered on AMC on October 31, 2010, and premiered internationally on Fox International Channels during the first week of November. Almost two weeks before the official premiere on AMC, the pilot episode leaked online.
International broadcast rights for the show were sold and announced on June 14, 2010. The show airs on Fox International Channels in 126 countries in 33 languages. The fifth season debuted its first part on October 13, 2014. The second part premiered on February 9, 2015.
Home media
The first season DVD and Blu-ray was released on March 8, 2011. A three-disc special edition of the first seasonâ€"featuring new featurettes and audio commentariesâ€"was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 4, 2011. The European versions of the first season DVD and Blu-ray are edited for gore, with cuts to episode two ("Guts"), episode three ("Tell It to the Frogs"), episode four ("Vatos") and episode five ("Wildfire"). Until eOne/WVG re-released the first season in D-A-CH in a Special Uncut Version on DVD and Blu-ray on May 31, 2013.
The second season DVD and Blu-ray was released on August 28, 2012. It was also released as a limited edition Blu-ray, packaged as a miniature zombie head designed by McFarlane Toys. Special features include audio commentaries, deleted scenes, webisodes, and several featurettes.
The third season DVD and Blu-ray was released on August 27, 2013. It was also released as a limited edition Blu-ray, packaged as a miniature version of the Governor's zombie head aquarium tank designed by Greg Nicotero and sculpted by McFarlane Toys. Special features include audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and several featurettes.
The fourth season DVD and Blu-ray was released on August 26, 2014. It was also released as a limited edition Blu-ray, packaged with a tree-walker designed by McFarlane Toys. Special features include audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and several featurettes, as well as extended episodes which are exclusive to the Blu-ray.
The fifth season was released on August 25, 2015, the sixth season on August 23, 2016, the seventh season on August 22, 2017, and the eighth season on August 21, 2018.
Syndication
MyNetworkTV acquired the broadcast syndication rights to the series, premiering on October 1, 2014. The version that airs on MyNetworkTV is edited to meet broadcast television standards.
Reception
Critical reception
All seasons of The Walking Dead have been well reviewed by recognized critics, with an 89% approval rating for the series to date on Rotten Tomatoes. For the first season, 24 Rotten Tomatoes critics gave it a positive review, with an average score of 7.49/10. That site's consensus states, "Blood-spattered, emotionally resonant, and white-knuckle intense, The Walking Dead puts an intelligent spin on the overcrowded zombie subgenre." Metacritic scored the first season 82/100 based on 25 critic reviews, 23 of which were positive, two mixed, and none negative. Heather Havrilesky of Salon.com included the show on their list of 9 new TV shows not to miss, giving it a grade of "A", with the author saying, "A film-quality drama series about zombies? Somebody pinch me!"
For the second season, 83% of 22 critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes were positive, with an average score of 8.09/10. The site's consensus states, "The second season of The Walking Dead fleshes out the characters while maintaining the grueling tension and gore that made the show a hit." Of 22 Metacritic critic reviews, 18 were positive, four were mixed, and none were negative; their average score was 80/100. Early criticism of the show focused on the slow pace of the second season, particularly the first half. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly, described the series as "a nighttime soap", comparing it to "a parody of a Samuel Beckett play" that had very little sense of direction and few appearances of walkers. Nate Rawlings of Time's online entertainment section noted that "the pace during the first half of this season has been brutally slow. [...] They've tried to develop individual characters, but each subplot meant to add a layer to a character has been quickly resolved." Later reviews from other critics, such as Scott Wampler of Collider.com, recognized the increased quality of the second half, stating it "seemed far more intense, more interesting, better written". Recognizing the overall season, Kevin Yeoman of Screen Rant offered praise saying "the writers succeeded in unshackling themselves from the intermittent monotony brought about by the serial nature of the show".
The third season had 89% of Rotten Tomatoes' 32 critics giving it a positive review, with an average score of 8.12/10. The site's consensus states, "The palpable terror and visceral thrills continue in the third season of The Walking Dead, along with a deeper sense of the people who inhabit its apocalyptic landscape." Metacritic's 19 critics rated the season 82/100, all of whom gave a positive review. Verne Gay of Newsday claimed that the third-season premiere "doesn't disappoint" going on to say that there are "spots where you will yell out at the screen, 'Oh, my God, that just didn't happen.' Yes, the new season is that good", concluding his review by giving the season an A+ rating.
For season four, 86% of Rotten Tomatoes' 30 critic reviews were positive, with an average score of 7.66/10. The site's consensus states, "Consistently thrilling, with solid character development and enough gore to please grindhouse fans, this season of The Walking Dead continues to demonstrate why it's one of the best horror shows on television". Metacritic scored the season 75/100 based on 16 critic reviews, 13 of which were positive, three mixed, and none negative.
The fifth season had 90% of Rotten Tomatoes' 31 critic reviews rating it positively, with an average score of 7.88/10. The site's consensus states, "Thanks to a liberal dose of propulsive, bloody action and enough compelling character moments to reward longtime fans, The Walking Dead's fifth season continues to deliver top-notch entertainment." Metacritic scored the fifth season 80/100 based on 11 critic reviews, all of which were positive.
For season six, 78% of Rotten Tomatoes' 23 critic reviews were positive, with an average score of 7.35/10. The site's consensus states, "Six seasons in, The Walking Dead is still finding ways to top itself, despite slow patches that do little to advance the plot." Metacritic scored the sixth season 79/100 based on 10 critic reviews, nine of which were positive, one mixed, and none negative.
For the seventh season, 60% of Rotten Tomatoes' 11 critic reviews rated it positively, with an average score of 6.97/10. The site's consensus is, "Increased character depth and effective world-building helps The Walking Dead overcome a tiresome reliance on excessive, gratuitous violence."
For the eighth season, 71% of Rotten Tomatoes' 13 critic reviews rated it positively, with an average score of 6.9/10. The site's consensus states "The Walking Dead's eighth season energizes its characters with some much-needed angst and action, though it's still occasionally choppy and lacking forward-moving plot progression."
Ratings
The Walking Dead has the highest total viewership of any series in cable television history, including its third through sixth seasons, during which it averaged the most 18- to 49-year-old viewers of all cable or broadcast television shows. Total viewership for its season five premiere was 17.3 million, the most-watched series episode in cable history. In 2016, a New York Times study of the 50 TV shows with the most Facebook Likes found that like most other zombie shows, The Walking Dead "is most popular in rural areas, particularly southern Texas and eastern Kentucky".
Awards and nominations
The Walking Dead was nominated for Best New Series by the Writers Guild of America Awards 2011 and Best Television Series Drama by the 68th Golden Globe Awards. The show was named one of the top 10 television programs of 2010 by the American Film Institute Awards 2010. For the 37th Saturn Awards, the series received six nominationsâ€"for Best Television Presentation, Andrew Lincoln for Best Actor in Television, Sarah Wayne Callies for Best Actress on Television, Steven Yeun for Best Supporting Actor in Television, Laurie Holden for Best Supporting Actress in Television, and Noah Emmerich for Best Guest Starring Role in Television. The series was nominated for Best Drama Series by the inaugural 1st Critics' Choice Television Awards. The pilot episode "Days Gone Bye" received three nominations from the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awardsâ€"for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series and won for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie, or Special. For the 41st Saturn Awards, the series received its highest number of nominations, with a total of seven, including for the show itself, Andrew Lincoln for Best Actor on Television, Norman Reedus for Best Supporting Actor on Television, Emily Kinney and Melissa McBride for Best Supporting Actress on Television, Andrew J. West for Best Guest Star on Television, and Chandler Riggs for Best Young Performer on Television.
Lawsuits
Darabont's departure as showrunner in July 2011 during the second season came as surprise to many, as it came shortly after the season's premiere and a few days after that year's Comic-Con, where Darabont helped to promote the show. It was speculated that he was unable to adjust to the schedule of running a television series. However, The Hollywood Reporter reported that AMC had fired him. There had been reported difficulties in the production of the second season, including disputes over planned budget cuts and executive meddling, and it was known that Darabont and AMC had several discussions relating to these factors. However, neither Darabont, AMC, nor the cast nor crew of The Walking Dead spoke about the reasons for his firing.
In December 2013, Darabont and his agents from Creative Artists Agency (CAA) filed a lawsuit against AMC in a New York court, citing breach of contract. A central part of Darabont's lawsuit accuses AMC of denying him and the CAA the promised profits from the success of the series, based on how AMC had used vertical integration in producing and distributing The Walking Dead. As stated in Darabont's filing, he had initially entered into a contract with AMC to have a third-party studio produce the show, from which he would have obtained 12.5% of that entity's profits, after standard deductions. AMC wanted to produce the show in-house, and for the first season, Darabont's lawyers had been assured that Darabont would be protected from self-dealing fees by having AMC commit to imputed license fees equivalent to those of other independent studios, with Darabont earning profit from that. Darabont's suit contends that when the show's popularity took off, AMC presented a license fee deal to Darabont around February 2011 that used "an unconscionably low license fee formula" such that AMC could report the show running at a loss and ensuring that Darabont would never see any profit from the show; as an example, the suit references statements in 2012, following the second season, that AMC claimed the show was running at a $49 million deficit, despite being one of the most popular shows in broadcast. Darabont's suit contends he was fired just at the start of the second season so that AMC would avoid having to pay him.
Initial discovery phase hearings were held in 2014. Darabont's lawyers sought to gain information from AMC on their other shows, specifically Breaking Bad and Mad Men, to obtain a "fair market value" for The Walking Dead. AMC asserted it had done no wrongdoing, had already paid Darabont $3 million upfront for two seasons, and was able to properly set the imputed license fee that worked into the profit formula for Darabont. The network resisted the request to provide otherwise confidential information on the other shows. The court granted Darabont's lawyers access to the requested information as part of the discovery phase. Darabont described "crisis-level problems" during the show's production while under deposition, claiming that AMC had cut the per-episode budget from $3.4 million to $3 million while keeping the tax credit offered by the state of Georgia for filming there, effectively reducing the production budget by 25%.
In August 2015, Darabont requested to amend his original complaint that AMC further reduced his profits from the second season as his firing mid-season meant he was not fully vested in the season, allowing AMC to reduce the profits paid him. Darabont's amended request points out that he had written and produced all the episodes in that season already and was entitled to the proper profit share. The judge granted this amendment in February 2016, partially influenced by concerns raised in Darabont's deposition.
At the end of the discovery phase in September 2016, Darabont's lawyers stated they are seeking damages of over $280 million; AMC stated they will "vigorously" defend against the lawsuit. If the case does go to trial, it is expected to occur during 2018. Summary judgement statements were completed in July 2017. While waiting for summary judgement, Darabont and the CAA filed a second lawsuit against AMC, based on further evaluation of material from the discovery phase. The second suit contended that AMC purposely manipulated some of its licensing fees that should go to Darabont, such as revenue from digital sales and from overseas markets.
In August 2017, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Charles Eglee, Glen Mazzara and David Alpert filed similar lawsuits against AMC, citing breach of contract over profits owed to them as a result of AMC's vertical integration. As with Darabont, each had been given a certain percentage of the show's profits based on if the show was produced by a third-party, but when it was transitioned to AMC Studios, their share was dramatically reduced. The Hollywood Reporter estimated that if the four seek similar damages as Darabont, the lawsuit could be as high as $1 billion. The suits, filed separately in Los Angeles and New York City, will be consolidated into a single case to be heard in a California court. Kirkman and the others said that despite the lawsuit, they will continue to work as "partners" with AMC to assure continued success of The Walking Dead and its spinoff series Fear the Walking Dead.
References
External links
- Official website
- The Walking Dead on IMDb
- The Walking Dead at TV.com
