While relatively brief, the first season of AMC’s The Walking Dead; a post-apocalyptic zombie series adapted from the Robert Kirkman comics of the same name; was highly critically praised, adored by its fans, and has just returned with a season two premiere that’s managed to break the cable ratings records.
Despite the behind-the-scenes turmoil that led to the departure of writer/director/creator/executive producer Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption director who many credit as being entirely responsible to for the style, and success of the show’s first season), The Walking Dead’s season two premiere opened with 4.8 million viewers in the 18-49 age bracket, and 4.2 million in the 25-54 age bracket (easily beating out previous record holder The Dead Zone; which achieved 4 million and 4.1 million respectively), and with the premiere encores it achieved a total of 11 million viewers for the premiere; up a massive 38% from last year (not counting the huge number of illegal downloads that have obviously flooded around the world since the initial broadcast).
AMC President Charlie Collier believes that “The Walking Dead is one of those rare television programs that reaches both a core genre fan as well as broad audiences simply looking for a great, character-based story,” and thinks the fact that “that The Walking Dead is now the most watched drama in the history of basic cable is staggering, just like our zombies.”
Matt Wheeldon.
Source: Deadline.
