The Walking Dead (TV series)
The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic horror drama television series based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard—together forming the core of The Walking Dead franchise. The series features a large ensemble cast as survivors of a zombie apocalypse trying to stay alive under near-constant threat of attacks from zombies chiefly known as "walkers" by the other characters. With the collapse of modern civilization, these survivors must confront other human survivors who have formed groups and communities with their own sets of laws and morals, sometimes leading to open, hostile conflict between them. The series is the first television series within The Walking Dead franchise.
Andrew Lincoln played the lead character Rick Grimes until his departure in the ninth season. Other long-standing cast members included Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Josh McDermitt, Christian Serratos, Seth Gilliam, Ross Marquand and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. The Walking Dead is produced by AMC Studios in the state of Georgia, with most filming taking place in the outdoor spaces of Riverwood Studios near Senoia, Georgia. The series was initially adapted from the comic by Frank Darabont, who also served as showrunner for the first season. However, conflicts between Darabont and AMC forced his departure from the series and resulted in multiple lawsuits by Darabont and others. Glen Mazzara, Scott M. Gimple, and Angela Kang served as subsequent showrunners.
The series premiered on October 31, 2010, and is exclusively broadcast on cable channel AMC in the United States and internationally through the Fox Networks Group and Disney+. The eleventh and final season premiered on August 22, 2021, and concluded on November 20, 2022. Beginning with its third season, The Walking Dead attracted the most 18- to 49-year-old viewers of any cable or broadcast television series, although viewership declined in later seasons. In addition, the series has been overall positively received by critics.[3] It has been nominated for several awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama and the Writers Guild of America Award for New Series.[4][5]
AMC has created a franchise of related media, including the spin-off series Fear the Walking Dead (2015–present), The Walking Dead: World Beyond (2020–2021), Tales of the Walking Dead (2022), The Walking Dead: Dead City (2023–present) and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (2023–present) as well as several webisodes and video games. A further spinoff has been announced: The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.
Series overview
The Walking Dead takes place after the onset of a worldwide zombie apocalypse. The zombies, 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 destroy the body entirely, such as by cremating it.
The series centers on sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes, who wakes up from a coma. While in a coma, the world has been taken over by walkers. He becomes the leader of a group of survivors from the Atlanta, Georgia, region as they attempt to sustain and protect themselves not only against attacks by walkers but by other groups of survivors willing to use any means necessary to stay alive.
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | |||
1 | 6 | October 31, 2010 | December 5, 2010 | |
2 | 13 | October 16, 2011 | March 18, 2012 | |
3 | 16 | October 14, 2012 | March 31, 2013 | |
4 | 16 | October 13, 2013 | March 30, 2014 | |
5 | 16 | October 12, 2014 | March 29, 2015 | |
6 | 16 | October 11, 2015 | April 3, 2016 | |
7 | 16 | October 23, 2016 | April 2, 2017 | |
8 | 16 | October 22, 2017 | April 15, 2018 | |
9 | 16 | October 7, 2018 | March 31, 2019 | |
10 | 22 | October 6, 2019 | April 4, 2021 | |
11 | 24 | August 22, 2021 | November 20, 2022 |
Season 1 (2010)
When sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes of King County, Georgia, wakes from a coma, he discovers the world has been overrun by zombies ("walkers"). After befriending Morgan Jones, Rick travels alone to Atlanta before finding his wife Lori, son Carl, and his police partner and best friend Shane Walsh in the woods with other survivors. After being attacked by walkers at night, the whole group travels back to Atlanta to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) building, but find from the sole remaining scientist that no cure yet exists for the pandemic.[6][7]
Season 2 (2011–12)
Rick's group, searching for Carol's missing daughter, Sophia, takes shelter at a farm run by Hershel Greene. Tensions with Hershel's family worsen after it is discovered that he has a barn full of walkers: former friends and family members. Rick learns that Shane and Lori were romantically involved while he was in a coma, and that Lori is pregnant. Shane and Rick's friendship deteriorates, until Rick is forced to kill Shane in self-defense. The commotion attracts walkers to the farm, forcing Rick's group and Hershel's family to evacuate.[8]
Season 3 (2012–13)
Eight months after fleeing the farm, Rick's group—sans Andrea—finds a remote prison, which they make their new home after clearing it of walkers. Lori dies from an emergency C section, and Rick starts to become unhinged and hallucinate. Andrea was rescued by Michonne and the two discover Woodbury, a fortified town led by a deceitful man known as "the Governor" who seeks to destroy the group at the prison. Conflict erupts between the two groups leading to the fall of Woodbury, but the Governor kills Andrea and escapes. The remaining citizens of Woodbury move into the prison.[9]
Season 4 (2013–14)
Several months after the Governor's attack, a deadly flu kills many of the people at the prison. The Governor finds Martinez, his former right-hand man and kills him, taking over his group before leading them into the prison. Rick's group is forced to separate and flee, while Hershel and the Governor are killed. The scattered survivors try to find each other and make new acquaintances. They all find numerous signs pointing to a safe haven called Terminus. Group by group, they reunite at Terminus, but Rick's group, sans Carol, is captured for an unknown purpose.[10]
Season 5 (2014–15)
The residents of Terminus have become cannibals. Carol leads a charge that frees Rick's group. Some of the group are captured by a group of corrupt cops based out of Grady Memorial Hospital. After the group migrates to Virginia, a stranger named Aaron approaches, inviting them to join the fortified community of Alexandria, led by Deanna Monroe. They quickly realize the residents are ill-prepared to do what it takes to survive. Rick becomes attracted to Jessie Anderson and discovers she has an abusive husband. Deanna orders Rick to execute the man after he kills her husband as Morgan arrives unexpectedly.[11]
Season 6 (2015–16)
Deanna gives Rick command of Alexandria to protect the town. A group known as the Wolves use a zombie horde to attack Alexandria, and Deanna and the entire Anderson family (among others) are killed. While recovering, Alexandria learns of a community called the Hilltop. Paul "Jesus" Rovia invites them to trade supplies with Hilltop if they can help 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 submit to him.
Season 7 (2016–17)
Negan brutally murders Glenn and Abraham, initiating his rule over Alexandria. His actions initially lead Rick to submit, but Michonne persuades him to fight back. They encounter a community called the Scavengers and ask them for help. Carol and Morgan befriend King Ezekiel, the leader of the Kingdom, while Maggie and Sasha rally the Hilltop. Rosita and Eugene make a bullet to kill Negan. When the bullet is blocked by Lucille, Negan's baseball bat, Negan forcefully recruits Eugene as a Savior. The Saviors and turncoat Scavengers attack Alexandria but are repelled by Sasha's sacrifice and the aid of Kingdom and Hilltop soldiers.
Season 8 (2017–18)
Rick, Maggie, and Ezekiel rally their communities into war against Negan and the Saviors. Losses are heavy on both sides and many of the Kingdom's 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 peacefully and restart society anew. Negan attempts to wipe out Rick and his allies in a final battle, but Eugene thwarts his plan by sabotaging the Saviors' bullets. Rick wounds Negan, but against Maggie's wishes, spares and imprisons Negan, ending the war.
Season 9 (2018–19)
Eighteen months after Negan's downfall, Rick proposes building a bridge to ease trading, but this leads to more resentment. Rick is seemingly killed when he destroys the bridge to prevent an invasion of walkers. Six years later, his absence has caused estrangement between the communities, and a new walker-controlling threat named the Whisperers demand the survivors do not trespass in their territory. Their leader, Alpha, has acquired a large horde of walkers that she will unleash if they do so. After her daughter Lydia abandons her mother's group for the Kingdom's, Alpha disowns her and massacres many residents during a fair.
Season 10 (2019–21)
Alpha begins breaking down the communities with seemingly random walker attacks and acts of sabotage. Under Carol's orders, Negan infiltrates the Whisperers and assassinates Alpha. Her right-hand man Beta takes command of the Whisperers, but he and the horde are defeated by the survivors. Eugene leads a group to West Virginia to meet a new group of survivors. Meanwhile, Michonne travels north to search for Rick after finding evidence he survived his apparent death.
Season 11 (2021–22)
Eugene's group convinces the Commonwealth, a large, prosperous community with a strict class system, to lend aid and refuge to the Coalition. However, autocratic governor Pamela Milton becomes hostile towards the Coalition after her corruption is exposed and her son Sebastian is killed. The Coalition leads a revolution against Pamela when she tries to sacrifice the lower classes to a horde containing more intelligent walker variants; in the aftermath, Rosita dies of a bite, Negan is accepted by Maggie as an ally, and Ezekiel takes over as governor. After the Coalition is rebuilt, Daryl leaves to find Rick and Michonne.
Cast and characters
![](../I/Andrew_Lincoln%252C_Greg_Nicotero%252C_Norman_Reedus%252C_Melissa_McBride%252C_Lennie_James%252C_Chandler_Riggs%252C_Jeffrey_Dean_Morgan%252C_Lauren_Cohan%252C_Alanna_Masterson_%2526_Seth_Gilliam_(cropped).jpg.webp)
The list below contains those that have been credited within the series' 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, Rick is the leader of a group of survivors who becomes the leader of the Alexandria Safe-Zone. (seasons 1–9; special guest star season 11)[12][13]
- Jon Bernthal as Shane Walsh: Rick's former police partner and best friend. In the second season, he forms an intense rivalry with Rick. (seasons 1–2; special guest star seasons 3, 9)[14][15]
- Sarah Wayne Callies as Lori Grimes: Rick's wife, who has an affair with Shane when she believed Rick was dead. (seasons 1–3)[16][17]
- Laurie Holden as Andrea: A former civil rights attorney and member of the original Atlanta group of survivors. (seasons 1–3)[18][19]
- Jeffrey DeMunn as Dale Horvath: An older member of the group who owned the RV in which a group of survivors traveled. Often the voice of reason within the group. (seasons 1–2)[20][21]
- Steven Yeun as Glenn Rhee: A former pizza delivery boy who saved Rick's life. Glenn begins a relationship with Maggie Greene and later marries her. Over the course of the series, Glenn becomes an integral member of the group known for his character and resourcefulness. (seasons 1–7)[22][23]
- Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes: Rick and Lori's young son. Carl is forced to mature and learn to survive in the deadly new post-apocalyptic world. (seasons 1–8)[24][25]
- Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon: The group's primary hunter, Daryl becomes a key member of the group and Rick's trusted lieutenant. (seasons 2–11; recurring season 1)[26][27]
- Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier: Originally a meek housewife, Carol overcomes domestic abuse to become a skilled, resourceful fighter capable of making difficult decisions. (seasons 2–11; recurring season 1)[28][29]
- Lauren Cohan as Maggie Greene: The eldest daughter of the Greene family, Maggie marries Glenn, becomes pregnant with their child and becomes the leader of the Hilltop Colony. (seasons 3–11; recurring season 2)[30][31]
- Danai Gurira as Michonne: A fierce, katana-wielding woman who joins Rick's group. Michonne eventually becomes Rick's romantic partner and a mother-figure to his son, Carl. She is also the mother-figure to Judith, daughter of Lori and Shane. (seasons 3–10; special guest star season 11)[32][33]
- Scott Wilson as Hershel Greene: A veterinarian and farmer who maintains his faith and acts as the group's primary moral compass. Hershel is the father of Maggie and Beth Greene. (seasons 3–4; special guest star season 9; recurring season 2)[31][34]
- Michael Rooker as Merle Dixon: The racist and volatile older brother of Daryl Dixon. In the third season, he is the right-hand man to the Governor. (season 3; guest seasons 1–2)[35][36]
- David Morrissey as Philip "The Governor" Blake: The antagonistic leader of the town of Woodbury, the Governor is ruthless, paranoid, and dangerous. (seasons 3–4; special guest star season 5)[37][38]
- Emily Kinney as Beth Greene: A soft-spoken teenage girl who enjoys singing, Beth is Hershel's younger daughter and Maggie's younger half-sister. (seasons 4–5; recurring seasons 2–3)[39][40]
- Chad L. Coleman as Tyreese Williams: Tough and compassionate, Tyreese 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 4–5; recurring season 3)[41][42]
- Sonequa Martin-Green as Sasha Williams: Tyreese's fiery younger sister and a former firefighter, Sasha is the group's sharpshooter. After several personal losses, she suffers from PTSD. (seasons 4–7; special guest star season 9; recurring season 3)[43][44]
- Lawrence Gilliard Jr. as Bob Stookey: A former army medic and recovering alcoholic who develops a close relationship with Sasha. (seasons 4–5)[45][46]
- Michael Cudlitz as Abraham Ford: A former military sergeant on a mission to bring Eugene to Washington, D.C. to find a cure for the walker virus. (seasons 5–7; recurring season 4)[47][48]
- Josh McDermitt as Eugene Porter: A man who claims to know a cure for the walker virus, Eugene is cowardly and inefficient when dealing with walkers, but is very intelligent. (seasons 5–11; recurring season 4)[48][49]
- Christian Serratos as Rosita Espinosa: A tough, focused, and very capable survivor, and also Abraham's girlfriend. (seasons 5–11; recurring season 4)[48][50]
- Alanna Masterson as Tara Chambler: A former police academy student and lesbian. Tara joins Rick's group after having initially been affiliated with the Governor. She serves as a primary supply runner. (seasons 5–9; recurring season 4)[51][52][53]
- Andrew J. West as Gareth: The cannibalistic leader of Terminus who captures and coerces Rick's group into submission before being executed by Rick. (season 5; guest season 4)[54][55]
- Seth Gilliam as Gabriel Stokes: A priest who joins Rick's group. He lacks experience with walkers and struggles with his faith in the new world. (seasons 5–11)[56][57]
- Lennie James as Morgan Jones: The first survivor Rick encounters in the first season. After suffering a psychological breakdown, he comes to peace with the world around him. (seasons 6–8; recurring season 5; special guest star season 3; guest season 1)[58][59]
- Alexandra Breckenridge as Jessie Anderson: An Alexandria resident who develops a relationship with Rick. (season 6; recurring season 5)[60][61]
- Ross Marquand as Aaron: A recruiter who invites Rick's group to Alexandria. (seasons 6–11; recurring season 5)[62][63]
- Austin Nichols as Spencer Monroe: Deanna's son and a guard of Alexandria. (seasons 6–7; recurring season 5)[64][65]
- Tovah Feldshuh as Deanna Monroe: A former Congresswoman and original leader of Alexandria. (season 6; recurring season 5)[66][67]
- Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan: The totalitarian, sociopathic leader of the Saviors. (seasons 7–11; special guest star season 6)[68][69]
- Austin Amelio as Dwight: A ruthless and reluctant member of the Saviors who forms an intense rivalry with Daryl. (seasons 7–8; recurring season 6)[70][71]
- Tom Payne as Paul "Jesus" Rovia: A scout and member of the Hilltop Colony. (seasons 7–9; recurring season 6)[72][73]
- Xander Berkeley as Gregory: The selfish and treacherous leader of the Hilltop Colony. (seasons 7–9; guest season 6)[74][75]
- Khary Payton as Ezekiel: The "king" of a community known as the Kingdom, Ezekiel is a former zookeeper with a pet Bengal tiger called Shiva. (seasons 8–11; recurring season 7)[76][77]
- 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)[78][79]
- Katelyn Nacon as Enid: An isolated teenager in Alexandria who forms a close bond with Carl. (seasons 8–9; recurring seasons 6–7; guest season 5)[80][81]
- Pollyanna McIntosh as Anne "Jadis": The impassive, enigmatic leader of the Scavengers. (seasons 8–9; recurring season 7)[82][83]
- Callan McAuliffe as Alden: A former member of the Saviors who later switches his allegiance to the Hilltop. (seasons 9–11; recurring season 8)[84][85]
- Avi Nash as Siddiq: A former vagabond and doctor who is rescued by Carl and brought to Alexandria. (seasons 9–10; recurring season 8)[86][87]
- Samantha Morton as Alpha: The leader of the Whisperers, a mysterious group of survivors who wear the skins of walkers to mask their presence. (seasons 9–10)[88][89]
- Ryan Hurst as Beta: The second-in-command of the Whisperers and Alpha's right-hand man. (season 10; recurring season 9)[90][91]
- Eleanor Matsuura as Yumiko: Magna's girlfriend who is a proficient archer and former criminal defense lawyer. (seasons 10–11; recurring season 9)[92][93]
- Cooper Andrews as Jerry: A member of the Kingdom and Ezekiel's steward. (seasons 10–11; recurring seasons 7–9)[94][95]
- Nadia Hilker as Magna: The feisty leader of a small group of roaming survivors and Yumiko's girlfriend. (seasons 10–11; recurring season 9)[96][97]
- Cailey Fleming as Judith Grimes: The biological daughter of Lori and Shane who was adopted by Rick after she was born. (seasons 10–11; recurring season 9)[98][99]
- Cassady McClincy as Lydia: Alpha's daughter and former Whisperer. (seasons 10–11; recurring season 9)[100][101]
- Lauren Ridloff as Connie: A deaf member of Magna's group and Kelly's sister. (seasons 10–11; recurring season 9)[102][103]
- Paola Lázaro as Juanita "Princess" Sanchez: A quirky and flamboyant survivor who has suffered various traumas in her past and later joins Eugene's group. (season 11; recurring 10)[104]
- Michael James Shaw as Michael Mercer: A resident of the Commonwealth who serves as the general of the Commonwealth military. (season 11)[105]
- Lynn Collins as Leah Shaw: A member of the Reapers and former owner of Dog who formed a loving connection with Daryl while searching for Rick after his disappearance. (season 11; guest season 10)[106]
- Josh Hamilton as Lance Hornsby: The deputy governor and director of operations to the Commonwealth. (season 11)[107]
- Margot Bingham as Maxxine "Stephanie" Mercer: A resident of the Commonwealth who communicated with Eugene over the radio. She is also Mercer's younger sister. (season 11; guest season 10)[108]
- Laila Robins as Pamela Milton: The governor of the Commonwealth. (season 11)[107]
- Angel Theory as Kelly: Connie's alert and protective sister who has a gradual hearing loss. (season 11; recurring seasons 9–10)[109]
Darabont connections
The series features several actors whom series developer Frank Darabont has worked with previously, including Laurie Holden (Andrea), Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale Horvath), Melissa McBride (Carol Peletier), Juan Pareja (Morales) and Sam Witwer (the dead soldier in the tank where Rick Grimes hides in "Days Gone Bye"). All five appeared in his 2007 film The Mist,[110] along with Thomas Jane, who originally was set to star in the series as Rick Grimes when it was pitched to HBO.[111][112][113] Jane was in fall 2010 in talks with Darabont to possibly guest star on the series;[114] however, with Darabont's departure,[115] a guest appearance for Jane never materialized. Holden also appeared in the 2001 film The Majestic, which Darabont also directed. DeMunn has 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 series' second-season premiere[116] and in a webisode,[117] but both plans were discarded.[118]
Production
Development
![](../I/Robert_Kirkman_by_Gage_Skidmore_4.jpg.webp)
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.[119] The entire series was pre-ordered based just on the strength of the source material, the television scripts, and Darabont's involvement.[120] In January 2010 a review of the pilot episode's script attracted further attention.[121] The pilot began filming in Atlanta, Georgia on May 15, 2010[122] after AMC had officially ordered a six-episode first season.[123] The series's remaining episodes began filming on June 2, 2010, with Darabont serving as showrunner.[124][125] 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.[126] He would also like to include some of the "environmental elements" that take place during Volume 2 of Kirkman's book.[127]
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, respectively.[128]
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.[129] 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 the second season.[130]
[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 series 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."[131] In July 2011, series developer and showrunner Frank Darabont was fired from his position as showrunner for the series, over unethical business practices from AMC higher-ups (see Lawsuits below).[132]
Executive producer Glen Mazzara was appointed the new showrunner in Darabont's place.[133] 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."[134] Scott M. Gimple succeeded Mazzara as showrunner for the fourth season,[135] with new writers joining the writing staff, such as Curtis Gwinn, Channing Powell, and Matt Negrete.[136] In January 2018, it was announced that Gimple would be promoted to the newly created position of Chief Content Officer of the entire Walking Dead franchise, and that Angela Kang would replace him as showrunner beginning with the ninth season.[137][138]
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.[139][140] The series does not attempt to go step-by-step with the comics, and has leeway in the narrative. In particular, the series's writers, along with Kirkman, often "transfer" how a character has died in the comics to a different character in the series. 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 suffers this fate.[139] Some of the television characters, like Carol, have far outlived their comic counterparts, while others that have already been killed off, like Sophia and Andrea, remained alive for some time in the ongoing comic series.[140] 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 series, and keeps the audience guessing from what had already been established in the comic series.[141]
Casting
The Walking Dead has featured a large rotating ensemble cast. In most cases, because of the nature of the show, departure of actors from the show are determined by the writing, with characters either killed off or written off the show as necessary to develop the story. Cast members are generally told ahead of time if they have been written off the show, but otherwise kept to secrecy. For example, Steven Yeun, who played Glenn Rhee since the pilot through the season seven premiere, knew of his character's death for a year but had to keep quiet,[142] while Chandler Riggs, playing Carl Grimes through the eighth season, was told of his character's departure during the filming in the weeks leading into his final episodes.[143]
A few actors have left the show under their own terms due to other commitments or changes, with the writings adopting the plot around these changes:
- Andrew Lincoln played the series's protagonist Rick Grimes since the pilot. Lincoln announced his plan to leave the show at the start of the ninth season, finding that having to spend half a year in the United States for filming left him missing out on his family in the United Kingdom.[144] Lincoln completed five episodes in the season to close out Rick's storyline within the series, and was originally planned to be continued in three films.[145] In July 2022, it was announced that Lincoln, along with Gurira, will star in a six-episode miniseries in the place of the three films.[146]
- Lauren Cohan played Maggie Greene since the second season. As contract negotiations began for the ninth season, Cohan had been given the opportunity to star in Whiskey Cavalier, limiting how much time she would be able to give to the show. Cohan appeared as Maggie for the first five episodes of the season.[147][148] In October 2019, it was confirmed that Cohan would return as a series regular for the eleventh season.[149]
- Danai Gurira played Michonne since the third season, and announced that she would be leaving the show after the tenth season, participating in a handful of episodes balanced against her other acting commitments.[150][151]
- Both Lennie James (as Morgan Jones) and Austin Amelio (as Dwight) were transferred from the main series after season eight to the spinoff series Fear the Walking Dead. James joined the cast of Fear the Walking Dead in season four and Amelio joined the cast in season five.[152][153]
Casting salaries for the principal actors have grown significantly over the course of the show, up through the seventh season. Overall, the salaries had been lower compared to other similar dramas, including AMC's own Mad Men, but this was justified due to the volatility of any character being potentially written off the show. Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride, playing Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier respectively, had made around US$9,500 per episode during the first season, and by the seventh season, had gotten up to US$80,000 per episode. Lincoln himself was only earning US$90,000 per episode in the seventh season.[154] By season nine, with the departure of Lincoln, Reedus had repeated secured a US$350,000 per episode pay plus additional incentives, potentially earning him US$50–90 million over three seasons. McBride similarly had gotten an extended contract in season nine worth US$20 million over three seasons. Both of these were intended to secure the pair as central figures for the show going forward in Lincoln's absence.[155]
Music
![](../I/McCrearyHeadshot2009.jpg.webp)
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.[156]
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 – that little thing that, whenever you hear it, it takes you to the series.
— Bear McCreary[156]
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.[157] The second volume was released on March 25, 2014.[158] 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.[159] 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.[160]
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 a zombie. 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.[161]
Filming
![](../I/Downtown_senoia_georgia.jpg.webp)
The Walking Dead is predominantly filmed in Georgia.[162] Since 2002, the state has offered a tax incentive for large film productions to drive producers to the state and bolster its economy.[163]
The first season was shot primarily in Atlanta, but required a great deal of coordination with the city to shut down streets and parks for filming.[163] Production for subsequent seasons moved mainly to Riverwood Studios (doing business as Raleigh Studios Atlanta), a plot of land covering approximately 120 acres (0.49 km2), located outside of Senoia, Georgia. Some existing buildings were used here, such as a subdivision that is used by several families, which serves as the Alexandria Safe-Zone. 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.[164][165] In July 2017, AMC purchased the studio lot from Riverwood for $8.25 million.[166]
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.[164][165]
The series was shot on 16 mm film up until the end of the tenth season before it transitioned to digital for the series' final 30 episodes. The change was due to the COVID-19 pandemic with there being fewer "touch points" with digital than film.[167] 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,[168] special effects coordinator Darrell Pritchett, and visual effects supervisors Sam Nicholson and Jason Sperling.[169] Greg Nicotero also served as the primary director for the series, directing 35 episodes up until 2021.[170][171]
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.[172]
The series'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.[173] 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 television series executive producer Robert Kirkman, as well as artist Charlie Adlard, say they are pleased with how faithful the series is to the comic and remark on the similarities between the actors and the comic's original character drawings.[174]
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.[175] In December 2020, it was announced by AMC that Chris Hardwick would host a special for the show featuring the appearances of various cast members, titled The Walking Dead Holiday Special, to promote the show and "reminisce on the franchise series' past".[176] The special was released on December 13, 2020.[177]
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 series 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."[178][179]
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."[178] Additionally, the production team aims to reduce vehicle idling, which decreases carbon dioxide emissions.[178][179][180]
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."[178]
Franchise and spinoffs
Webisodes
To date, four web series based on The Walking Dead have been released via AMC's website–Torn Apart (2011), Cold Storage (2012), The Oath (2013)[181] and Red Machete (2017).[182]
Talking Dead
A live television aftershow titled Talking Dead premiered on AMC on October 16, 2011, following the encore presentation of The Walking Dead's second-season premiere. Talking Dead features host Chris Hardwick discussing the latest episode with fans, actors, and producers of The Walking Dead.[183]
Fear the Walking Dead
Fear the Walking Dead is a companion series to The Walking Dead, developed by AMC. AMC started development of the series around September 2013 and committed to a two-season broadcast by March 2015.[184][185][186] Fear the Walking Dead first premiered on August 23, 2015.[187] The series will end in 2023 after the conclusion of the eighth season.[188]
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 features a crossover with The Walking Dead, specifically through the character Morgan Jones (played by Lennie James) who joins the cast of Fear the Walking Dead after the events of the eighth season of The Walking Dead.[189][190] Similarly, Dwight, played by Austin Amelio, joined Fear the Walking Dead for its fifth season in 2019.[191]
The Walking Dead: World Beyond
In April 2019, AMC officially announced it had ordered a 10-episode limited series created by Scott M. Gimple and Matthew Negrete. The series focuses on the first generation of children that have grown up during the zombie apocalypse who call themselves "Endlings",[192] and are aware of how to survive if confronted by them, but have otherwise been raised behind walls and have never actually experienced survival.[193] Production began in July 2019 in Richmond, Virginia, with Jordan Vogt-Roberts originally attached to direct the pilot before Magnus Martens took over on account of a new series direction as more season episodes were developed.[194][195] The series stars Aliyah Royale, Alexa Mansour, Annet Mahendru, Nicolas Cantu, Hal Cumpston, Nico Tortorella and Julia Ormond.[196] The series premiered on October 4, 2020, and ended on December 5, 2021, after two seasons.[197][198][199]
Tales of the Walking Dead
In October 2021, AMC officially greenlit a six-episode series which premiered on August 14, 2022 and ended on September 18, 2022. Channing Powell, who wrote for both The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, served as showrunner. It is an episodic anthology series that features new and existing characters within The Walking Dead universe.[200]
The Walking Dead: Dead City
In March 2022, AMC officially greenlit Isle of the Dead, starring Cohan and Morgan as their characters Maggie and Negan respectively. They are also executive producing with Eli Jorné, who is serving as showrunner. The series is set Manhattan. In August 2022, the series was retitled as The Walking Dead: Dead City.[201] The series premiered on June 18, 2023.[202] In July 2023, it was renewed for a second season.[203]
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
A spinoff series created by Angela Kang and Scott M. Gimple to star Reedus and McBride as their characters Daryl and Carol, respectively, was also announced in September 2020, with plans to air in 2023 after the conclusion of the eleventh season of the main show.[204] In April 2022, the project was retooled to be entirely Daryl-focused, and McBride departed the project. The series is set and to be filmed in Europe in mid-2022, which would make it logistically untenable for McBride.[205] David Zabel serves as showrunner, who replaces Kang.[206] In October 2022, the series' title was revealed to be Daryl Dixon.[207] The series premiered on September 10, 2023.[208] In July 2023, it was renewed for a second season.[203]
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
Following the departure of Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes during the ninth season, chief content officer Scott Gimple stated that they plan to create three AMC Original Films to explore events related to Rick's character in the future, starring Lincoln, and with the first expected to begin production in 2019. Besides Lincoln, Danai Gurira (Michonne) and Pollyanna McIntosh (Jadis / Anne) were also slated to star in these films. Gimple stated that these would not simply be extended episodes, nor attempt to adapt any of the comic stories, but would heavily involve Kirkman in their development.[145][209][210] The films were slated to release in theaters by Universal Pictures.[211] However at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that the films are now being reworked into a six-episode miniseries starring Lincoln and Gurira. The series will conclude Rick and Michonne's storyline following the main series' conclusion.[212] The series takes place after the events of the fifth episode of the ninth season, "What Comes After" and the thirteenth episode of the tenth season "What We Become", and presents an "epic love story of two characters changed by a changed world".[146] The series was set to begin filming in January 2023 and Gurira confirmed she would be a writer on the series and be credited as a co-creator alongside Gimple.[213] The six-episode series is set to premiere in 2024.[214]
Others
Wizards of the Coast worked with AMC to include characters and elements of The Walking Dead, into Magic: The Gathering as part of a 2020 "Secret Lair" card set.[215]
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 television series such as Saturday Night Live[216][217] and Mad TV.[218] Bad Lip Reading made a widely viewed parody involving Rick and the Governor, entitled "La-Bibbida-Bibba-Dum".[219] The series's cast was shown the parody at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2013, and David Morrissey—who portrays the Governor— 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?"[220] The Walking Dead has also been represented as a live comedy performance by English comedian Dan Willis at the Edinburgh Festival.[221] A parody film called The Walking Deceased was released in 2015.[222]
Release
![](../I/Sarah_Wayne_Callies_and_Andrew_Lincoln_of_The_Walking_Dead.jpg.webp)
Scenes from the pilot were screened July 23, 2010, as part of the San Diego Comic-Con in 2010.[223] It premiered on AMC on October 31, 2010, and premiered internationally on Fox International Channels during the first week of November.[224][225] Almost two weeks before the official premiere on AMC, the pilot episode leaked online.[226]
International broadcast rights for the series were sold and announced on June 14, 2010.[227] The series airs on Fox International Channels in 126 countries in 33 languages. The fifth season debuted its first part on October 13, 2014.[228] The second part premiered on February 9, 2015.[229] On May 20, 2021, it was announced, following the closure of the Fox channel in the UK and Ireland, that the eleventh and final season would instead be released on the Star hub on Disney+ the day after episodes air in the United States.[230]
Home media
The first season DVD and Blu-ray was released on March 8, 2011.[231] A three-disc special edition of the first season—featuring new featurettes and audio commentaries—was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 4, 2011.[232] The European versions of the first season DVD and Blu-ray are edited for gore, with cuts to episode two ("Guts"),[233] episode three ("Tell It to the Frogs"),[234] episode four ("Vatos")[235] and episode five ("Wildfire").[236] 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.[237]
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.[238]
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.[239]
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.[240]
The fifth season DVD and Blu-ray was released on August 25, 2015,[241] the sixth season on August 23, 2016,[242] the seventh season on August 22, 2017,[243] the eighth season on August 21, 2018,[244] the ninth season on August 20, 2019,[245] the tenth season on July 20, 2021,[246] and the eleventh season on March 14, 2023.[247]
Home video release for the first six seasons was distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment (under license from AMC Networks), with releases for the seventh season onwards distributed by Lionsgate Home Entertainment in the United States. The international home video releases were distributed by Entertainment One.
Syndication
MyNetworkTV acquired the broadcast syndication rights to the series, premiering on October 1, 2014.[248] The version that airs on MyNetworkTV is edited to meet broadcast television standards.[249]
Reception
Critical reception
Season | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
---|---|---|
1 | 87% (100 reviews)[250] | 82 (25 reviews)[251] |
2 | 80% (203 reviews)[252] | 80 (22 reviews)[253] |
3 | 88% (327 reviews)[254] | 82 (19 reviews)[255] |
4 | 81% (316 reviews)[256] | 75 (16 reviews)[257] |
5 | 90% (374 reviews)[258] | 80 (11 reviews)[259] |
6 | 76% (512 reviews)[260] | 79 (10 reviews)[261] |
7 | 66% (620 reviews)[262] | — |
8 | 65% (447 reviews)[263] | — |
9 | 89% (364 reviews)[264] | 72 (4 reviews)[265] |
10 | 77% (392 reviews)[266] | — |
11 | 81% (224 reviews)[267] | — |
The first six seasons and the ninth, tenth and eleventh seasons of The Walking Dead have been well reviewed by recognized critics, while the seventh and eighth seasons received more mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an average score of 80%.[268]
For the first season, 87% of 100 Rotten Tomatoes critics gave it a positive review, with an average score of 7.35/10. 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."[250] Metacritic scored the first season 82/100 based on 25 critic reviews, 23 of which were positive, two mixed, and none negative.[251]
For the second season, 80% of 203 critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes were positive, with an average score of 8.05/10. 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."[252] Of 22 Metacritic critic reviews, 18 were positive, four were mixed, and none were negative; their average score was 80/100.[253] Early criticism of the series 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.[269] 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."[270] 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".[271] 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".[272]
The third season had 88% of Rotten Tomatoes' 327 critics giving it a positive review, with an average score of 7.85/10. 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."[254] Metacritic's 19 critics rated the season 82/100, all of whom gave a positive review.[255]
For the fourth season, 81% of Rotten Tomatoes' 316 critic reviews were positive, with an average score of 7.60/10. 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".[256] Metacritic scored the season 75/100 based on 16 critic reviews, 13 of which were positive, three mixed, and none negative.[257]
The fifth season had 90% of Rotten Tomatoes' 374 critic reviews rating it positively, with an average score of 6.95/10. 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."[258] Metacritic scored the fifth season 80/100 based on 11 critic reviews, all of which were positive.[259]
For the sixth season, 76% of Rotten Tomatoes' 512 critic reviews were positive, with an average score of 7.40/10. 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."[260] Metacritic scored the sixth season 79/100 based on 10 critic reviews, nine of which were positive, one mixed, and none negative.[261]
For the seventh season, 66% of Rotten Tomatoes' 620 critic reviews rated it positively, with an average score of 6.85/10. The site's consensus is, "Increased character depth and effective world-building helps The Walking Dead overcome a tiresome reliance on excessive, gratuitous violence."[262] After the controversial season premiere episode was aired, critic Matt Zoller Seitz criticized the series' consistently cynical use of violence, stating that "The longer this series goes on, the more obvious it becomes that the violence is the point, and everything else is an intellectual fig leaf."[273]
For the eighth season, 65% of Rotten Tomatoes' 447 critic reviews rated it positively, with an average score of 6.65/10. 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."[263]
For the ninth season, 89% of Rotten Tomatoes' 365 critic reviews were positive, with an average score of 7.15/10. The site's consensus states, "Nine seasons in, The Walking Dead feels more alive than ever, with heightened tension and a refreshed pace that rejuvenates this long-running franchise."[264] Metacritic scored the ninth season 72/100 based on 4 critic reviews, 3 of which were positive, one mixed, and none negative.[265]
For the tenth season, 77% of Rotten Tomatoes' 392 critic reviews were positive, with an average score of 7/10. The site's consensus states, "A few changes in front of and behind the camera allow TWD create space for compelling new stories and some seriously scary new adversaries."[266]
For the eleventh season, 81% of Rotten Tomatoes' 224 critic reviews were positive, with an average score of 5.7/10. The site's consensus states, "While the sense of finality is diminished by the promise of even more spinoffs, The Walking Dead's eleventh conclusion is a solid enough conclusion to an epic tale of zombies that never had a clear offramp to begin with.[267]
In 2013, TV Guide ranked The Walking Dead as the #8 sci-fi show.[274]
Comments about diversity
Some critics have commented on the increasing diversity of the series.[275][276][277] This approach was initially applauded by commentators.[275][276] In 2015, Lindsay Putnam of the New York Post questioned whether the show was in danger of becoming "too diverse" as the show "seemingly reached critical mass for its nonwhite, nonmale survivors — and now has no choice but to kill them off".[275] Robert Kirkman has discussed the increasing diversity of the show and the comic books. He has described how he regrets the lack of diversity in the early issues of the comic book series and explained how they would have been "vastly more diverse" if he were to have started them now.[278]
Ratings
During its first season, The Walking Dead attracted between four and six million viewers.[279] Viewership began to increase in its second season. During seasons three to seven, it attracted ten to seventeen million viewers.[279] In 2012, during its third season, it became the first cable series in television history to have the highest total viewership of any series during the fall season among 18- to 49-year-old adults.[279][280] In 2014, total viewership for the show's fifth-season premiere was 17.3 million, making it the most-watched series episode in cable history.[281][282] In 2016, a New York Times study of the 50 television series with the most Facebook likes found that like most other zombie series, The Walking Dead "is most popular in rural areas, particularly southern Texas and eastern Kentucky".[283] Ratings began to decline during season seven and have continued to steadily drop, which was blamed on a variety of factors, including Rick's presumed death. By the end of season nine, fewer viewers were watching than at any time since the show's first season.[284]
Season | Timeslot (ET) | Episodes | First aired | Last aired | Avg. viewers (millions) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Viewers (millions) |
Date | Viewers (millions) | ||||
1 | Sunday 10:00 pm | 6 | October 31, 2010 | 5.35[285] | December 5, 2010 | 5.97[286] | 5.24[287] |
2 | Sunday 9:00 pm | 13 | October 16, 2011 | 7.26[288] | March 18, 2012 | 8.99[289] | 6.90[290] |
3 | 16 | October 14, 2012 | 10.87[291] | March 31, 2013 | 12.40[292] | 10.75[293] | |
4 | 16 | October 13, 2013 | 16.11[294] | March 30, 2014 | 15.68[295] | 13.33[296] | |
5 | 16 | October 12, 2014 | 17.30[282] | March 29, 2015 | 15.78[297] | 14.38[298] | |
6 | 16 | October 11, 2015 | 14.63[299] | April 3, 2016 | 14.19[300] | 13.15[301] | |
7 | 16 | October 23, 2016 | 17.03[302] | April 2, 2017 | 11.31[303] | 11.35[304] | |
8 | 16 | October 22, 2017 | 11.44[305] | April 15, 2018 | 7.92[306] | 7.82[307] | |
9 | 16 | October 7, 2018 | 6.08[308] | March 31, 2019 | 5.02[309] | 4.95[310] | |
10 | 22 | October 6, 2019 | 4.00[311] | April 4, 2021 | 2.12[312] | 3.04[313] | |
11 | 24 | August 22, 2021 | 2.22[314] | November 20, 2022 | 2.27[315] | 1.69[316] |
Awards and nominations
The Walking Dead was nominated for Best New Series by the Writers Guild of America Awards 2011[4] and Best Television Series Drama by the 68th Golden Globe Awards.[5] The series was named one of the top 10 television programs of 2010 by the American Film Institute Awards 2010.[317] For the 37th Saturn Awards, the series received six nominations—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.[318] The series was nominated for Best Drama Series by the inaugural 1st Critics' Choice Television Awards.[319] The pilot episode "Days Gone Bye" received three nominations from the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards—for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series[320] and won for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie, or Special.[321] For the 41st Saturn Awards, the series received its highest number of nominations, with a total of seven, including for the series 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.[322]
Lawsuits
Breach of contract suits
Frank 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 series.[323] It was speculated that he was unable to adjust to the schedule of running a television series;[324] 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. Neither Darabont, AMC, nor the cast nor crew of The Walking Dead spoke about the reasons for his firing.[325]
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.[323] As stated in Darabont's filing, he had initially entered into a contract with AMC to have a third-party studio produce the series, from which he would have obtained 12.5% of that entity's profits, after standard deductions. AMC wanted to produce the series 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 series'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 series running at a loss and ensuring that Darabont would never see any profit from the series; as an example, the suit references statements in 2012, following the second season, that AMC claimed the series was running at a $49 million deficit, despite being one of the most popular series in broadcast.[323] Darabont's suit contends he was fired just at the start of the second season so that AMC would avoid having to pay him.[323]
Initial discovery phase hearings were held in 2014. Darabont's lawyers sought to gain information from AMC on their other series, 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 series.[326] The court granted Darabont's lawyers access to the requested information as part of the discovery phase.[327] Darabont described "crisis-level problems" during the series'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%.[328]
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.[329] The judge granted this amendment in February 2016, partially influenced by concerns raised in Darabont's deposition.[330]
At the end of the discovery phase in September 2016, Darabont's lawyers stated they were seeking damages of over $280 million; AMC stated they would "vigorously" defend against the lawsuit.[331] Summary judgement statements were completed in July 2017.[332] 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, and sought an addition US$10 million in damages.[333] Though AMC had initially refused to provide necessary documents for discovery for this new case, AMC did offer to willingly provide them after Darabont's attorneys threatened further legal action during October 2018.[334] By December 2018, the presiding judge ruled against issuing summary judgement in the case, setting up for a jury trial to hear the full case.[335] Due to the retirement of the judge that had overseen the previous cases, a new judge was assigned to the case in February 2019, who joined both the initial 2013 suit and the 2018 suit into a single case, expected to be heard in May 2020.[336] AMC filed a new request for summary judgement of the case in December 2019.[337] The summary judgement was denied, and the jury trial for the case started on February 10, 2020.[338] The judge also denied AMC summary judgement in the second suit for the additional US$10 million in April 2020, determining that should also go to jury.[339]
By July 2021, AMC reported they had settled with Darabont and CAA for $200 million and future royalty payments.[340]
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 series's profits based on whether the series 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 sought similar damages to Darabont's, the lawsuit could be as high as $1 billion.[341] The suits, filed separately in Los Angeles and New York City, were consolidated into a single case heard in a Los Angeles court.[342] Initial hearings over the contractual terms of the "modified adjusted gross receipts" were held in February and March 2020, and the court ruled in July 2020 that AMC had followed the contractual terms in calculating these amounts, giving the network a preliminary victory in the trial.[343] The court issued its final ruling in April 2022, granting summary judgment in favor of AMC, with the judge ruling that there was no contractual language in the plaintiffs' contract dealing with the "modified adjusted gross receipts" and thus there was no actionable claims they could make.[344] 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.[345]
Stuntman death
During filming of season 8 in July 2017, stuntman John Bernecker was performing a 21-foot drop but ended up missing padded cushions and instead fell onto the concrete floor, sustaining a serious head injury. Though rushed to a hospital, his injuries were too severe and he was taken off life support the next day. AMC and the show's cast and crew expressed remorse for the accident, shutting down production for several days to deal with Bernecker's funeral. The Atlanta Occupational Safety and Health Administration branch launched an investigation of the incident.[346] Bernecker's mother filed a lawsuit in January 2018 against AMC asserting that the production had not taken sufficient precautions to protect Bernecker, including lack of sufficient padding, lack of rehearsal, and not having an ambulance ready to treat his injury.[347] The judge presiding the lawsuit dismissed AMC's claims that it was not responsible since Bernecker was in full control of setting up the stunt, allowing the case to proceed to a jury trial.[348] The trial was held during December 2019,[349] with the jury awarding Bernecker's family US$8.6 million in damages on December 19 after finding that TWD 8, the AMC entity managing production, and the production company Stalwart Films were negligent in Bernecker's death, while clearing AMC itself of any wrongdoing.[350]
References
- Seibert, Perry. "The Walking Dead [TV Series]". AllMovie. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
- Stelter, Brian (November 14, 2010). "At AMC, Two Character Dramas Just One Hit". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 10, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
- "The Walking Dead". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 22, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
- "AMC Garners Six WGA Award Nominations for Acclaimed Original Dramas "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad" and "The Walking Dead"" (Press release). AMC. December 8, 2010. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
- Reiher, Andrea (December 14, 2010). "2011 Golden Globes nominations: 'Glee,' '30 Rock' lead TV nominations". Zap2it. Archived from the original on December 17, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
- "The Walking Dead – Season 1 Recap". AMC. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
- Maurer, Mark (October 14, 2011). "'The Walking Dead': What you need to know about Season 1". The Star-Ledger. NJ.com. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
- "The Walking Dead – Season 2 Recap". AMC. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
- "The Walking Dead – Season 3 Recap". AMC. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
- "The Walking Dead – Season 4 Recap". AMC. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
- "The Walking Dead – Season 5 Recap". AMC. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
- "Rick Grimes Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Hibberd, James (April 6, 2010). "'The Walking Dead' casts Andrew Lincoln". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Shane Walsh Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Goldberg, Lesley (June 19, 2012). "Emmys 2012: 'The Walking Dead's' Jon Bernthal on Killing Characters, Challenging Scenes and the Ending Nobody Saw". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Lori Grimes Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Patrick, Andy (April 30, 2010). "Exclusive: Sarah Wayne Callies Joins 'Walking Dead'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Andrea Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Radish, Christina (December 1, 2010). "Laurie Holden Exclusive Interview THE WALKING DEAD". Collider. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Dale Horvath Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Melrose, Kevin (April 17, 2010). "The Green Mile's Jeffrey DeMunn Joins The Walking Dead". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Glenn Rhee Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Radish, Christina (December 2, 2010). "Steven Yeun Exclusive Interview THE WALKING DEAD". Collider. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Carl Grimes Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Goldberg, Lesley (February 25, 2018). "'Walking Dead' Star Chandler Riggs: Carl Is "Going Out a Hero"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Daryl Dixon Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Nededog, Jethro (October 8, 2015). "'The Walking Dead' star Norman Reedus almost didn't get cast — here's how being persistent got him a lead role". Business Insider. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Carol Peletier Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Ross, Dalton (October 2, 2017). "Melissa McBride remembers her first day on set of The Walking Dead". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Maggie Rhee Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Keck, William (June 25, 2011). "Keck's Exclusives: The Walking Dead Casts Greene Family". TV Guide. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Michonne Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Goldberg, Lesley (March 22, 2012). "'The Walking Dead's' Danai Gurira Excited to Embody Badass Michonne". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Hershel Greene Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Merle Dixon Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Goldberg, Lesley (June 13, 2012). "'The Walking Dead's' Merle Returns — But is He Friend or Foe?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "The Governor Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Kenneally, Tim (February 24, 2012). "'Walking Dead's' Governor: David Morrissey". TheWrap. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Beth Greene Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Ross, Dalton (December 1, 2014). "Emily Kinney gives the inside scoop on that 'Walking Dead' shocker". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Tyreese Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Goldberg, Lesley (December 3, 2012). "'Walking Dead's' Chad Coleman on Tyreese: 'It's Going to be a Fun Ride'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Sasha Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Ross, Dalton (April 2, 2017). "The Walking Dead: Sonequa Martin-Green reacts to Sasha's fate". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Bob Stookey Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Ross, Dalton (September 4, 2013). "'The Walking Dead': Lawrence Gilliard Jr. on how he landed the part of Bob Stookey". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Abraham Ford Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Shaw-Williams, Hannah (February 17, 2014). "'The Walking Dead' Star Michael Cudlitz Discusses New Characters". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Eugene Porter Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Rosita Espinosa Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Lambe, Stacy (September 29, 2014). "There's a Lot More to Discover About Tara". Out. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
- "Tara Chambler Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Lash, Jolie (February 22, 2014). "'The Walking Dead' Q&A: Alanna Masterson Talks Tara". Access Hollywood. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Gareth Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Goldberg, Lesley (October 26, 2014). "'Walking Dead's' Andrew J. West Wanted Gareth to "Ride Off Into the Sunset"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Gabriel Stokes Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Ross, Dalton (August 27, 2014). "'The Walking Dead' first look: Seth Gilliam as Father Gabriel Stokes". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Morgan Jones Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Bonomolo, Cameron (June 11, 2021). "Fear's Lennie James Expected Morgan Jones to Die on The Walking Dead". ComicBook.com. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Jessie Anderson Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Goldberg, Lesley (February 14, 2016). "'Walking Dead's' Latest Victim on "Devastating" Exit — and Pitch to Stay". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Aaron Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Ross, Dalton (February 22, 2015). "'Walking Dead' star Ross Marquand talks about the show's first gay male relationship". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Spencer Monroe Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Ross, Dalton (December 15, 2016). "The Walking Dead: Austin Nichols on Spencer's big moment". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Deanna Monroe Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Berkshire, Geoff (March 1, 2015). "'Walking Dead' Q&A: Tovah Feldshuh On Playing Alexandria Leader Deanna Monroe and Rick's Big Shave". Variety. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Negan Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Goldberg, Lesley (November 10, 2015). "'Walking Dead' Casts Major Comics Villain Negan". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Dwight Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Fitzpatrick, Kevin (November 20, 2015). "'Walking Dead' Confirms the Identity of Sunday's Mystery Character". ScreenCrush. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Jesus Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Lewis, Evan (February 22, 2016). "What to Know About Jesus, 'The Walking Dead's Newest Character". TV Insider. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Gregory Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Ausiello, Michael; Patrick, Andy (January 4, 2016). "The Walking Dead: Xander Berkeley Will Be Playing [Spoiler]!". TVLine. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Ezekiel Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Goldberg, Lesley (July 22, 2016). "Comic-Con: 'Walking Dead' Casts Kingdom Leader Ezekiel". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Simon Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Burlingame, Russ (September 6, 2017). "Grand Theft Auto V's Steven Ogg Talks About His Role on The Walking Dead". ComicBook.com. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Enid Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Goldberg, Lesley (December 4, 2015). "'Walking Dead': Is Enid a Remixed Version of Sophia?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Anne Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Ross, Dalton (February 19, 2017). "Meet Jadis: New Walking Dead cast member Pollyanna McIntosh speaks". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Alden Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Renson, Jennifer (May 9, 2018). "Callan McAuliffe becomes series regular on The Walking Dead as Alden". Undead Walking. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Siddiq Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Acuna, Kirsten (October 22, 2017). "'The Walking Dead' season 8 premiere teases a big character from the comics — here's what to know". Insider. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Alpha Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Wigler, Josh (July 20, 2018). "'Walking Dead' Taps Samantha Morton as Iconic Villain". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Beta Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Lawrence, Derek (August 27, 2018). "Sons of Anarchy favorite Ryan Hurst joins The Walking Dead". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Yumiko Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Davis, Brandon (July 16, 2018). "Eleanor Matsuura Cast as Yumiko in 'The Walking Dead' Season 9". ComicBook.com. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Jerry Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Davis, Brandon (September 6, 2017). "The Walking Dead: Cooper Andrews Reveals How He Got The Part Of Jerry". ComicBook.com. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Magna Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Boucher, Ashley (July 20, 2018). "'The Walking Dead' Casts Nadia Hilker as Magna for Season 9". TheWrap. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Judith Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Acuna, Kirsten (November 6, 2018). "How 'Star Wars' actress Cailey Fleming landed the role of Judith Grimes on 'The Walking Dead'". Insider. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Lydia Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Goldberg, Lesley (August 24, 2018). "'Walking Dead' Casts Key Comic Book Character for Season 9". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- "Connie Character Bio". AMC. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Ross, Dalton (July 16, 2018). "The Walking Dead casts Tony nominee Lauren Ridloff for season 9". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Ross, Dalton (March 29, 2020). "The Walking Dead showrunner on the introduction of Princess". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Petski, Denise; Ramos, Dino-Ray (March 1, 2021). "'The Walking Dead': Michael James Shaw To Play Mercer In Upcoming Season 11". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Acuna, Kirsten (September 12, 2021). "'The Walking Dead' star talks her big return, her 'relationship' with Daryl moving forward, and how she had to keep the final season a secret when she joined the show". Insider. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Hansen, Renee (August 17, 2021). "The Walking Dead's Angela Kang talks about Commonwealth characters". Undead Walking. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 20, 2020). "'The Walking Dead' Adds Margot Bingham To Season 11 Cast; Actress Had Played Mysterious Stephanie On AMC Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Hatzipanagos, Rachel (December 16, 2020). "'Walking Dead' star Angel Theory on navigating acting while hard of hearing". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
- Kennedy, Michael (May 20, 2020). "Why The Walking Dead & The Mist Share So Many Cast Members". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Vieira, Anthony (December 26, 2015). "The Walking Dead: Frank Darabont Originally Wanted Thomas Jane to Star". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Fitzpatrick, Kevin (December 26, 2015). "'The Walking Dead' Showrunner Originally Wanted Thomas Janes as Rick". ScreenCrush. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Kennedy, Michael (May 26, 2020). "Walking Dead: The Actor Who Almost Played Rick Grimes". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- Alexander, Bryan (August 30, 2010). "Thomas Jane Yearns To Be One of "The Walking Dead"". NBC Washington. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
- Molloy, Tim (July 27, 2011). ""Walking Dead" Gets a New Showrunner". Reuters. Archived from the original on January 4, 2014. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- Marnell, Blair (January 5, 2012). "'Being Human' Star Slams AMC Over Aborted 'Walking Dead' Web Series". Mandatory. Archived from the original on January 10, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- Melrose, Kevin (January 5, 2012). "Being Human Star Reveals Aborted Plans for Walking Dead Web Series". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
- Melrose, Kevin (January 9, 2012). "Darabont Had a Different Opening for The Walking Dead Season 2". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
- Otto, Jeff (July 6, 2010). "'The Walking Dead' Set Visit Preview: The Bloodiest Show Ever!". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on July 9, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
- Goldman, Eric (January 20, 2010). "AMC Orders Walking Dead Pilot". TV IGN. Archived from the original on January 24, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
- Sauriol, Patrick (January 25, 2010). "Exclusive: A review of the pilot script for The Walking Dead TV series". Corona Coming Attractions. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011.
- Miska, Brad (February 10, 2010). "TV: 'The Walking Dead' Pilot to Begin Lensing in May". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- Seidman, Robert (March 29, 2010). ""The Walking Dead Lives on AMC;" Network Greenlights Series Based On Comic Books". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
- Chan, Jon (June 2, 2010). "Walking Dead TV Series Starts Filming!". Secondary Fire. Archived from the original on December 2, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
- Barton, Steve (June 14, 2010). "The Walking Dead: Frank Darabont Only Directing the Pilot?". Dread Central. Archived from the original on June 16, 2010. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
- "AMC Resurrects 'The Walking Dead' for a Second Season" (Press release). AMC. November 8, 2010. Archived from the original on July 9, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
- Pirrello, Phil (August 31, 2010). "Want Walking Dead Season 2?". IGN. Archived from the original on September 2, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
- "EXCLUSIVE!! Learn Who Writes And Directs All The Season-One Episodes of Frank Darabont's AMC Zombie Series THE WALKING DEAD!!". Ain't It Cool News. July 17, 2010. Archived from the original on July 20, 2010. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
- Andreeva, Nellie (December 1, 2010). "'The Walking Dead' Lets Go Of Writers; Considers No Writing Staff For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
- Bryant, Adam (December 2, 2010). "The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman: Writing Staff Changes Won't Affect the Show". TV Guide. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
- Collis, Clark (December 3, 2010). "'Walking Dead' exclusive: Exec producer Gale Anne Hurd denies Frank Darabont fired writers, talks season two". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- Matthews, Liam (July 13, 2017). "Here's the Real Reason Why Frank Darabont Was Fired From The Walking Dead". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
- Andreeva, Nellie (July 27, 2011). "Glen Mazzara to Succeed Frank Darabont as 'Walking Dead' Showrunner". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
- Harnick, Chris (December 21, 2012). "'The Walking Dead' Season 4: AMC, Glen Mazzara Part Ways For New Season". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on December 22, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- Goldberg, Lesley (January 14, 2013). "Scott Gimple Tapped as New 'Walking Dead' Showrunner". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
- Goldberg, Lesley (March 12, 2013). "'Walking Dead' Adds Pair to Writers Room for Season 4". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 15, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
- Otterson, Joe (January 13, 2018). "'Walking Dead' Names Angela Kang Showrunner, Scott Gimple Elevated to Chief Content Officer". Variety. Archived from the original on January 13, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
- Prudom, Laura (January 13, 2018). "The Walking Dead Renewed for Season 9, Angela Kang Promoted to Showrunner". IGN. Archived from the original on January 13, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
- Ross, Dalton (October 28, 2016). "The Walking Dead: Robert Kirkman explains why Glenn had to die". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 29, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
- Wigler, Josh (October 23, 2016). "'Walking Dead': How Main Characters Die on the Show vs. the Comics". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 27, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
- Davis, Brandon (September 28, 2017). "Why 'The Walking Dead' Deviates From The Comics". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2017. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
- Bradley, Laura (October 24, 2016). "How The Walking Dead's Latest Victim Lied to Everyone for a Year". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- Ross, Dalton (December 11, 2017). "The Walking Dead: Chandler Riggs on what's next for Carl". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- Ross, Dalton (July 30, 2018). "Andrew Lincoln reveals why he is leaving The Walking Dead". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 17, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- Otterson, Joe (November 5, 2018). "Andrew Lincoln to Star in Multiple 'Walking Dead' Movies for AMC". Variety. Archived from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- Bankhurst, Adam (July 22, 2022). "The Walking Dead Spin-Off Starring Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira's Michonne Announced for 2023". IGN. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
- Trumbore, Dave (May 29, 2018). "Exclusive: Andrew Lincoln to Exit AMC's 'The Walking Dead' in Season 9". Collider. Archived from the original on September 14, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
- Bradley, Laura (August 6, 2018). "The Walking Dead Season 9 Will Take a Gut-Wrenching Cue from the Comics". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
- Ausiello, Michael (October 5, 2019). "The Walking Dead: Lauren Cohan Returning as Series Regular in Season 11". TVLine. Archived from the original on October 5, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
- Goldberg, Lesley (February 8, 2019). "'Walking Dead' Shocker: Danai Gurira to Exit". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- Ross, Dalton (July 19, 2019). "Danai Gurira confirms she is leaving The Walking Dead". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- O'Donnell, Sean (August 19, 2018). "Lennie James Reveals Why Morgan Moved To Fear The Walking Dead". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- Romano, Nick (January 3, 2019). "The Walking Dead's Austin Amelio heads to Fear the Walking Dead for next crossover". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 4, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- Rowles, Dustin (April 17, 2019). "A New 'The Walking Dead' Cast Member Is Reportedly Being Paid More Than Andrew Lincoln In His 6th Season". Uproxx. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
- Goldberg, Lesley (November 5, 2018). "'Walking Dead' Stars Ink Franchise Deals; Danai Gurira Eyes New Pact". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
- Warner, Kara (November 4, 2010). "Inside Bear McCreary's 'The Walking Dead' Theme: Making Music Out Of 'Nothing'". MTV News. MTV. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
- "The Walking Dead (AMC's Original Soundtrack – Vol. 1)". Amazon. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
- "The Walking Dead — AMC Original Soundtrack, Vol. 2". Amazon. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
- "The Walking Dead AMC Original Soundtrack – Volume 2 Now Available". AMC. August 27, 2013. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
- Bibel, Sara (July 24, 2014). "'Songs of Survival Volume 2' Available With 'The Walking Dead' Season Four DVD Set". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
- Ayers, Mike (October 12, 2012). "What it takes to make a 'Walking Dead' zombie". CNN. Archived from the original on July 17, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
- Hunter, Marnie (March 2, 2015). "'Walking Dead' in Georgia: Film tourism comes to life". CNN. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
- Lynch, Jason (April 9, 2017). "Georgia's TV and Film Industry Now Brings in $7 Billion a Year, Fueled by Smart Incentives". Ad Week. Archived from the original on October 25, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- Pane, Lisa Marie (October 22, 2017). "'The Walking Dead' reaches 100th episode milestone". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
- Wigler, Josh (October 23, 2017). "'Walking Dead' Turns 100: Taking a Stroll Through the Show's Apocalyptic Set". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
- Ho, Rodney (August 4, 2017). "AMC buys 'The Walking Dead' studio for $8.25 million". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on October 25, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- Acuna, Kirsten (February 19, 2021). "'The Walking Dead' Will Look Different in Final Season Filmed During Pandemic". Insider. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
- Todd Debreceni (2013). Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen: Making and Applying Prosthetics. Taylor & Francis. pp. 290–. ISBN 978-0-240-81696-8. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017.
- "The Walking Dead – About the Show". AMC. Archived from the original on April 10, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
- Bennett, Tara (September 26, 2021). "Greg Nicotero breaks down The Walking Dead's most George Romero-esque episode ever". Syfy. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- Hansen, Renee (May 12, 2021). "Greg Nicotero celebrates directing his 35th episode of The Walking Dead". FanSided. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- Hibberd, James (October 25, 2010). "'Walking Dead' plans global zombie invasion stunt". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
- Neuman, Clayton (July 20, 2010). "The Walking Dead Motion Comic Arrives Online". AMC. Archived from the original on July 23, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- Neuman, Clayton (October 11, 2010). "The Making of The Walking Dead Documentary". AMC. Archived from the original on October 15, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- Keck, William (June 15, 2011). "Keck's Exclusives: Walking Dead Ready for Action". TV Guide. Archived from the original on June 18, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
- Del Rosario, Alexandra (December 2, 2020). "AMC+ Announces First-Ever 'The Walking Dead Holiday Special' With Chris Hardwick Set To Host". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- Bonomolo, Cameron (December 14, 2020). "The Walking Dead Holiday Special: How to Watch the New Episode". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- Hughes, Mark (January 25, 2013). "'The Walking Dead' Gets Green – Producer Gale Anne Hurd On How Zombies Are Saving The World". Forbes: 1 and 2. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- Hughes, Mark (January 30, 2013). "Doddle Of The Dead — Putting The App In Zombie Apocalypse, Part 1". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 24, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- Hughes, Mark (January 31, 2013). "Doddle Of The Dead — Putting The App In Zombie Apocalypse, Part 2". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 20, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- "The Walking Dead Webisodes". AMC. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
- "The Walking Dead: Red Machete". TV Guide. Archived from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
- Neuman, Clayton (September 22, 2011). "AMC Launches Talking Dead – A Live After-Show Following The Walking Dead". AMC. Archived from the original on September 24, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- Goldberg, Lesley (September 16, 2013). "'Walking Dead' Companion Series in the Works at AMC". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
- Ausiello, Michael (March 9, 2015). "AMC's Walking Dead Spinoff Snags Two-Season Order, Premiere Date". TVLine. Archived from the original on March 9, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
- Carle, Chris (March 27, 2015). "Walking Dead Spin-off Series Name Revealed". IGN. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
- Slezak, Michael (July 10, 2015). "Fear the Walking Dead Trailer Is Finally Here! (And So's the Premiere Date!)". TVLine. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- Devore, Britta (July 21, 2023). "'Fear the Walking Dead' Sets Return Date for Final Season". Collider. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- Bradley, Laura (October 8, 2017). "The Walking Dead Will Cross Over with Fear the Walking Dead—But How?". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- Fowler, Matt (November 26, 2017). "Walking Dead / Fear the Walking Dead Crossover". IGN. Archived from the original on November 27, 2017. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
- Davis, Brandon (January 3, 2019). "'The Walking Dead' Star Joins 'Fear' for Another Crossover". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- Schwartz, Terri (October 5, 2019). "The Walking Dead Third AMC Series Debuts First Trailer at NYCC: 'We Are the Endlings'". IGN. Archived from the original on December 23, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
- Patches, Matt (July 19, 2019). "First details of new Walking Dead series revealed at SDCC 2019". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- Goldberg, Lesley (July 19, 2019). "'The Walking Dead': Full Cast Set for Third Show on AMC". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
- Matthews, Liam (October 1, 2020). "The Walking Dead: World Beyond Boss Says You Don't Have to Be Caught Up on TWD to Watch the Spin-Off". TV Guide. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- Pedersen, Erik (January 16, 2020). "'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' Gets Premiere Date; Returns Set Other AMC Networks Series Including 'Liar', 'Ride With Norman Reedus', 'Brockmire', Others – TCA". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 17, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
- Hipes, Patrick (July 24, 2020). "'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' Sets Fall Premiere Date, Shows Off Extended Trailer – Comic-Con@Home". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- O'Dell, Johnny (January 16, 2020). "The Walking Dead: World Beyond Will Only Last Two Seasons". Skybound. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- Patten, Dominic (July 23, 2021). "'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' Reveals Final-Season Premiere Date And First Look – Comic-Con". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- Otterson, Joe (October 12, 2021). "'Walking Dead' Anthology Series 'Tales of the Walking Dead' Ordered at AMC". Variety. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- Mason, Charlie (August 25, 2022). "Isle Be! Walking Dead Spinoff Focused on Negan and Maggie Gets a New Title". TVLine. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
- Mason, Charlie (March 25, 2023). "The Walking Dead: Dead City Gets AMC Premiere Date and a Revealing Promo". TVLine. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
- Goldberg, Lesley (July 21, 2023). "'Walking Dead' Spinoffs 'Dead City,' 'Daryl Dixon' Renewed at AMC". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
- Patten, Dominic (September 9, 2020). "'Walking Dead' To End After Super-Sized 11th Season; Norman Reedus & Melissa McBride Spinoff Set For 2023". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 9, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
- Ausiello, Michael (April 27, 2022). "Walking Dead Shocker: Melissa McBride Exits Daryl and Carol-Centric Spinoff". TVLine. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
- Cordero, Rosy; Patten, Dominic (April 29, 2022). "Norman Reedus 'Walking Dead' Spinoff Adds David Zabel As New Showrunner; Angela Kang To Remain As EP". Deadline. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
- Squires, John (October 4, 2022). ""The Walking Dead" – Norman Reedus Spinoff Series Simply Titled "Daryl Dixon"". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- Otterson, Joe (July 14, 2023). "'Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' Sets September Premiere Date at AMC". Variety. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
- Bolomoro, Cameron (November 4, 2018). "Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes Is off 'The Walking Dead' for Good". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
- Enger, Jeremy (November 4, 2018). "'The Walking Dead' Says Goodbye to Andrew Lincoln. Sort Of". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- Prudom, Laura (July 19, 2019). "The Walking Dead's Rick Grimes Movie Will Debut in Theaters". IGN. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- Maas, Jennifer (July 22, 2022). "'The Walking Dead' Movie Replaced by Limited Series Starring Andrew Lincoln, Danai Gurira". Variety. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
- Jones, Tamera (October 28, 2022). "'The Walking Dead's Danai Gurira Writing Rick/Michonne Spin-Off, Credited as Co-Creator". Collider. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
- Vito Oddo, Marco (January 11, 2023). "'The Walking Dead': Highly Anticipated Rick and Michonne Spin-Off Sets Release for 2024". Collider. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- Elfring, Mat (September 28, 2020). "Magic The Gathering: The Walking Dead's Negan Is Now A Magic Card". GameSpot. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
- Lazar, Shira (February 15, 2013). "The Best Walking Dead Parodies on YouTube". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on December 13, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
- Couch, Aaron (March 3, 2013). "'Saturday Night Live' spoofs 'The Walking Dead'". Today.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
- Lederer, Donnie (September 28, 2016). "This WALKING DEAD Parody Reveals Negan's Victim… Right After This Coffee Break". Nerdist. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- Borns, Joanna (May 3, 2013). "'The Walking Dead' Gets 'Bad Lip Reading' Treatment (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
- "The Walking Dead breakfast (The Governor reacts to Bad Lip Reading)". YouTube. July 23, 2013. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
- Taylor, Alice (August 16, 2013). "Walking Dead Edinburgh Review". ThreeWeeks. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
- Moore, Roger (March 19, 2015). "'The Walking Deceased': a lifeless zombie spoof". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- Miska, Brad (July 13, 2010). "SD Comic-Con 2010: The Walking Dead Promotional One-Sheet". Dread Central. Archived from the original on July 14, 2010. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
- "The Walking Dead Premieres Halloween; Comic-Con Trailer Now Online". AMC. August 24, 2010. Archived from the original on August 27, 2010. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
- "FOX International Channels (FIC) and AMC Announce a Global Launch for the Highly Anticipated TV Drama Series The Walking Dead". Fox International Channels. August 24, 2010. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
- Ernesto (October 21, 2010). "The Walking Dead TV-Series Premieres On BitTorrent". TorrentFreak. Archived from the original on October 24, 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
- Fernandez, Joe (June 14, 2010). "FX signs global broadcast rights to The Walking Dead". Marketing Week. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
- "The Walking Dead Season 5 Premieres Worldwide Just 24 Hours After US Broadcast". Fox International Channels. July 26, 2014. Archived from the original on December 13, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
- "FOX International Channels Rolls Out First-Ever Global Brand Strategy on 126 FOX Channels with Return of Global Hit Series 'The Walking Dead'". Fox International Channels. January 21, 2015. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
- Warner, Sam (May 20, 2021). "The Walking Dead announced to launch on Disney+". Digital Spy. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
- "The Walking Dead Season 1 DVDs Now Available for Pre-Order". AMC. December 2, 2010. Archived from the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
- Lacy, Gord (July 21, 2011). "The Walking Dead – Press Release for Season 1 Special Edition". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- "Walking Dead, The (Comparison: European Version (e.g. UK BD) – US Version)". Movie-Censorship.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
- "Walking Dead, The (Comparison: European Version (e.g. UK BD) – US Version)". Movie-Censorship.com. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
- "Walking Dead, The (Comparison: European Version (e.g. UK BD) – US Version)". Movie-Censorship.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
- "Walking Dead, The (Comparison: European Version (e.g. UK BD) – US Version)". Movie-Censorship.com. Archived from the original on September 6, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
- "The Walking Dead – Die komplette erste Staffel (Special Uncut Version)" [The Walking Dead – The complete first season (Special Uncut version)]. Amazon Germany (in German). Archived from the original on October 26, 2013.
- Lacey, Gord (May 30, 2012). "The Walking Dead – '2nd Season' Press Release: Trailer, Final Details, Art for DVD, Blu-ray, Limited BD". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on April 5, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
- Miller III, Randy (August 25, 2013). "The Walking Dead: Season Three [Limited Edition Aquarium Tank] (Blu-ray)". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
- Lambert, David (June 24, 2014). "The Walking Dead – Anchor Bay's Official Press Release for 'The Complete 4th Season'". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- Fitzpatrick, Kevin (March 31, 2015). "'The Walking Dead' Season 5 Sets August Blu-ray Release Date, Cover Art". ScreenCrush. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- "The Walking Dead: The Complete Sixth Season Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. June 21, 2016. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
- "The Walking Dead: The Complete Seventh Season Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. July 28, 2017. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
- "The Walking Dead: The Complete Eighth Season Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. June 20, 2018. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
- "The Walking Dead: The Complete Ninth Season Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. July 2, 2019. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
- Squires, John (June 1, 2021). ""The Walking Dead: The Complete Tenth Season" Bites Onto Blu-ray This Summer". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- Bonomolo, Cameron (January 17, 2023). "The Walking Dead Season 11 Blu-Ray: Release Date and Details". ComicBook.com. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- Andreeva, Nellie (March 19, 2014). "MyNetworkTV Acquires Off-Network Rights To AMC's 'The Walking Dead'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
- Hibberd, James (March 19, 2014). "'The Walking Dead' family friendly edited version coming to broadcast". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 4, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 1 (2010)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 1". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 27, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 2 (2011–2012)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 2". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 16, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 3 (2012–2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 3". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 27, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 4 (2013–2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 4". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 9, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 5 (2014–2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 5". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 10, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 6 (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on November 21, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 6". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 21, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 7 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on December 2, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 8 (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on November 26, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 9". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on November 11, 2018. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 9". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 10". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on October 1, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 11". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- "The Walking Dead". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
- Tucker, Ken (November 28, 2011). "'The Walking Dead' and 'Pretty Much Dead Already': A cheap thrill-kill, or new life for the season?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- Rawlings, Nate (November 28, 2011). "Walking Dead Recap: Pretty Much Dead Already". Time. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
- Wampler, Scott (March 18, 2012). "'The Walking Dead' Season Finale Recap: "Beside the Dying Fire"". Collider.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
- Yeoman, Kevin (March 19, 2012). "'The Walking Dead' Season 2 Finale Review". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
- Seitz, Matt Zoller (October 24, 2016). "The Empty Violence of The Walking Dead". Vulture. Vox Media. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
- "Scoop on 49 hot shows including...". TV Guide Magazine. September 16–22, 2013.
- Putnam, Lindsay (February 9, 2015). "Is 'The Walking Dead' too diverse?". The New York Post. Archived from the original on August 4, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
- Quinn, Karl (March 4, 2016). "If Hollywood wants to know what diversity looks like, it only needs to turn on the TV". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- Deggans, Eric (November 28, 2014). "Diversity On 'The Walking Dead' Wasn't Always Handled Well". NPR. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- Carlson, Adam (March 10, 2018). "Diversity in The Walking Dead comics discussed in issue 177". FanSided. Archived from the original on August 4, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
- Kirsch R, Surak S (2018). Marcuse in the Twenty-First Century: Radical Politics, Critical Theory, and Revolutionary Praxis. Routledge. p. 262. ISBN 978-1351331128. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
- "The Walking Dead Is First Cable Series to Beat Every Show of Fall Broadcast Season In Adult 18–49 Rating". AMC. December 2012. Archived from the original on February 23, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- St. John, Allen (October 13, 2014). "'The Walking Dead' Season 5 Premiere Breaks Ratings Record As The Most Watched Cable Show Of All Time". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- Bibel, Sara (October 13, 2014). "'The Walking Dead' Season 5 Premiere Hits Series High Ratings in Adults 18–49 & Viewers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- Katz, Josh (December 27, 2016). "'Duck Dynasty' vs. 'Modern Family': 50 Maps of the U.S. Cultural Divide". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
- Porter, Rick (October 13, 2014). "TV Ratings: 'Walking Dead' Hits All-Time Lows". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- Seidman, Robert (November 2, 2010). "Sunday Cable Ratings: The Walking Dead Kills; Boardwalk Empire Steady; + Swamp People, Dexter, Ghost Hunters Live & Much More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 19, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
- Gorman, Bill (December 7, 2010). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead,' 'Boardwalk Empire' Finales Rise; 'Sarah Palin's Alaska,' 'Dexter,' 'The Hasslehoffs' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 11, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
- "2010 Year in Review/2011 Year in Preview: AMC". The Futon Critic. January 24, 2011. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
- Seidman, Robert (October 18, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Doubles NLCS + NJ Housewives, 'Boardwalk Empire,' 'Talking Dead,' 'Dexter' & Much More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 20, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
- Bibel, Sara (March 20, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Walking Dead' Season Finale Laps the Field + 'Khloe & Lamar,' 'Frozen Planet,' 'Army Wives' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
- Harnick, Chris (March 19, 2012). "'The Walking Dead' Ratings: Season 2 Finale Shatters Records". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on July 27, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
- Bibel, Sara (October 16, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings:'The Walking Dead' Dominates Night, Space Jump, 'Dexter', 'Boardwalk Empire','Homeland,' 'Breaking Amish', & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
- Hibberd, James (April 1, 2013). "'Walking Dead' finale breaks series records". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 3, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
- "The Walking Dead: Season Three Ratings". TV Series Finale. April 2, 2013. Archived from the original on December 4, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
- Bibel, Sara (October 14, 2013). "'The Walking Dead' Season 4 Premiere is Highest Rated Episode Ever With 16.1 Million Viewers & 10.4 Million Adults 18–49". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
- Bibel, Sara (April 1, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Wins Night, 'Talking Dead', 'Real Housewives of Atlanta', 'Shameless', Naked and Afraid' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 4, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- "The Walking Dead: Season Four Ratings". TV Series Finale. April 1, 2014. Archived from the original on November 2, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
- Bibel, Sara (March 31, 2015). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Tops Night, 'Talking Dead', 'Real Housewives of Atlanta', 'Going Clear', 'Killing Jesus' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 1, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
- "The Walking Dead: Season Five Ratings". TV Series Finale. March 31, 2015. Archived from the original on November 2, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
- Porter, Rick (October 13, 2015). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Walking Dead' premiere down but still utterly dominant". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 13, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
- Porter, Rick (April 5, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Walking Dead' finale scores its best rating of 2016". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
- "The Walking Dead: Season Six Ratings". TV Series Finale. April 5, 2016. Archived from the original on October 16, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
- Porter, Rick (October 25, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Walking Dead' premiere kills it with second-highest ratings ever". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- Porter, Rick (April 4, 2017). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Walking Dead' finale lowest since Season 2". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
- "The Walking Dead: Season Seven Ratings". TV Series Finale. April 4, 2017. Archived from the original on October 27, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
- Porter, Rick (October 24, 2017). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Walking Dead' has lowest-rated premiere since Season 2". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- Porter, Rick (April 17, 2018). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Fear the Walking Dead' opens higher". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- "The Walking Dead: Season Eight Ratings". TV Series Finale. April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- Welch, Alex (October 9, 2018). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Doctor Who' returns up, 'The Walking Dead' falls to premiere low". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- Welch, Alex (April 2, 2019). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Walking Dead' rebounds, still sets new finale low". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- "The Walking Dead: Season Nine Ratings". TV Series Finale. April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- Welch, Alex (October 8, 2019). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Walking Dead' premiere hits series low, 'Power' ticks up". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- Metcalf, Mitch (April 6, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.4.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 6, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 10 Ratings". TV Series Finale. April 6, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- Metcalf, Mitch (August 24, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 8.22.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- Metcalf, Mitch (November 22, 2022). "ShowBuzzDaily's Sunday 11.20.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- "The Walking Dead: Season 11 Ratings". TV Series Finale. November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- "AFI Awards". AFI.com. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
- "'Inception,' 'Walking Dead' Top Saturn Awards Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. February 24, 2011. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
- Ausiello, Michael (June 6, 2011). "Mad Men, Fringe, Good Wife, Modern Family, Community, Justified Lead Critics Choice Kudos". TVLine. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
- "Emmy Nominations 2011: Full List". The Hollywood Reporter. July 14, 2011. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
- "2011 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Winners". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. September 10, 2011. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
- Tapley, Kristopher (March 3, 2015). "'Captain America,' 'The Walking Dead' lead 2015 Saturn Awards nominations". HitFix. Archived from the original on March 7, 2015. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
- Masters, Kim; Belloni, Matthew (December 17, 2013). "Fired 'Walking Dead' Creator Frank Darabont Sues AMC for Profits". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- Andreeva, Nellie (July 26, 2011). "'WALKING DEAD' SHOCKER: Frank Darabont Steps Down As Showrunner". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
- Masters, Kim (August 10, 2011). "'The Walking Dead': What Really Happened to Fired Showrunner Frank Darabont". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
- Gardner, Eriq (May 19, 2014). "AMC Resists Frank Darabont's Inquiry Into 'Fair Market Value' of 'The Walking Dead'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- Gardner, Eriq (June 19, 2014). "AMC Must Hand Over 'Mad Men,' 'Breaking Bad' Deals to Frank Darabont's Attorneys". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- Gardner, Eriq (January 6, 2016). "'Walking Dead' Creator Frank Darabont's Deposition Unsealed: "We Had Crisis-Level Problems"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- Gardner, Eriq (August 4, 2015). "Frank Darabont Says AMC Reduced His Profit Share After 'Walking Dead' Lawsuit". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- Gardner, Eriq (February 9, 2016). "Frank Darabont Given Green Light to Pursue Larger Cut of 'Walking Dead' Profits". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 7, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- Gardner, Eriq (September 27, 2016). "Frank Darabont to Seek More Than $280 Million From AMC at 'Walking Dead' Profits Trial". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 28, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- Gardner, Eriq (July 13, 2017). "'Walking Dead' Lawsuit Spills Obscene Emails and Tales of Greed Over TV's Billion-Dollar Hit". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
- Gardner, Eriq (January 18, 2018). "Frank Darabont, CAA Launch Second 'Walking Dead' Lawsuit Against AMC". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- Patton, Dominic (October 26, 2018). "'Walking Dead' Suit "Minor" Profit Reports Tug Of War Ends; AMC Lets Go Of Rope". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
- Patton, Dominic (December 10, 2018). "'Walking Dead' $300M Lawsuit Looks Trial Bound; AMC's Move To Dismiss Denied Yet Cabler Claims "Victory"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
- Patton, Dominic (February 5, 2019). "'Walking Dead' $300M Lawsuit Finally Gets A Trial Date & A New Judge". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- Patton, Dominic (December 16, 2019). "AMC Tries To Shut Down That Other 'Walking Dead' Multimillion-Dollar Lawsuit From Frank Darabont & CAA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
- Patten, Dominic (February 10, 2020). "'Walking Dead' Trial: Robert Kirkman's Profits Battle With AMC Enters The Legal Octagon". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- Maddaus, Gene (April 13, 2020). "AMC Loses Bid to Toss Frank Darabont's Second 'Walking Dead' Lawsuit". Variety. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
- Patten, Dominic (July 16, 2021). "'Walking Dead' Lawsuit Settled For $200M Between Frank Darabont, CAA & AMC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- Gardner, Eriq (August 14, 2017). "'Walking Dead' Producers Claim Massive AMC Profits Scam in New Lawsuit". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 15, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
- Patten, Dominic (October 23, 2017). "'Walking Dead' EPs Get Big-Bucks Profits Suit Against AMC Set In California". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- Maddaus, Gene (July 22, 2020). "AMC Wins Key Ruling in 'Walking Dead' Profits Fight". Variety. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- Patten, Dominic (April 6, 2022). "'Walking Dead' Creator Robert Kirkman's Profits Battle With AMC Gutted By Judge, Again". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- Patten, Dominic (August 17, 2017). "'The Walking Dead' EPs Promise To Be "Partners" With AMC As They Sue Cabler In NY Over Profits – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- Otterson, Joe (July 14, 2017). "'Walking Dead' Stuntman Dies After On-Set Accident". Variety. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
- Maddaus, Gene (January 24, 2018). "AMC Accused of Cutting Corners in 'Walking Dead' Stuntman's Death". Variety. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
- Maddaus, Gene (October 10, 2019). "Judge Rules Against AMC in 'Walking Dead' Stuntman Death". Variety. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
- Johnson, Ted (December 17, 2019). "'Walking Dead' Stuntman's Death Was "Horrible" Unforeseen Accident, AMC Attorney Says In Closing Argument". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
- Maddaus, Gene (December 19, 2019). "Jury Awards $8.6 Million Verdict in Death of 'Walking Dead' Stuntman". Variety. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2019.