AMC renews 'The Walking Dead' for season 3
Renewal an obvious call for zombie apocalypse hit
AMC has ordered a third season of "The Walking Dead."
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In a move I would dub a no-brainer even if the show didn't involve zombies, AMC has renewed "The Walking Dead" for a third season.
More than 7 million people watched the season 2 premiere, and nearly 5 million of those were in the adults 18-49 demographic, both enormous numbers for a scripted basic cable drama. The second episode averaged 6.7 million viewers for its first airing, with more than 4.5 million 18-49 viewers.
"The Walking Dead" was subject to lots of bad news in the off-season, as executive producer Frank Darabont either quit or was fired, depending on whom you believed, and stories ran about AMC cutting the budget on its biggest hit ever. (AMC executives insisted that the per-episode budget wouldn't be that different, and that the decrease reflected the high cost of the series pilot, which Darabont wrote and directed.)
But good numbers make all the bad news go away pretty easily for AMC.
Darabont left midway through the season, so the two episodes that have aired so far (my reviews are here) were produced on his watch. AMC is splitting this season in two, with roughly half the episodes airing now and the other half starting in early 2012.
“We are thankful for everyone’s contribution in front of and behind the camera as we continue to make ‘The Walking Dead’ a unique television experience," AMC president Charlie Collier said in a statement. "And, we are so proud as it continues to set viewership records around the world.”
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All through his childhood, Alan Sepinwall's relatives told his parents, "All that boy does is watch television! How's he going to make a living doing that?" His career as a TV critic has been 15 years and counting of his attempt to answer their concerns. "What's Alan Watching" is a blog whose title is self-explanatory: Alan watches TV shows, then writes about what he watched. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
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October 25, 2011 at 2:26PM EST Reply to CommentAlan,
In what season do you think this AMC show will run into the negotiation/renewal issues that have plagued Breaking Bad and Mad Men? Especially since AMC is broke and all.
Tatoo Zombies on Fantasy Island say de plaaaaaaaanes plaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanes
October 25, 2011 at 9:52PM ESTHONEY STARR THAT show has it so easy, re newed. Maybe everyone was used to watching Breaking BAD. Must badmit w.d. is very watchable, but BB Is the very best show.
October 27, 2011 at 9:23PM ESTevery season we have to woder is it coming back?? Breaking Bad is never s shoe in.
braaaaaaaaaaaaains
October 25, 2011 at 2:34PM EST Reply to Commentbraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaains
braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaains
braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaains
Eric Sands lol
October 25, 2011 at 2:41PM ESTfunny guy Zombies in Iowa might be more apt to moan "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAINS" "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAINS"
October 25, 2011 at 2:44PM ESTAbe Lincoln Zombies in the 1860s building the transcontinental railroad might be more apt to moan "TRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINS! TRAAAAAAAAAAAAINS!"
October 25, 2011 at 2:45PM ESTnot a zombie Zombie employees of Tide would likely be complaining about "STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINS! STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINS!"
October 25, 2011 at 2:45PM ESTSimon Belmont Zombie vampires would probably be in search of "VEIIIIIIIIIINS! VEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINS!"
October 25, 2011 at 2:47PM ESTi love this game Zombies from Roto-Rooter have been known to groan, "DRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINS! DRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINS!"
October 25, 2011 at 3:05PM ESTJ. Pitts Zombies chasing after the Batman villain would yell BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINEEEEEE!!!!
October 25, 2011 at 3:07PM ESTAmiright Zombies from a time-traveling Pacific island would be wailing "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALT!" Oh, c'mon, you know they would!
October 25, 2011 at 3:17PM ESTMike Girl zombies doing their hair might be more apt to moan "BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDS!!!"
October 25, 2011 at 4:07PM ESTBunny Colvin Clay Davis would just say SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-IT!
October 25, 2011 at 4:18PM ESTomgthatsracist Asian zombies have been known to search for "BLLLLAAAAAIIIINNNNSSSS
October 25, 2011 at 4:39PM ESTTakingittoofarandbeatingittodeath Wall Street zombies would be CAPITAL GAAAAIIIIIINNNNNNSSSSS....
October 25, 2011 at 5:29PM ESTA Mike Meyers zombie would be WAYYYYYYNNNNNNES.
Jean-Ralphio A zombie George Jetson would say, "Jaaaaaaaaaaaane get me off this crazy thing!"
October 25, 2011 at 5:39PM ESTMiles A zombie Sam Jackson would grumble, "MOTHAFUCKIN SNAKES ON PLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANES"
October 25, 2011 at 5:45PM ESTRS All of this is going to drive me insaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaane
October 25, 2011 at 11:47PM ESTTruck And with that on broad stroke, Alan Sepinwall was just another internet critic.
October 26, 2011 at 12:04AM ESTSaveFarris Zombies who keep repeating the original joke: SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAME!!!
October 26, 2011 at 10:09AM ESTJohn Zombie Republicans might say "CORPORATE GAINNNNNSS"
October 26, 2011 at 1:49PM ESTRemy And zombies at a construction site would be trying to avoid CRAAAAAAAAAAAANES.
October 27, 2011 at 3:22AM ESTJay
October 25, 2011 at 2:35PM EST Reply to CommentAlan,
I'm curious, how much does AMC put in to the "replay" numbers. I saw on another site that if you aggregated the "live" and the "replay" they had about 8.8 million viewers. For a network like AMC, I would assume that aggregate is just as important as the "live" since it's a cable network with very little originally programming. Also, I would assume it's unlikely that it is the same people watching it twice.
noclist
October 25, 2011 at 3:18PM EST Reply to CommentGood.
brian
October 25, 2011 at 4:57PM EST Reply to CommentIts seems quiet weapons are of high use, but low on demand. Am I the only one here wondering why only one of them is packing a silent weapon? I find it mostly annoying that they would not make an effort to find silensers in a gunshop or even annother crossbow, a normal bow? Or hell even a slingshot would seal the deal quietly with a zombie. Even a long stick with a very sharp end would be very effective against a zombie when pricked trough the eye into the brain(I would imagine).
ken Silencers are misleading, that is why they are actually called suppressors. Read up on the topic, the TV does lie :D
October 25, 2011 at 11:00PM ESTlztouchthedream They should do a Game of Thrones crossover and give them all some sweet Valerian steel.
October 26, 2011 at 2:47AM ESTlztouchthedream *Valyrian. Damn auto-correct.
October 26, 2011 at 2:48AM ESTFranklynStreet
October 25, 2011 at 8:10PM EST Reply to CommentHey Alan, how many episodes of Season 2 were produced before Darabont departed, and when does the first episode air that was produced without him?
renan
October 25, 2011 at 10:56PM EST Reply to CommentZombie Gamers are prone to moan "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaames" "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaames"
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaames"
renan
October 25, 2011 at 10:57PM EST Reply to Commentzombie gamers are prone to moan "gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaames" "gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaames" "gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaames!"
Kensington
October 25, 2011 at 11:03PM EST Reply to CommentI didn't know AMC was breaking the season in half. That's laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame.
Remy Super lame. Hopefully the show won't go out in flaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaames.
October 27, 2011 at 3:26AM ESTBatmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan
October 25, 2011 at 11:23PM EST Reply to Comment2012: AMC renews 'The Walking Dead' for season 4
2013: AMC renews 'The Walking Dead' for season 5
2014: AMC renews 'The Walking Dead' for season 6; delayed due to writers strike
2016: AMC renews 'The Walking Dead' for season 7
2017: AMC renews 'The Walking Dead' for season 8
2018: AMC cancels 'The Walking Dead'
berkowit28
October 26, 2011 at 1:58AM EST Reply to CommentIt's still a crappy show.
October 26, 2011 at 2:44AM EST Reply to CommentLove the show super excited that its not being canceled, that would be stupid!
Eric
October 26, 2011 at 4:31AM EST Reply to CommentToo bad I tried watching the first episode and thirty minutes in I was bored senseless.
keith
October 26, 2011 at 3:06PM EST Reply to CommentNot sure what to make of this show. The tension bits and some of the action is great, the people stuff is soapy rubbish. They could do Breaking Bad peoply stuff, which I hear might be a more accurate depiction of the comics, but they seem afraid.
DEREK
January 9, 2012 at 7:55PM EST Reply to CommentBY FAR MY MOST FAVORITE SHOW OF ALL TIME. THANK YOU FOR PUTING A GOOD CAST TOGETHER IN A REALISTIC ENVIROMENT. AGAIN THANK YOU AND KEEP UP THE MOST EXCELLENT JOB.