"The Walking Dead" Finale Breaks Ratings Records By Lindsay Bays

The very anticipated season finale had 6 million viewers that tuned into the last episode.  And it received the highest ratings ever for a basic cable show in the 18 to 49 age bracket.  The show previously in this time slot, Mad Men, which has won many emmy's, had an audience of 2.4 million for its season finale.  This really puts it in perspective at how successful this zombie series has been.  They averaged about 3.5 million regular viewers per episode in its first season which is very high for a basic cable television show.  Now we must wait to see how many people will tune in for next season.  The next season will most likely begin at Halloween again.

The Walking Dead receives high praise

Novelist Stephen King has named The Walking Dead his number two TV show of the year. No stranger to the horror genre, this is high praise considering the place in history King has made for himself. In his excitement, he says that"you're talking about that 21st-century rarity, appointment TV."

Read more accolades here:
http://blogs.amctv.com/the-walking-dead/2010/12/press-roundup-1203.php

With the technology available to us, such as DVR and TV on the Internet, "appointment viewing" seems to be on its way out. This makes The Walking Dead's incredible ratings that much more special. It has been ranked as the biggest cable series in history among viewers 18-49 years of age. After just six episodes. It was also the number one original series debut on Fox International Channels.

For more ratings statistics, check here:
http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/the-walking-dead-season-two-18858/

John Byrne

And the Writers have left the building...

The Walking Dead scored a great audience of 5.5 million viewers for the latest episode.  This new instant hit show on AMC was renewed for a second season after the air of the second episode.  The original pick-up of the show was just for a mere six sample episodes.  One would probably think that with such an instant success, the show would continue to be produced and air as it began.

This is not the case however.

Rumors are circling that either the director and executive producer, Frank Darabont, has fired or let go his entire writing staff.  It is also spreading that many of the writers left on their own accord.  Either way, this show has lost many assets that helped make it the instant success that it has been thus far.

Another rumor is that instead of hiring more writers for the second season, free-lance writers will be able to submit their own scripts for production of future episodes.

Frank Darabont actually wrote the pilot episode himself.  Hopefully his skill and knowledge will be able to assist with continuing the quality of work that will be put into future episodes.  It would be a shame to have a repeat of the 2008 writers strike that resulted in many good show's seasons being cut short and causing several to loose renewals.

For more info, please visit this article from MTV:
http://splashpage.mtv.com/2010/12/01/the-walking-dead-writers-dvd/

An Analysis of 'The Walking Dead' and Toyota Corolla

What kind of car do you want to entrust the continuance of you life to if zombies are taking over the world?

To begin, many people will probably want to choose a fast car to use in which to escape a mob of attacking zombies by driving really fast.  Would this help though?  'Fast' cars are generally sporty, and sporty cars are generally small.  A small car would potentially be able to handle well in tight corners but would it be able to drive offroad as well?  Probably not...

On the other end of the spectrum, would a much larger vehicle (say a Semi-Truck or a School Bus) be able to save you?  What these vehicles lack in speed they probably have in the ability to drive through the terrain without extensive damage.  One major deficite with these much larger vehicles though is manueverablity.

Why is there a concern about maneuverability though when your life is at stake? The answer is that if the world has suffered a zombie apocalypse, people will have left their cars wherever they had been when they died.  Anyone who was trying to escape and died in a traffic jam will have left their car in the middle of the road.  

For this reason, it would be important to be able to both maneuver your vehicle of choice as well as be able to drive off-road.

What would be a sensible vehicle then?  A military tank would defiantly help.  As long as you remember to lock the hatch, it would be virtually safe from a zombie.  It would be able to handle any terrain and it comes with its own weapon.  A tank would probably be a little tight on space, but comfort would not matter much as long as you survived.

My personal choice of vehicle would be an armored bank car, ie a Brinks Truck.  It is bullet proof so 1) a hungry zombie would be unable to break the glass and 2) your 'friends' would not be able to try to use their tank to kill you in your sleep.  I think that a Brinks Truck would have slightly more room than a tank which would allow for both comfort as well as supply storage.

--Lori Hardin

Android App Launched Today

Android announced a free app for its tablets and smart phones. The app is a test to see how well you would survive in the event of a zombie apocalypse. For those of us without an Android, an online version is available here:

http://www.amctv.com/originals/The-Walking-Dead/survival-test

John Byrne

Head for the Hills!!!

Researchers at Children's hospital are recruiting for a study that involves injecting cancerous cells with a genetically engineered virus. Don't they know that's what triggers the zombie apocalypse!!??? An outbreak of a genetically engineered supervirus!!??? If you live anywhere near the University area, you are in imminent danger! Evacuate immediately!!!

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20101122/NEWS01/11220303/

John Byrne

The Artwork of "The Walking Dead" By Lindsay Bays

Here are various cover art, pages and other stills of the Walking Dead comic book series:

What do the fans think?

Reception of The Walking Dead has been nothing but phenomenal. Metacritic.com compile various critic reviews and averages out the scores. The Walking Dead has been rated an 85 out of 100, which metacritic.com classifies as "universal acclaim." It received five ratings of a perfect 100, most notably from The Wall Street Journal, TV Guide, and People magazine. Metacritic.com also compiles user reviews, in which Walking Dead receives a 9 out of 10. Most of the poor reviews are from people who are not interested in zombies or the horror genre, and those who are upset that the show hasn't followed the comic word for word. User reviews must be taken with a grain of salt. A viewer is more likely to review a show based on how they feel rather than speaking (or typing) objectively. Also, people generally don't write a review unless they have a strong opinion either way. Overall, the opinion of The Walking Dead is high, and the fact that it was renewed for a second season after only two episodes speaks for itself!

John Byrne

Special on AMC tonight!!!

Tonight AMC will encore the first two episodes of The Walking Dead at eight o'clock with limited commercial interruption before premiering a brand new episode at its normal time, ten o'clock. AMC is betting that while a lot of people have heard a lot of good things, many of them may have missed one or both of the first two episodes. Tonight they will be able to reach new viewers who may have been on the fence about the show at first, but are now interested. Here is a preview of tonight's episode direct from amctv.com:

http://www.amctv.com/originals/The-Walking-Dead/video?bcpid=86227333001&bclid=88963904001&bctid=661735619001

John Byrne

"The Walking Dead" Approved for Second Season By Lindsay Bays

AMC announced on November 8th that the Walking Dead has been approved for a second season.  Season one will consist of six episodes.  I am not surprised that the show will be continuing because of its immediate popularity.  Also the pace of the show so far is still telling the story in the first comic in the series.  Thus far they have done a very good job in keeping close to the original story line.  If they are still planning on sticking close to the comics I could see several seasons of this show in the future.  


It’s the most watched show for adults ranging from 18 to 49 in the history of cable TV.  It has also broken viewer records in over 120 countries.  This show is a big deal in television history.  I am personally surprised at the amount of people interested in a violent, zombie series.  I remember telling people I like zombies and I'd get the "that's gross!" reaction.  I think there is a large, closeted audience that apparently enjoys watching people eat other people.  With the historical success of the show I'm wondering if there will be more shows on television that are based around zombies, it certainly wouldn't surprise me.  


I'm eager to see how the show will effect what is shown on cable television in the future.

Could Zombies be more than folklore?

American soldiers in the early 20^th century told stories of voodoo potions and living-dead zombies upon returning from war in Haiti.  Their stories were published and turned into early horror films.  Perhaps the beginning of Zombie folklore is not folkloric at all.

Author and Ethnobotanist Wade Davis may have uncovered the secret of the Haitian Zombie.  After befriending several Haitian Sorcerers, Davis discovered the ancient recipe.

A deadly concoction of poisonous plants administered in the exactly correct dosage is able to produce a paralysis that is capable of mimicking death.  The zombie potion is believed to have [several times] even fooled medically trained doctors.

The poison tetrodotoxin is a product
 derived from a pufferfish.

One main ingredient in the Zombie potion is tetrodotoxin.  This comes mainly from the puffer fish.  If you thought cyanide was deadly, then you have another thing coming.  Tetrodotoxinis estimated to be 100 times more deadly!

Despite its toxicity, tetrodotoxin, when precisely administered, can create a living death.  This in and of itself is strikingly similar to the tale of Romeo and Juliette.  Juliette takes a potion to fake her death so that she can ultimately run away with Romeo.  She is taken to the threshold of death, but is able to recover.  Unfortunately in her case, just in enough time to see Romeo end himself.

The administering of tetrodotoxin is not all that Haitian Sorcerers use to create their zombies.  What is unique is the subsequent administration of datura stramonium.  This is a mind-controlling drug that erases memory and leaves a patient in a delirious state.

In the Haitian culture there have been several documented cases of ‘dead’ people returning to their home towns years later fully alive and claiming zombification. 

Documented evidence of drugs powerful enough to replicate this type of death like state have been reported as early as 1937.


Lori Hardin

Social Networking

The Walking Dead launched a massive viral campaign, the Spread the Dead contest. When you register, you receive a unique url. Share the url through Facebook, Twitter, etc. The people with the most clicks on their link win prizes. The Walking Dead communicates to its fans through Facebook, Twitter, and an email newsletter. Also available on their site is a message board, a blog, and a room where people can watch the show and chat live on line.

Social networking has taken on an important role in the decisions we make when we choose our media, whether it be TV, movies, music, or anything else. Viral marketing campaigns spread information through the Internet, like advertisements, promos, and even contests. People can easily interact with others through online social networking. We don't even have to wait for the episode to be over before people start talking about it on the Internet. Word of mouth communication has become a powerful tool over the last few years, and AMC has used it well in promoting The Walking Dead.

John Byrne

AMC's Original Programming

Since the premier of Mad Men in 2007, AMC has produced nothing but highly acclaimed TV shows, Breaking Bad, last Summer's Rubicon, and the new Walking Dead. But did you know AMC has been producing original programming since 1996? Remember WENN ran from 1996 until 1998, until it was canceled due to new management despite the fact that it was highly successful and slated for a fifth season. The Lot ran from 1999 to 2001, but was not received well by fans or critics. In 2002, AMC changed its format and began playing a broader variety of movies and adding commercial breaks. The slogan changed to "story matters here." It is interesting to note that both shows were canceled just before the station changed its format. With the addition of corporate advertising sponsorship, AMC has been able to produce high quality original programming in the last few years.

AMC has also had a few flops other than The Lot. In 2004, they premiered a reality show called Film Makers, dubbed "the meanest show on television." Out of work actors were made to believe that they were about to start the role that would be their big break. At the end of the week, they were told that there was no movie and the whole thing was just a bad joke. Understandably, it fell right off the air. A 2009 miniseries called The Prisoner was based off a series from the 60s by the same name. It received a 46/100 from Metacritic. Rober Lloyd of the LA Times said that "why anyone, on either side of the screen, should be particularly interested in his fate, is never made clear nor compelling." However, a 2006 miniseries Broken Trail won five Primetime Emmy Awards

In the long run AMC has produced quite a bit of high quality original programming. From the looks of things, they may just have another hit with The Walking Dead.

John Byrne

Episode One of "The Walking Dead" by Lindsay Bays

Last night on Halloween at 10 pm, episode one aired of "The Walking Dead." About 5.3 million people tuned into watch the new AMC series.  It was the biggest audience ever for an original series from AMC.  It beat out its competitor's finale episode, Dead Set, on IFC that aired from 9:45 to 10:15 pm.

The first episode followed the first part of the first comic very closely.  I was glad to see that it stuck to the original story so well.  It was great to see it in live action.  The intro of the show was not in the beginning of the comic however;  but it was a great start for the episode because TV is obviously a lot different than reading a comic.  It really got the show going;  it gave a great preview to what the zombies will look like.  In the entire episode the zombie make up was great!  That made the show worth watching;  it was gory and realistic.  I feel like the quality of the show is really good.  It is rare to see any sort of made for TV zombie show or movie that was made with that high of quality.  I highly suggest this show to anyone that likes horror.

A Brief History of the AMC Network

American Movie Classics began broadcasting on October 1st, 1984. At first it was a pay cable channel, but in 1987 it switched to basic cable. During the 80s and 90s AMC featured classic films from the 1950s and earlier in their unedited, commercial free formats. In the late 90s, programming began to shift its focus to movies from the 50s and 60s. 2002 saw a drastic format change for the AMC network. It changed to a generalized movie channel, showing films primarily from the 1970s and beyond. AMC also began showing advertisements in between and during their movies. The full name "American Movie Classics" has been downplayed due to the programming changes.

In 1993, AMC founded the Film Preservation Festival, a movie marathon highlighting movies never before aired and "lost" movies. From 1997 through 2008 AMC featured a week long marathon of horror movies called "Monsterfest." Also, every Friday night, AMC runs a horror film double feature called "Fear Friday." Monsterfest was replaced with the new and improved "Fearfest" in 2008. As we anticipate the premiere of Walking Dead it is interesting to note that AMC has already been highlighting the horror genre for almost two decades!

John Byrne

Vampires, Wizards, and Zombies! Oh My!

Vampires, Wizards, and Zombies!  Oh My!  In a world full of Halloween horror flicks, Wizarding shows and diehard Twilight fans, is there room for a cable TV show about another made-believe-being take-over apocalypse?

Like the Twilight saga, the new television show on AMC, The Walking Dead, began in print form.  The Walking Dead came about first as a monthly black and white comic book published by Image Comics.  It was created in 2003 by both writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore (Moore has since been replaced by Charlie Adlard).

The images from the comic and the stills from the TV show do not strike me as entirely unique. 

Anyone has ever watched the hit TV series Heroes on ABC probably can imagine what the comic book images look like.  They strongly resemble Isaac Mendez’s paintings of the end of the world.  However, since Heroes came about three years after The Walking Dead, perhaps it would be more correct to say that Isaac Mendez’s paintings represent The Walking Dead comic book.

The stills already released for The Walking Dead seem very similar to the 2002 Blockbuster movie, 28 Days Later.  The characters always seem to be rushing to or from somewhere and the zombies are easily identifiable because of their mangled and bloody bodies.

In addition to the still images of the two shows representing each other, the story lines seem oddly familiar.

In 28 Days Later a main character, Jim, wakes from a coma in a hospital to find everything he thought he knew about his world to be gone and filled with zombies.  In The Walking Dead a main character, Rick Grimes, wakes up from a coma in the hospital to find the building and town overtaken by zombies.

In 28 Days Later, survivors band together on a journey to another city to find more survivors and to discover a cure, in the process battling the zombies and fighting for their lives.  In The Walking Dead, survivors band together, fight off the zombies and travel to new cities in search of the cure.

All in all, the two seem pretty similar.  But in a world that already seems full of made up beings, violence, crime, and horror flicks, is there room for a regularly programmed TV series about them?  Two recent TV Series’, Fox’s 24 and ABC’s Lost have shown that a plot really can be drug out in a series, literally for years (…well, as long as you don’t mind constant plot twists and other surprises).  The only way to find out for sure will be to tune in!

AMC has chosen the ultimate time slot to premier a zombie apocalypse:  Halloween Night at 10:00pm.  The show was first announced its intent to produce The Walking Dead after buying the rights in August 2010.  Filming began this past May.  As of now, six episodes have been made; hopefully more will be ordered after a successful premier.  

The Audience of The Walking Dead By Lindsay Bays

AMC is known for airing shows that appeal to an older audience. They tend to air shows that have diverse and original topics. From shows like Breaking Bad to Mad Men, they put on television shows that are high quality on cable network programming. Many of their shows, such as Mad Men win Emmy's and have the same quality as watching a show on HBO or Showtime. 

The new show premeiring on Halloween, The Walking Dead, I feel will be taylored to a specific audience. Zombie culture in general is usually an underground, cult following. From books to comics to TV shows about zombies the audience is very specific. I think that The Walking Dead series on AMC will draw in that specific crowd. I feel that the show will be successful because, as a zombie lover myself and chatting with others of the same interest, they have been waiting for something new for awhile now. The comic is also one of the biggest comics read in the zombie genre. Its a story that many zombie fans are farmiliar with and love. There has not been a high quality zombie show or film in awhile that zombie fans have been satisfied with, even George A. Romero has been slacking in making a good zombie film. His last zombie film, Survival of the Dead, just did not seem to have the high quality his last films did.

I have high hopes for the show due to the fact that all the zombie lovers out there are waiting for something new to watch. I predict that the show will be successful, maybe not on huge scale numbers, but has potential to develop a cult following and loyal fans.

Zombie Invasion Derailed by Emily Macke

Today in support of the new show The Walking Dead zombies flocked to major cities to showcase what will soon become a Sunday night showcase. But zombies in Washington D.C. had more to moan about than just their decrepit bodies and their hunger for brains. In preparation for the world wide zombie walk AMC and Fox International Channels (FIC) informed the local authorities of all major cities that they planned to attack. They let them know exactly where they were planning to walk and what turnout they expected for each city.

But the zombies were no match for the US Park Police. AMC warned the D.C. Police but when zombies attempted to enter the park containing the Lincoln Memorial they had to turn back around. What AMC and FIC didn't know was that any event in Washington D.C. not only needs a permit from the local police but also from the National Park Services group.

But their walk for brains was not cut short, a plan B lead them back down a different path, arriving and congregating in front of the American Pharmacists Association.

Video of the Washington, D.C. zombies can be found on the Washington Post website.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/10/26/VI2010102603146.html

Cincinnati Safe from Zombie Attacks by Emily Macke

This Tuesday, October 26th, AMC and Fox International Channels plan to stage the largest Zombie attack the world has ever seen. Starting in Taipei and Hong Kong and then spreading across the globe, AMC and FIC have recruited zombies to attack. At daybreak the infection will begin, aiming for the daily commute time period. Twenty six major cities across the world will be "infected" tomorrow. But not just anyone can dress like a zombie. There are strict rules they must follow, especially when it comes to makeup. All zombies must have makeup following the style of the show's head makeup designer Greg Nicotero. The "infection" is the largest zombie stunt aimed at promoting the new show The Walking Dead just a week before it's international premiere. But in true Hollywood fashion the infected zones tomorrow will conclude in Los Angeles with the LA premiere.


Fortunately for Cincinnatians there will not be a zombie outbreak at Fountain Square. CIties like London, Washington D.C., and Athens are being targeted specifically for their landmarks. Zombies will be concentrated around Big Ben, the Washington Memorial, and even the Acropolis (how appropriate). For a complete list of infected cities please take a look at the official press release from AMC and FIC.

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/10/25/amcs-drama-series-the-walking-dead-strikes-major-cities-worldwide-with-zombie-invasion/69527

"The Walking Dead" Walk onto Your IPod by Emily Macke

Now that the new series The Walking Dead is getting widespread attention there's a higher demand for the original comic books. Enough demand to even warrant a new app to be developed. The app itself has a precursor, Comics, developed by comiXology. Their app allows for comic book readers to download digital copies of their favorite comics, much like an electronic book reader would. Most issues cost between $1.99 and $2.99 depending on the comic and its popularity. One goal of this new app is to make the comics more affordable. The Walking Dead comics in paper back form cost $8.99. Robert Kirkman, writer of the comic book series sees this new app as a way to reach even more people with his story. Working with comiXology they attempt to make the comic book series more available to a widespread mix of generations.

The new Walking Dead app can be found on comiXology.com and through the iTunes store.

What is the Walking Dead? Emily Macke

This year AMC, most famous for their Emmy award winning show Mad Men, is set to release it’s own take on the ever popular theme of zombies.  Prior to their Halloween premiere, post-apocalyptic zombie themed television shows have flamed up and burnt out faster than a candle in the wind.  Shows like the UK’s ALIVE and non affiliated Lifeless have small followings at best.  But with the backing of AMC and Director Frank Darabont, The Walking Dead, is sure to walk right to the top of everyone’s list of favorites.  Darabont, director of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, has worked closely with writer Robert Kirkman, the creator of the comic book series The Walking Dead.  Originally, the comic book was released in 2003 by Image Comics.

Until the Halloween release of The Walking Dead the most similar show on television is Dead Set centered entirely on a post zombie apocalypse.  But despite a similar setting, Dead Set is remarkably different from The Walking Dead.  The BBC Network’s Dead Set entailed the fictional trials of Big Brother characters trapped inside the Big Brother house while zombies flourish and feast outside.  This show was meant to appeal to a younger demographic; if it were shown in the United States it would more than likely premiere on MTV or VH1.  While this tends to be the demographic that zombies appeal to, The Walking Dead seems to be attempting to appeal to a completely different demographic.

With it’s home on the AMC Network The Walking Dead seems to have set its sights on an older demographic, one that you might find watching Mad Men.  The production value alone seems to lend itself to a more mature age group, an age group that tends to be more loyal with its television habits.

In the past zombie shows have been aimed at a younger crowd.  Whether or not The Walking Dead’s choice of targeted demographic will pay off will soon be determined.

The Zombie, By John Byrne

Zombies trace their roots back to African Voodoo traditions.  In these beliefs, a dead body was turned zombie by a ritual performed by a witch doctor, and was under his control.  In more modern interpretations, zombies are turned by a epidemic, and do not have to be dead beforehand.  This brings to life the idea of a "zombie apocalypse," where the zombie infestation reaches such high proportions that society as a whole almost completely breaks down.  "The Walking Dead" is another chapter in the modern zombie story.