The Walking Dead (TV Series)



On August 12, 2009, it was announced that the cable station AMC had picked up the rights to produce a television series based on the comic The Walking Dead. Frank Darabont will write, direct and serve as an executive producer.

In March 2010 it was announced that AMC ordered six episodes for the first season, the pilot will begin filming on 15 May 2010. The series was scheduled for debut on AMC in October 31 2010.

Executive Producer Frank Darabont has said that the TV Series is not intended to be just a miniseries. AMC greenlit a 13 episode season for season 2. Season 2 debuted on October 16, 2011 at 9 p.m. with the first episode "What Lies Ahead" premiere with a 90-minute run time.

Due to either the the strained relationship with AMC, his failure to conform to the schedule of a TV series or most likely due to the shows reduced budget, Frank Darabont was released from being the show-runner in place of Glenn Mazzara ("Wildfire" director and writer). The controversy surrounding Darabont's departure has sparked magazine articles say that two or more of the said reasons was to blame.

Season 1

 * 1) "Days Gone Bye"
 * 2) "Guts"
 * 3) "Tell It to the Frogs"
 * 4) "Vatos"
 * 5) "Wildfire"
 * 6) "TS-19"

Webisodes

 * 1) "A New Day"
 * 2) "Family Matters"
 * 3) "Domestic Violence"
 * 4) "Neighborly Advice"
 * 5) "Step Mother"
 * 6) "Everything Dies"

Season 2

 * 1) "What Lies Ahead"
 * 2) "Bloodletting"
 * 3) "Save The Last One"
 * 4) "Cherokee Rose"
 * 5) "Chupacabra"
 * 6) "Secrets"
 * 7) "Pretty Much Dead Already"
 * 8) Nebraska

Starring

 * Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, a King County sheriff's deputy who woke from a coma to an undead apocalypse.
 * Jon Bernthal as Shane Walsh, Rick's partner and best friend since high school.
 * Sarah Wayne Callies as Lori Grimes, Rick's wife. Believing Rick to be dead, she followed Shane to Atlanta. Shane harbors feelings for her.
 * Laurie Holden as Andrea, an attorney who was on a road trip with her sister Amy when the apocalypse occurred.
 * Jeffrey DeMunn as Dale Horvath, the owner of the Winnebago around which the others, particularly Andrea, have formed a community.
 * Steven Yeun as Glenn, a pizza delivery boy who knows every shortcut in Atlanta.
 * Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes, the son of Rick and Lori. He fled with Lori and Shane after the apocalypse.
 * Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, the survivor camp's hunter.
 * IronE Singleton as T-Dog, the camp's only African American left, whose been proven usefull by going on many trips to Atlanta with other members of the group.
 * Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier, a mother and wife in the apocalypse whose husband recently died in a zombie attack on the camp.
 * Madison Lintz as Sophia Peletier, the daughter of Carol in the apocalypse whose dad recently died in a zombie attack on the camp.
 * Scott Wilson as Hershel Greene, the father of Maggie and Beth, owns a farm house that the surviors will encounter this season.
 * Lauren Cohan as Maggie Greene, the daughter of Hershel, stays at a farmhouse with her dad and Otis that the survivors will encounter this season.
 * Pruitt Taylor Vince as Otis, the Greene family's neighbor who stays at their farmhouse.
 * James McCune as Jimmy, a survivor who lives at Hershel's farm. He is dating Beth Greene
 * Emily Kinny as Beth Greene, Hershel's youngest daughter, Maggie's little sister, dating a boy named Jimmy.
 * Jane McNeill as Patricia, Otis's girlfriend and the Greene family neighbor, staying at their house.

Co-Stars

 * Lennie James as Morgan Jones, one of the first survivors Rick encounters.
 * Adrian Kali Turner as Duane Jones, the son of Morgan Jones, and one of the first survivors the Rick encounters.
 * Michael Rooker as Merle Dixon, Daryl's older brother, who Rick handcuffed to the roof of a department store and was forced to cut his hand off to escape; his whereabouts are currently unknown.
 * Juan Pareja as Morales, a husband and father of two, who left the main group during Wildfire. His status is currently unknown.
 * Viviana Chavez-Vega as Miranda Morales, a wife and mother of two, who followed her husband. Her status is currently unknown.
 * Maddie Lomax as Eliza Morales, the daughter of Miranda and Morales, whose status is currently unknown.
 * Noah Lomax as Louis Morales, the son of Miranda and Morales, whose status is currently unknown.
 * Neil Brown Jr. as Guillermo, a.k.a. "G" who is the leader of the Vatos, who used to be a custodian.
 * Anthony Gujardo as Miguel, a member of the Vatos gang.
 * Noel G. as Felipe, a nurse moonlighting as a Vatos gang member.
 * James Gonzaba as Jorge, a Vatos gang member.
 * Gina Morelli as Abuela, an eldery women who stays at the nursing home. She is Felipe's grandma.

Guest Stars Emma Bell as Amy, a college senior whom was traveling with her older sister Andrea during the outbreak. Andrew Rothenberg as Jim, the survivor camp's mechanic. Jeryl Prescott Sales as Jacqui, an African American survivor, who chose suicide at the CDC as it exploded. Adam Minarovich as Ed Peletier, a father and husband who beat his wife, he recently died in a zombie attack on the camp. </li>Noah Emmerich</a> as Dr. Edwin Jenner</a>, a CDC doctor, who chose suicide at the CDC as it exploded. </li>Keisha Tills as Jenny Jones</a> </li></ul> <h3 data-rte-washtml="1" data-rte-line-start="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">Uncredited <ul data-rte-washtml="1" data-rte-line-start="true"><li data-rte-washtml="1">(Fill in here) </li></ul>

Development
Calls went out for zombie extras for the Fairlie-Poplar District, Atlanta, for at least two weekends: June 11-13 and July 2-4 2010. All extras must be trained in "zombie school." Classes include "How To Speak Without Vowels" and "Shambling 101."

Reception
The show currently scores 85 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 25 reviews, indicating Universal acclaim. In a cover article Entertainment Weekly called The Walking Dead "The Best New Show on TV". Nancy deWolf Smith from The Wall Street Journal said that the "pilot episode [is] so good that it has hooked even a zombie hater like me." She said that what made the show so good was that it feels real and looks cinematic. Heather Havrilesky of Salon.com included the show on their list of 9 new TV shows to not miss, giving it a grade of "A", with the author saying "A film-quality drama series about zombies? Somebody pinch me!"

The pilot received 5.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched premiere episode of any AMC television series.