‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘Stranger Things’ Named Most In-Demand Shows of 2018

The inaugural Global TV Demand Awards took place in Miami, Florida earlier this week and two of the world’s most talked-about series were given the top prizes.

According to Parrot Analytics (via Deadline), The Walking Dead and Stranger Things were named the most in-demand shows in the world for 2018. The Walking Dead was the most in-demand TV series, while Stranger Things was the Most In-Demand Digital Original Series in the World. Given the popularity of both series amongst fans, that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

For The Walking Dead, stars Josh McDermitt and Pollyanna McIntosh were at the ceremony to accept the award, along with producer Denise Huth.

Stranger Things became a quick phenomenon for Netflix when it was initially released in summer 2016. The nostalgia-heavy sci-fi series was an instant hit with fans, and was known around the world in just a matter of weeks. The second season arrived with critical acclaim in October 2017, though there have been no new episodes since. The cast and crew have taken their time preparing the anticipated third season, which was recently given a July 4th premiere date.

The Walking Dead has been a hit for AMC for nearly a decade. Though the ratings have been declining over the past couple years, the zombie horror series remains a Sunday night staple, and one of the most-watched shows on cable television. In addition to the traditional viewers that watch The Walking Dead live on television, the show enjoys plenty of viewers on-demand and on AMC’s new premiere streaming service.

After saying goodbye to long-time series lead Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead‘s Season 9 midseason finale introduced the show’s next wave of villains: The Whisperers. Samantha Morton will portray the leader of the group, Alpha, while Sons of Anarchy alum Ryan Hurst is set to play her dangerous right hand man, Beta.

“The Whisperers are this really unique adversary in our world,” The Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang said. “They’re a group that’s decided, ‘The world belongs to the walkers now so what we’re gonna do is walk with the walkers.’ The way that they look at the world, the way that they approach making their way through the world is pretty terrifying. It’s hardcore.”

Stranger Things returns with new episodes on July 4th on Netflix, while The Walking Dead returns to AMC on February 10th.