'The Walking Dead' Hits Another New Series Low In The Ratings

A slight drop in The Walking Dead's ratings have set another record on the wrong side of the spectrum.

The Walking Dead Episode 9x07 aired on Sunday night, earning a total audience of 4.79 million viewers for a 1.8 rating in the key 18 to 49 demographic. It is the least-watched-live episode in the series' history, though it is not quite the drop some might have expected to see in the weeks since Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes left the series. The previous record, the first to dip below Season One's numbers, was held by Episode 9x02. It drew slightly less total viewers but earned a 2.0 rating in the key demo.

One week prior, The Walking Dead Episode 9x06 drew a 2.0 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, with 5.1 million total viewers. It was a minor drop from Rick's final episode, which drew a 2.1 rating. The AMC zombie show has proved to be strong in Live+3 numbers, though, as Episode 9x05 boasted a total of 8 million viewers in that time frame, nabbing a 3.2 rating.

Though the AMC series is without its leading man from its first eight seasons, executive producer Greg Nicotero is optimistic about what's coming. "I mean, there's so much great story coming up and you know I've done a lot of press and talked about Samantha Morton and The Whisperers, and we've been teasing a lot of that in this last promo," Nicotero told ComicBook.com. "It really just feels like a different show." Critical praise and fan appreciation for recent episodes might help boost the falling numbers in the right direction.

The Walking Dead Episode 9x07 was titled, "Stradivarius." The official synopsis for Stradivarius reas, "Carol seeks out an old friend living alone in a wilderness teeming with walkers; survivors make the perilous trek to a new home." The episode was directed by former Abraham Ford actor Michael Cudlitz on a script from Vivian Tse.

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET. Fear the Walking Dead will return for its fifth season in 2019. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter and watch ComicBook.com's After The Dead each Sunday night following new episodes.

(via SpoilerTV)