Why 'The Walking Dead' Is Far From Dead

Regardless of Internet comment sections or disparaging speculation pieces, AMC's The Walking Dead [...]

By Brandon Davis

Regardless of Internet comment sections or disparaging speculation pieces, AMC's The Walking Dead won't be going anywhere.

The zombie drama is far from dead. Though many of its key original characters are no longer and its ratings are not reaching heights of 17 million live viewers, the AMC series has a lot of ground left to cover before it is no more. It remains the top-rated show on cable and has plenty of fans thoroughly invested in both its characters and the cast members playing them, which are mere factors in why it will, like the walkers in its mythology, remain upright and pushing forward.

Let's take a look at some of the reasons The Walking Dead, eight years later, is here to stay...

The Ratings

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(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)

Many fans look at The Walking Dead ratings and see numbers which don't stack up to the ratings highs or previous season. It's certainly not pulling in 17 million viewers as it did, twice.

Yes, The Walking Dead pulled in more than 17 million viewers, but on literally two occasions in more than 100 efforts. Furthermore, by now, the least watched live episodes have exceeded such figures as AMC focuses more on post-broadcast numbers which include those which come in beyond the Live+3 or Live+7 ratings. Viewing schedules have shifted and people are learning to watch their favorite television shows at their leisure with online content becoming more and more popular.

Furthermore, more than eight million people watch episodes of The Walking Dead on average live recently. Such numbers continue to earn the AMC zombie drama the title of top-rated show on cable. Its sibling series pulls in closer to three million viewers on a weekly basis and continues to be renewed. The Walking Dead's ratings are less desirable than in years past but more desirable than any other show on cable.

The Characters

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(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)

The Walking Dead has a slew of characters lined into its narrative. The loss of Carl hurts and will certainly take out a portion of the fanbase as nearly all deaths do but there is sufficient padding for the impact.

While Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Lauren Cohan, Melissa McBride, Danai Gurira, and Lennie James won't might not do the show until its final episode, the new cast members have already been lined up to carry the torch in the event every cast member from Season Three or earlier exits. Names like Ross Marquand, Tom Payne, Alanna Masterson, and Khary Payton could make their way to top billing as the show sees a shift in core characters.

As much as it would be a shame to Rick and his band of survivors from the beginning of the show go, it's more likely the cast members go before the show does, as the show has lined itself with extra characters to carry on the overarching narrative.

The Comics

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With or without the core characters, The Walking Dead comics have laid the foundation for the story continue for years.

In fact, fans are already eager to see the Whisperer War realized in live-action, proving once again that shows with comic book source material have a built-in interest in their future. The comics, however, have already far surpassed any Whisperer War story and are now expanding the world beyond any scenario fans could have imagined.

If any group of AMC's The Walking Dead's survivors is to roll up to the Commonwealth community, meeting a group of 50,000 thriving survivors, it would be the closest thing to a completely fresh start the show would ever see.

The Spinoffs

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As noted earlier, Fear the Walking Dead pulls in more than 50% less viewerships than The Walking Dead recently but continues to be renewed. This isn't the only indication of The Walking Dead's survival, though.

Fear the Walking Dead and other efforts to expand The Walking Dead universe (and therefore the brand) are dependant on having a flagship series to serve as the central driving force moving forward. While The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead may eventually come closer to one another in terms of ratings, one series will have to be the main show. In fact, some speculation claims they may merge into one series somewhere down the line, meaning The Walking Dead would likely consume its sibling and keep its viewers if characters like Alicia Clark and Victor Strand become key parts of flagship's story.

The Crew

TWD Nicotero
(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)

The expansions to The Walking Dead universe were promised when AMC found it necessary to move showrunner Scott Gimple to a position of Chief Content Officer. It is a role described to oversee all content and future expansions.

Now, Angela Kang steps in as showrunner on The Walking Dead, likely producing some of the more character driven episodes. Fear the Walking Dead also saw an overhaul, with Ian Goldberg and Andrew Chambliss stepping in to co-showrun the sibling series. Executive producers like Gale Anne Hurd and Greg Nicotero also receive such credit on both shows, proving further integration of the larger narrative.

The behind-the-scenes team on The Walking Dead is invested in creating a quality product for as long as it is profitable. The zombie drama won't and shouldn't be going anywhere any time soon.

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