The Walking Dead (TV series)
On the 20th of January 2010, AMC officially announced that it had ordered a pilot for a possible series adapted from The Walking Dead comic book series. Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd acted as executive producers while Darabont wrote and directed the pilot episode. The entire series was pre-ordered based just on the strength of the source material, the television scripts, and Darabont's involvement. The pilot began filming in Atlanta, Georgia, on the 15th of May 2010, after AMC had officially ordered a six-episode first season. The series's remaining episodes began filming on the 2nd of June 2010, with Darabont serving as showrunner. On the 31st of August 2010, Darabont reported that The Walking Dead had been picked up for a second season, with production to begin in February 2011. On the 8th of November 2010, AMC confirmed that there would be a second season consisting of 13 episodes. He would also like to include some of the environmental elements that take place during Volume 2 of Kirkman's book.
The writing staff for the first season consisted of series developer and executive producer Frank Darabont, who wrote or co-wrote four of the six episodes. Executive producer Charles H. Eglee, executive producer and creator of the comic book Robert Kirkman, co-executive producer Jack LoGiudice, consulting producer Adam Fierro, and Glen Mazzara all contributed to one episode each. Along with Darabont, who directed the pilot episode, the remaining five were directed by Michelle MacLaren, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Johan Renck, Ernest Dickerson, and Guy Ferland respectively. On the 1st of December 2010, Deadline Hollywood reported that Darabont had fired his writing staff, including executive producer Charles Eglee, and planned to use freelance writers for the second season. Kirkman called the announcement premature and clarified that Eglee left to pursue other projects when Darabont decided to stay on as showrunner. No definitive plans had been made regarding the writing staff for the second season. In July 2011, series developer and showrunner Frank Darabont was fired from his position as showrunner for the series over unethical business practices from AMC higher-ups.
When sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes of King County, Georgia, wakes from a coma, he discovers the world has been overrun by zombies known as walkers. Rick befriends Morgan Jones and travels alone to Atlanta before finding his wife Lori, son Carl, and his police partner and best friend Shane Walsh in the woods with other survivors. After being attacked by walkers at night, the whole group travels back to Atlanta to the Centers for Disease Control building, but find from the sole remaining scientist that no cure yet exists for the pandemic. Rick's group, searching for Carol's missing daughter Sophia, takes shelter at a farm run by Hershel Greene. Tensions with Hershel's family worsen after it is discovered that he has a barn full of walkers: former friends and family members including Sophia.
Rick learns that Shane and Lori were romantically involved while he was in a coma, and that Lori is pregnant. Shane and Rick's friendship deteriorates until Rick is forced to kill Shane in self-defense. The commotion attracts walkers to the farm, forcing Rick's group and Hershel's family to evacuate. Eight months after fleeing the farm, Rick's group finds a remote prison which they make their new home after clearing it of walkers. Lori dies from an emergency C section, and Rick starts to become unhinged and hallucinate. Andrea was rescued by Michonne and the two discover Woodbury, a fortified town led by a deceitful man known as the Governor who seeks to destroy the group at the prison. Conflict erupts between the two groups leading to the fall of Woodbury, but the Governor kills Andrea and escapes.
The Walking Dead is predominantly filmed in Georgia. Since 2002, the state has offered a tax incentive for large film productions to drive producers to the state and bolster its economy. Production for subsequent seasons moved mainly to Riverwood Studios, doing business as Raleigh Studios Atlanta, a plot of land covering approximately 135 acres located outside of Senoia, Georgia. Some existing buildings were used here, such as a subdivision that is used by several families, which serves as the Alexandria Safe-Zone. Other buildings are constructed as sets, such as the exterior shots of the main Hilltop mansion, the trash heaps used by the Scavengers, or Father Gabriel's church.
Sets are torn down when no longer needed; the church, after its use in the fifth season, was removed and its spot used for the iconic setting for the first meeting between Rick's group and Negan in the seventh season. The property includes sound stages constructed for interior shots, which then may be reused; the interior sets for the prison during the third season were reused to serve as the buildings and sets for the Savior's Sanctuary in the seventh season. In July 2017, AMC purchased the studio lot from Riverwood for $8.25 million. Woodbury, during the third season, was filmed in downtown Senoia. Other exceptions include the Kingdom, which is filmed at the former military base Fort McPherson, now converted to studios for Tyler Perry.
Andrew Lincoln played the series's protagonist Rick Grimes since the pilot. Lincoln announced his plan to leave the show at the start of the ninth season, finding that having to spend half a year in the United States for filming left him missing out on his family in the United Kingdom. Lincoln completed five episodes in the season to close out Rick's storyline within the series. Lauren Cohan played Maggie Greene since the second season. As contract negotiations began for the ninth season, Cohan had been given the opportunity to star in Whiskey Cavalier, limiting how much time she would be able to give to the show.
Danai Gurira played Michonne since the third season, and announced that she would be leaving the show after the tenth season, participating in a handful of episodes balanced against her other acting commitments. Both Lennie James as Morgan Jones and Austin Amelio as Dwight were transferred from the main series after season eight to the spinoff series Fear the Walking Dead. James joined the cast of Fear the Walking Dead in season four and Amelio joined the cast in season five. Casting salaries for the principal actors have grown significantly over the course of the show, up through the seventh season. Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride, playing Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier respectively, had made around $100,000 per episode during the first season, and by the seventh season, had gotten up to $350,000 per episode.
The first six seasons and the ninth, tenth and eleventh seasons of The Walking Dead have been well reviewed by recognized critics, while the seventh and eighth seasons received more mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an average score of 80%. For the first season, 87% of 100 Rotten Tomatoes critics gave it a positive review, with an average score of 7.35 out of 10. That site's consensus states: Blood-spattered, emotionally resonant, and white-knuckle intense, The Walking Dead puts an intelligent spin on the overcrowded zombie subgenre.
During its first season, The Walking Dead attracted between four and six million viewers. Viewership began to increase in its second season. During seasons three to seven, it attracted ten to seventeen million viewers. In 2012, during its third season, it became the first cable series in television history to have the highest total viewership of any series during the fall season among 18- to 49-year-old adults. In 2014, total viewership for the show's fifth-season premiere was 17.3 million, making it the most-watched series episode in cable history. Ratings began to decline during season seven and continued to steadily drop thereafter. The ratings decline was attributed to a variety of factors, including Rick's presumed death. By the end of season nine, the show had fewer viewers than it had at any time since its first season.
In December 2013, Darabont and his agents from Creative Artists Agency filed a lawsuit against AMC in a New York court, citing breach of contract. A central part of Darabont's lawsuit accuses AMC of denying him and the CAA the promised profits from the success of the series, based on how AMC had used vertical integration in producing and distributing The Walking Dead. As stated in Darabont's filing, he had initially entered into a contract with AMC to have a third-party studio produce the series, from which he would have obtained 12.5% of that entity's profits, after standard deductions. AMC wanted to produce the series in-house, and for the first season, Darabont's lawyers had been assured that Darabont would be protected from self-dealing fees by having AMC commit to imputed license fees equivalent to those of other independent studios.
Darabont's suit contends that when the series's popularity took off, AMC presented a license fee deal to Darabont around February 2011 that used an unconscionably low license fee formula such that AMC could report the series running at a loss and ensuring that Darabont would never see any profit from the series. At the end of the discovery phase in September 2016, Darabont's lawyers stated they were seeking damages of over $280 million; AMC stated they would vigorously defend against the lawsuit. By July 2021, AMC reported they had settled with Darabont and CAA for $30 million and future royalty payments. In August 2017, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Charles Eglee, Glen Mazzara and David Alpert filed similar lawsuits against AMC, citing breach of contract over profits owed to them as a result of AMC's vertical integration.
AMC has created a franchise of related media, including the spin-off series Fear the Walking Dead which premiered on the 23rd of August 2015. The series focused on the transition into the outbreak. The series ended on the 19th of November 2023, after the conclusion of the eighth and final season. The Walking Dead: World Beyond was announced in April 2019 as a 10-episode limited series created by Scott M. Gimple and Matthew Negrete. The series focuses on the first generation of children that have grown up during the zombie apocalypse who call themselves Endlings.
The series premiered on the 4th of October 2020, and ended on the 5th of December 2021, after two seasons. Tales of the Walking Dead was greenlit in October 2021 as a six-episode series which premiered on the 14th of August 2022, and ended on the 18th of September 2022. Channing Powell served as showrunner. It is an episodic anthology series that features new and existing characters within The Walking Dead universe. The Walking Dead: Dead City premiered on the 18th of June 2023, starring Cohan and Morgan as their characters Maggie and Negan respectively. They are also executive producing with Eli Jorné, who is serving as showrunner.
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Common questions
When did The Walking Dead TV series officially premiere?
The Walking Dead TV series premiered on the 4th of October 2010. AMC announced the pilot order on the 20th of January 2010, and filming began in Atlanta, Georgia, on the 15th of May 2010.
Who were the executive producers for the first season of The Walking Dead?
Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd acted as executive producers for the first season of The Walking Dead. Robert Kirkman served as an executive producer and creator of the comic book source material while Charles H. Eglee also held that title during production.
Where was The Walking Dead filmed throughout its run?
The Walking Dead is predominantly filmed in Georgia with production moving to Riverwood Studios outside Senoia after the initial seasons. Some specific locations include Fort McPherson for the Kingdom setting and downtown Senoia for Woodbury scenes.
How much money did Frank Darabont receive from his lawsuit settlement against AMC?
AMC settled with Frank Darabont and Creative Artists Agency for $30 million plus future royalty payments by July 2021. The lawsuit filed in December 2013 alleged breach of contract regarding profit sharing and vertical integration practices.
When did Fear the Walking Dead spinoff series end its final season?
Fear the Walking Dead ended on the 19th of November 2023 following its eighth and final season. The series premiered on the 23rd of August 2015 and focused on the transition into the zombie outbreak period.