In an unsurprising move, AMC has gone ahead and renewed The Walking Dead, after only three episodes of season four.
“We are very happy to make what has to be one of the most anti-climactic renewal announcements ever: The Walking Dead is renewed for a fifth season,” Charlie Collier, AMC president, said in a statement, reports Deadline. “This is a show that has erased traditional distinctions between cable and broadcast,” Collier added, going on to thank the show’s fans for their support.
The Walking Dead continues to gain steam, with each season premiere outdoing the last. Season four kicked off earlier this month with 16.1 million viewers tuning in to see it as it aired. Adding in later viewings, the total climbs to 20 million, notes Variety.
The show is based on the comic book written by Robert Kirkman and is focused on a group of survivors, lead by Rick (Andrew Lincoln), following a zombie apocalypse. In September, AMC announced that it is developing a spin-off that will focus on another group of survivors. The network also broadcasts The Talking Dead with Chris Hardwick live after each new episode.
AMC said that Scott Gimple will stay on as showrunner in season five.
image: AMC