Both Breaking Bad and Mad Men didn’t have very long runs on AMC, but the network doesn’t see an end in sight for its most successful product, The Walking Dead. Indeed, it doesn’t even look like the companion series will end with Fear The Walking Dead.
In an interview with Vulture, AMC network chief Charlie Collier and programming boss Joel Stillerman said that they aren’t thinking about how The Walking Dead will end. The show is in the middle of its sixth season and is based on Robert Kirkman’s comic series.
“The answer to how long the show will go on in some way is directly correlated with the health of the storytelling in the comics,” Stillerman told the site. “Those comics are firing on all cylinders. He still writes every line of dialogue in those books, and is as engaged as he was when I think he was sitting around in Kentucky writing the first issue. That is very much part of the DNA of the show. He sort of felt like, in real life, this goes on for a very long time. We’re along for that ride.”
Collier said that they are “not actively talking about the end of The Walking Dead.”
“As a brand, we’re very sensitive to making sure that every aspect of it feels fresh and original, and that it’s not treated in any way that’s derivative or taken for granted,” Collier continued. “Our planning is current and future-focused, and it is not focused on the end at this time.”
Collier also said that if Kirkman had another story to tell, they would be open to another companion series, although they are not in talks to make another one yet. He stressed that they do not want to make a traditional spin-off that would feature a character or two from the main Walking Dead series. They would want to do another show like Fear, which doesn’t include any Walking Dead characters.
“I’m a huge believer in Robert and the executive producers of these shows. We wanted to create a place where they would bring us their creative dreams and bring us their passion projects,” Collier said. “If Robert had another one, we would absolutely engage. This is a world that is rich enough to handle it. Right now we’re just focused on these two.”
The Walking Dead’s sixth season resumes on Feb. 14.