The Walking Dead Returns With Record Ratings
AMC’s blockbuster series The Walking Dead returned for the second half of its third season on Sunday. Despite heavy competition from The 55th Grammy Awards and Once Upon a Time, The Walking Dead stood its ground and delivered record-setting ratings.
The Walking Dead and its cast of apocalyptic zombies and survivors grabbed 12.3 million viewers, which is the most viewers the show has ever recorded. If you include the encore telecast, the show’s total viewership was almost 17 million for the night.
Charlie Collier, AMC’s president was elated and had this to say of the show’s phenomenal success: “When you look at the numbers like this, the first thing that comes to mind is how grateful we are to the fans of this show. They embrace The Walking Dead in a way that we wanted to believe was possible but we never take for granted. The cast and crew put everything they have into making this show. They’re a phenomenally talented group who truly give their all. We congratulate everyone involved.”
In addition to it’s ratings victory, Entertainment Weekly has called The Walking Dead “the greatest thriller ever produced for television.” The show has almost 15 million likes on Facebook, and on Sunday night The Walking Dead was a top trend on Twitter and Yahoo.
Based on the comic book of the same name, The Walking Dead tells the story of the months and years that follow the zombie apocalypse. It follows a group of survivors lead by Sheriff Rick Grimes, who hopes to find a secure and safe haven from the zombies.
The Walking Dead will likely continue its devouring of the ratings despite some behind-the-scenes drama. The show was renewed for a fourth season, however it will proceed without executive producer Glen Mazzara who left the show during the hiatus.