- The comic it is based on is phenomenal and writer/creator Robert Kirkman is one of the best comic writers out there write now.
- AMC has been knocking it out of the park with their original programming... Breaking Bad, Mad Men and Rubicon are all critically and fan acclaimed, and receive both high ratings and are showered with awards.
- Frank Darabont is made to direct creepy ass shit like this. Not really straight horror, more like compelling drama with a supernatural twist. Check out The Green Mile & The Mist for proof of this. He does drama better than TNT, and if you add a freaky twist to it... well, then it just makes him a better choice.
- It premiered on Halloween night, and on a Sunday. If Halloween would have fell on a Friday or Saturday, than no one would have watched this show (at least that night... Tivo anyone?) But a Sunday, which is when the show will air anyway... the stars aligned for this one.
- They are keeping the blood and gore... god, is there a lot of blood and gore. Many people thought AMC was gonna cut down on the blood & guts and raise the drama factor. Check out this clip for proof that while there will be tons of dramatic moments, this show will be true to the source material:
Well guess what... it worked!!! AMC got 5.3 million viewers for the 10 pm premiere, and picked up another 2.8 million in the 11:30 pm replay that immediately followed. That accounts for 8.1 million viewers on Sunday night alone, and that's not factoring in DVR/Tivo stats which come out later. This is the highest viewership ever on AMC. This show did all it could ever have been expected to do and more. Congrats to Kirkman, Darabont, the cast & crew, and everyone over at AMC. I hope the show lives up to the lofty heights that the pilot has reached, and since its already been picked up for a full (12 episodes) Season 2 run chances are it will pan out. What were your thoughts on The Walking Dead premiere... did you like it or hate it? Tell us in the comments section below. We want to hear your comments!!!
So far...so GREAT!
ReplyDeleteI tuned in expecting, basically, a great zombie film elongated and chopped into parts to fill a season. What I'm getting is a great plot driven dramatic thriller with some of the greatest zombie kills and rules of action against them. 'AMC Sunday' night just manhandled 'HBO Sunday' night out from under them. At least at my house.
Easy Jeff... HBO is still on top. Boardwalk is phenomenal, as is Eastbound and Down and Bored to Death (and those are just the shows airing now!!!)They got Game of Thrones, more True Blood, and god knows what else coming down the pipe. Showtime still has Dexter, so they are high up as well... and AMC is probably third. Tivo/DVR/On-Demand will have to win out here somehow. It does make AMC a competitor, and thats amazing. Who would have thought zombies would take AMC (which is so highbrow) to new heights!!! Great show, only good things to come.
ReplyDeleteDon't you 'easy' me, friend!
ReplyDeleteHBO wins on quantity...for now. I won't dis my boys 'Eastbound...' and 'Bored to Death' or my old pal 'In Treatment' because they've been good to me.
AMC easily bests Showtime though. IMHO all Showtime has these days is 'Dexter' which seems to be waining a bit this season. Californication and Weeds can't touch 'Walking Dead', 'Mad Men', 'Rubicon'....and I haven't seen 'Breaking Bad' as of yet but my guess is that it ruins most of Showtime's original shows.
Let's just say AMC is building one hell of a nest egg.
All I can say is that after watching 'The Walking Dead' I went back home and kept looking over my shoulder expecting a zombie attack
ReplyDeleteOnly you nerds would fight over what STATION airs the best shows.
ReplyDeleteWalking Dead....I love you.
No fight. I win. HBO rules the roost on Sunday niights... no questions. And despite the fact that Showtime only has Dexter, that is still enough to beat out The Walking Dead. Dexter is phenomenal and has had 4 solid seasons. it has a well deserved following. Now with that said, maybe in the future The Walking Dead will become the best show ever... but for no, it gets DVR'ed in order to watch Boardwalk at 9pm and Dexter at 10pm.... just saying!
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