The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead is an American horror television drama series developed by Frank Darabont. It is based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The series stars Andrew Lincoln as sheriff's deputy^[2] Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world dominated by flesh-eating "walkers", resembling zombies. He sets out to find his family and encounters many other survivors along the way. The title of the series refers to the survivors, and not the zombies.^[3]

The Walking Dead premiered on October 31, 2010, on the cable television channel AMC in the United States.^[4] It premiered internationally during the first week of November 2010 on Fox International Channels.^[5] Based on its reception, AMC renewed the series for a second season of 13 episodes, which premiered on October 16, 2011.^[6]^[7] Two episodes into the second season, AMC announced that the show would return for a third season of 16 episodes, which began airing on October 14, 2012.^[8] On December 21, 2012, AMC renewed The Walking Dead for a fourth season of 16 episodes.^[9]

The series has been well received^[10]^[11] and has received many award nominations including ones for the Writers Guild of America Award^[12] and a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series (Drama).^[13] The series has also attained strong Nielsen ratings, surpassing various records for a cable series, including receiving 12.4 million viewers for its season three finale to become the most-watched drama series telecast in basic cable history.^[14]

Series overview

Main article: List of The Walking Dead episodes

Based on the comic book series of the same name, The Walking Dead tells the story of a small group of survivors living in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse.^[15] Most of the story takes place in the Atlanta metropolitan area and then the surrounding countryside of northern Georgia, as the survivors search for a safe haven away from the shuffling hordes of predatory "walkers" or "biters" (as the zombies are referred to in the show), who devour any living thing they catch, and whose bite is infectious to humans. The plot is focused primarily on the dilemmas the group faces as they struggle to balance their humanity with their survival against the zombie horde, and later, how they cope with members being killed and deal with other human survivors they encounter, many of whom are dangerous and predatory themselves.

The group is led by Rick Grimes, who was a sheriff's deputy^[2] before the zombie outbreak. At every turn they are faced with the horror of the walking zombies, the changing dynamic of their group, and hostility from the scattered remains of a struggling human populace who are focused on their own survival now that the structures of society have collapsed.

Season 1 (2010)

Main article: The Walking Dead (season 1)

The series begins with sheriff's deputy^[2] Rick Grimes being wounded in a shootout with armed criminals. He then wakes up weeks later from a coma in an abandoned and badly damaged hospital. Upon leaving, Rick discovers a post-apocalyptic world overrun with zombies (or "walkers", as they are often referred to in-show). Rick also discovers his wife and son are missing, and encounters two survivors — Morgan and his son Duane — who explain the situation to him. Acting on a rumor that the two had heard, he arms himself and begins a perilous journey to Atlanta, Georgia, where the CDC is said to have set up a quarantined safe-zone in the city. Upon reaching Atlanta, he soon discovers the city has instead been overrun by walkers.

A few miles outside the city, Rick's wife Lori and son Carl have been hiding from the walkers with Shane Walsh, Rick's partner and best friend, who has fallen in love with Lori. They have established a camp with a small group of fellow survivors. After being rescued from Atlanta by members of the group and reunited with Lori and Carl, Rick assumes command with Shane. A band of walkers eventually attacks the camp and kills several people. The remainder flee to seek aid from the CDC.

In the CDC, all but one staff member, Dr. Edwin Jenner, have either fled or committed suicide. Dr. Jenner explains that his research into the infection has not yielded a cure, and he has not been in contact with anyone for a long while. Lack of fuel for the emergency generators soon initiates the building's safety protocols, which will trigger an explosion designed to destroy the facility and prevent the escape of deadly diseases. Jenner and Jacqui, a member of Rick's group, decide to stay and end their struggle. Dr. Jenner whispers something into Rick's ear, and the group escapes just as the CDC is incinerated in the explosion.

Season 2 (2011–12)

Main article: The Walking Dead (season 2)

The second season begins with Rick and his group of survivors' escaping the CDC. They decide that Fort Benning will be their next destination. Along the way, they encounter a traffic jam of abandoned vehicles on Interstate 85. The group loots several vehicles but is forced to hide under them as a large herd of walkers approaches. A walker chases Carol's daughter, Sophia, out from her hiding spot and, with another walker, pursues her into the woods. Rick finds her but loses her again after drawing off the walkers. While searching for Sophia, a hunter named Otis accidentally shoots Carl. To get help for him, Otis leads Rick and Shane to a large, isolated farm owned by a veterinarian named Hershel Greene, then helps Shane look for medical supplies; after getting them, Shane hurts his leg and sacrifices Otis to the walkers so he can get away. The survivors then move to the farm while Carl recovers, trying to coexist with Hershel's family, but dangerous secrets and disagreements over leadership cause tensions to rise. Lori is revealed to be pregnant (she is not sure whether Rick or Shane is the father), and Glenn builds a romantic relationship with Maggie, Hershel's eldest daughter. Glenn also discovers that the barn is full of walkers, some of whom are Hershel's family members. After Shane releases the walkers to be exterminated, Sophia appears as one of them and Rick reluctantly shoots her.

Hershel disappears to grieve for his family and is found by Rick and Glenn drinking at a local tavern, where they meet two other survivors. The situation rapidly turns sour and Rick kills the two men in a gunfight. The dead men's group quickly finds and opens fire on Rick, Hershel, and Glenn at the bar. The noise attracts a large herd of walkers, and one of the attackers, Randall, is injured and left behind. Rick and the others take him back to the farm, where they realize Randall is likely to reveal the farm's location to his former group. As Rick and the others deliberate on what to do with Randall, a walker fatally wounds Dale, forcing Daryl to euthanize him. The group later conducts a search for Randall, whom Shane had secretly released and murdered in the woods. Daryl and Glenn find him — as a walker — and kill him. Daryl concludes that a broken neck caused Randall's death and subsequent reanimation, rather than a walker's bite or scratch. Meanwhile, Shane and Rick confront each other — the former having planned the fake search so he could murder Rick. Rick gets the upper hand and stabs Shane in the torso, killing him. Carl arrives just in time to see Shane revive as a walker, and shoots him down.

The gunshot attracts a large herd of other walkers, who quickly overrun the property. In the ensuing battle and escape, Jimmy and Patricia are devoured, and Andrea is left behind. Andrea survives on her own, and is later rescued by a hooded woman accompanied by chained, armless walkers. The remaining survivors regroup but are forced to make camp due to lack of gasoline. After hearing of Randall's fate, Rick finally reveals what Jenner whispered to him at the CDC: every survivor is infected with the walker virus. As the group questions Rick's leadership later that night, a large prison looms in a pan out of the final scene.

Season 3 (2012–13)

Main article: The Walking Dead (season 3)

The third season begins several months after the group escaped the farm: Lori is in the final days of her pregnancy, during which they stumble upon an overrun prison that they begin converting into their new home. While searching the place for supplies, Hershel is bitten by a walker and Rick is forced to amputate his leg. They soon find several surviving inmates who have been trapped inside. While Rick, Daryl and T-Dog help clear a separate cell block for them to live in, most of the inmates are killed, allowing the remainder — Axel and Oscar — to join the group. A walker breakout later splits everyone up. T-Dog is bitten in the struggle and sacrifices himself to save Carol. Lori goes into labor and insists that Maggie perform an emergency Caesarean section to save the baby. The operation kills Lori, and Carl is forced to shoot her to prevent reanimation. After several days of mourning, Carl and Rick name the baby Judith.

Meanwhile, Michonne and Andrea are taken to the town of Woodbury, a safe haven from the walkers. They meet the Governor, the town's leader, and learn that Merle Dixon — Daryl's older brother — has taken refuge there as well. Michonne is immediately suspicious of the Governor and the settlement and decides to leave, but Andrea refuses to go with her. Merle is ordered to hunt down Michonne, but only manages to wound her; he subsequently captures Maggie and Glenn while they are out scavenging. Michonne, who witnessed their abduction, eventually arrives at the prison, then guides Rick, Daryl, and Oscar back to Woodbury on a rescue mission. The team saves the couple, but Oscar is killed and Daryl is captured. Michonne stays briefly and attempts to slay the Governor, only to kill his undead daughter Penny (whom the Governor had kept chained in a back room of his apartment) and stab him in the eye with some broken glass during a scuffle. In the aftermath, the Governor calls an assembly and publicly accuses Merle of treason, reuniting him with Daryl in front of the angry mob. Rick and Maggie come back and rescue them, but after regrouping outside of town Daryl decides to leave with Merle because Rick won't allow Merle to join their group.

Back at the prison, Carl meets another band of survivors — led by Tyreese — and allows them to take shelter. Rick returns, but while speaking to the newcomers he hallucinates and sees Lori, causing his sanity to crack in front of everyone; Tyreese's group is expelled soon after, but find sanctuary in Woodbury. The Governor and a small team attacks the prison the next day, killing Axel and breaching the outer fence before retreating. Merle and Daryl, having decided to rejoin the group, return and help. Rick goes back to his hometown to gather weapons, where he finds Morgan again — Duane having been killed by his reanimated mother because he was unable to shoot her. Morgan, instead of joining Rick, chooses to stay behind in the isolated town. Andrea arranges a meeting between Rick and the Governor, which results in the Governor declaring that there will be peace if Michonne is handed over to him, but secretly preparing to slaughter the prison group anyway. Andrea discovers the plot and attempts an escape to the prison, but is recaptured by the Governor. Merle learns of the deal and, doubting Rick's willingness, kidnaps Michonne on his own. The two talk, and Merle has a change of heart and releases her. He goes on to foil an ambush planned by the Governor, and is killed; Daryl then finds Merle's reanimated body and is forced to kill it.

The Governor stabs his former advisor Milton and leaves him locked in a room with Andrea to die and reanimate. He then leads an assault on the prison, but Rick's group stages an ambush and repels the attack. When the frightened Woodbury soldiers suggest leaving the prison alone, the Governor guns most of them down. Rick, Daryl and Michonne find Karen — the only survivor of the massacre — on their way to Woodbury, who convinces Tyreese and Sasha to allow them in when they arrive. They then find Andrea, who had killed the zombified Milton, but was bitten while doing so. Andrea commits suicide with Michonne by her side. The season ends with Rick's group returning to the prison along with the remaining Woodbury survivors, while the Governor remains at large.

Season 4 (2013–14)

It was announced on December 21, 2012 that The Walking Dead has been renewed for a fourth season.^[9] Scott Gimple will replace Glen Mazzara as the series' showrunner for the season.^[16] The season will premiere in October 2013 and consist of 16 episodes.^[17] David Morrissey is set to reprise his role as The Governor, despite an initial one-season contract.^[18] Melissa McBride, Scott Wilson, Chad Coleman, Sonequa Martin-Green and Emily Kinney will return as series regulars in season 4, and Melissa Ponzio will return as former Woodbury resident Karen in a recurring role.^[19]^[20] Larry Gilliard, Jr. will join the cast in a regular role as Bob Stookey, a former Army medic.^[21]

Cast and characters

Main article: List of The Walking Dead (TV series) characters

Main

Actor	Character	Seasons
Actor	Character	1	2	3	4
Andrew Lincoln	Rick Grimes	Main
Jon Bernthal	Shane Walsh	Main		Cameo
Sarah Wayne Callies	Lori Grimes	Main
Laurie Holden	Andrea	Main
Jeffrey DeMunn	Dale Horvath	Main
Steven Yeun	Glenn Rhee	Main
Chandler Riggs	Carl Grimes	Main
Norman Reedus	Daryl Dixon	Recurring	Main
Melissa McBride^[a]	Carol Peletier	Recurring	Main
IronE Singleton^[c]	Theodore "T-Dog" Douglas	Recurring	Recurring / Main
Michael Rooker	Merle Dixon	Recurring	Guest	Main
Lauren Cohan	Maggie Greene		Recurring	Main
Scott Wilson^[b]	Hershel Greene		Recurring	Main
Danai Gurira	Michonne		(Stand-in)	Main
Emily Kinney	Beth Greene		Recurring		Main
David Morrissey	Phillip Blake/The Governor			Main
Chad L. Coleman	Tyreese			Recurring	Main
Sonequa Martin-Green	Sasha			Recurring	Main
Larry Gilliard, Jr.	Bob Stookey				Main

* ^ Although not featured in the opening credits, and instead credited as "also starring", Melissa McBride and Scott Wilson are considered series regulars by AMC, as it is the network's choice to decide how series regulars are credited.^[20]

* ^ Although not featured in the opening credits, T-Dog was considered a regular, and was originally planned to be a guest star, but Singleton's role expanded into a recurring one with the actor eventually becoming a series regular, with T-Dog finally being a full-fledged main character by the time he died.^[22]

Recurring

Actor	Character	Seasons
Actor	Character	1	2	3	4
Lennie James	Morgan Jones	Guest		Guest
Madison Lintz	Sophia Peletier	Recurring
Emma Bell	Amy	Recurring		Voice only
Jeryl Prescott	Jacqui	Recurring		Voice only
Andrew Rothenberg	Jim	Recurring		Voice only
Adam Minarovich	Ed Peletier	Recurring	Guest
Juan Gabriel Pareja	Morales	Recurring
Jane McNeill	Patricia		Recurring
James Allen McCune	Jimmy		Recurring
Michael Zegen	Randall Culver		Recurring
Lew Temple	Axel			Recurring
Vincent Ward	Oscar			Recurring
Dallas Roberts	Milton Mamet			Recurring
Tyler Chase	Ben			Recurring
Daniel Thomas May	Allen			Recurring
Jose Pablo Cantillo	Caesar Martinez			Recurring
Melissa Ponzio	Karen			Recurring

Darabont connections

The series features several actors whom Walking Dead developer Frank Darabont has worked with previously, including Laurie Holden (Andrea), Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale Horvath), Melissa McBride (Carol Peletier), Sam Witwer (the dead soldier in the tank where Rick hides in Season 1, episode 1: "Days Gone Bye"), and Juan Gabriel Pareja (Morales). All five appeared in his 2007 film The Mist, along with Thomas Jane, who originally was set to star in the series when it was pitched to HBO. He was later in talks with Darabont to possibly guest star on the series as of fall 2010,^[23] but with Darabont's departure,^[24] it is unknown whether the guest spot will happen or not. Laurie Holden also appeared in the 2001 film The Majestic (as Adele Stanton, Jim Carrey's character's love interest), which Darabont directed. DeMunn has also appeared in several of Darabont's films; in addition to The Mist and The Majestic, he appeared in The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and The Green Mile (1999). It was planned that Witwer (Private Jessup in Darabont's The Mist) would reprise his "Days Gone Bye" role in the original conception of The Walking Dead's season two premiere^[25] and in a webisode,^[26] but both plans were discarded.^[27]

Production

Development

Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman signing a poster for the series at the 2011 New York Comic Con.

On January 20, 2010, AMC officially announced that it had ordered a pilot for a possible series adapted from The Walking Dead comic book series, with Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd acting as executive producers and Darabont writing and directing.^[28] The entire series was pre-ordered based just on the strength of the source material, the television scripts, and Darabont's involvement.^[29] In January 2010 a review of the pilot episode's script attracted further attention.^[30] The pilot began filming in Atlanta, Georgia on May 15, 2010^[31] after AMC had officially ordered a six episode first season.^[32] The series' remaining episodes began filming on June 2, 2010 with Darabont serving as showrunner.^[33]^[34] On August 31, 2010, Darabont reported that The Walking Dead had been picked up for a second season, with production to begin in February 2011. On November 8, 2010, AMC confirmed that there would be a second season consisting of 13 episodes.^[6] He would also like to include some of the "environmental elements" that take place during Volume 2 of Kirkman's book.^[35]

On October 25, 2011, AMC announced that it ordered a third season of The Walking Dead, saying, "Season two continues to deliver the strongest telecasts for any drama in basic cable history."^[8]

On December 21, 2012, AMC announced that it picked up The Walking Dead for a fourth season.^[9]

Crew

The first season writing staff consisted of series developer and executive producer Frank Darabont, who wrote/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; who 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.^[36]

On December 1, 2010, Deadline.com reported that Darabont had fired his writing staff, including executive producer Charles "Chic" Eglee, and planned to use freelance writers for the second season.^[37] Kirkman called the announcement "premature" and clarified that Eglee left to pursue other projects when Darabont decided to stay on as showrunner and that no definitive plans had been made regarding the writing staff for season two.^[38]

[Chic Eglee] was brought onto The Walking Dead with the idea that Frank was going to work on the first season and then go off and do movies [...] Chic didn't want to be second-in-command on a show when he's used to being a top dog, and so he decided to go off and do something else, which is something that happens and is not a big deal.

—Robert Kirkman, TV Guide^[38]

On December 3, 2010, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, executive producer Gale Anne Hurd commented that "It's completely inaccurate. [In] the writers' room, there are people that have set up other projects that will be their first priority if their own series is picked up as a pilot or if it's a series. I think [Eglee] just decided that he wants to run his own show." She revealed that it would be likely for the show to return in October 2011, as Darabont and Kirkman planned on mapping out the next season early in 2011. She also confirmed that "every one of the principal cast is signed up for multiple seasons."^[39] In July 2011, series developer and showrunner Frank Darabont stepped down from his position as showrunner for the series.^[40] It was believed that he was unable to adjust to the schedule of running a television series.^[40] However, The Hollywood Reporter reported he had been fired over disputes over planned budget cuts and executive meddling.^[41] Executive producer Glen Mazzara was then appointed the new showrunner.^[42] New writers joined the writing staff in the second season, including co-executive producer Evan Reilly, producer Scott Gimple, story editor Angela Kang, and David Leslie Johnson. New writers in the third season included producers Nichole Beattie and Sang Kyu Kim, with Frank Renzulli contributing a freelance script.

After the conclusion of the third season, Glen Mazzara will step down from his position as showrunner and executive producer for the series, in a mutual agreement by both Mazzara and AMC. The press release read, "Both parties acknowledge that there is a difference of opinion about where the show should go moving forward, and conclude that it is best to part ways."^[9] Scott Gimple will succeed Mazzara as showrunner for season four,^[16] with new writers joining the writing staff, such as Curtis Gwinn, Channing Powell, and Matt Negrete.^[43]

Music

Bear McCreary was hired to compose the score for the series. McCreary stated that the main theme was based on his viewing of production designs for the opening title sequence. Instead of doing a full theme song as with his earlier works, McCreary chose to use a simple, repeating motif from the strings section.^[44]

It repeats over and over, and in fact in the pilot episode, you start hearing it before the main title begins, and this is something that continues episode to episode. You hear the main title music before the main title begins, so you know it's coming. That, to me, was the little hook – that little thing that, whenever you hear it, it takes you to the series.

—Bear McCreary^[44]

Filming

Booth at the 2010 Comic-Con with a scene from the pilot for the promotion of the series.

The Walking Dead is mostly filmed in Georgia.^[45] The series is completely shot on 16 mm film.^[46] David Tattersall was the director of photography for the pilot episode with David Boyd as the director of photography on the remainder of the episodes. Production design is done by Greg Melton and Alex Hajdu. The effects team includes veteran special effects makeup designer Gregory Nicotero, special effects coordinator Darrell Pritchett, and visual effects supervisors Sam Nicholson and Jason Sperling.^[47]

Marketing

Promotional poster of The Walking Dead.

The Walking Dead debuted during the same week in 120 countries. As part of an expansive campaign to advertise and heighten anticipation for the premiere, AMC and FOX International Channels coordinated a worldwide zombie invasion event on October 26, 2010. The stunt involved invading 26 major cities, starting with Taipei and Hong Kong, and ending in Los Angeles for the U.S. premiere, within a 24 hour period.^[48]

The show's official website released, just prior to the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International, a motion comic based on Issue No. 1 of the original comic and voiced by Phil LaMarr.^[49] The site also posted a making-of documentary primarily about the first episode, as well as a number of other behind-the-scenes videos and interviews. In the documentary, comic series creator and show executive producer Robert Kirkman as well as artist Charlie Adlard say they are pleased with how faithful the show is to the comic and remark on the similarities between the actors and the comic's original character drawings.^[50]

Action figures of characters from the series, including Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon and a zombie Walker and Biter, were created for release in November 2011. The figures, which are manufactured by McFarlane Toys, are designed to resemble the actors on the series. Figures created to resemble the characters as drawn in the comic book were released in September 2011.^[51]

Green initiatives

With a primary objective of reducing the environmental impacts of film and television productions, including The Walking Dead, producer Gale Anne Hurd has directed the production team, cast, crew, suppliers, and bloggers about her shows to adopt the Doddle app to make the production almost paper-free; this works by digitally transmitting interactive call sheets and other intra-team and team-supplier communications (such as menus, directions, images, and updates) to people’s cell phones and tablets. Hurd said of using Doddle: in addition to conserving paper, "It’s also easier, and it’s better for security. People are less likely to leave their smartphone or tablet lying around for someone else to pick up."^[52]^[53]

Hurd describes additional steps taken to increase efficiency and cut production costs: "If you use vehicles that get better gas mileage, that are electric or hybrids, you’re going to pay a lot less in fuel. If you use compact fluorescent bulbs, you’re going to save a lot of money in utilities. If you recycle even your own sets, and use them again, that’s going to save money. You don’t have to buy new lumber. So there are cost savings, absolutely."^[52] Additionally, the production team aims to reduce vehicle idling, which decreases carbon dioxide emissions.^[52]^[53]^[54]

Hurd also cuts down on plastic waste by personally using a refillable, stainless steel EcoUsable water bottle and promoting its use among her colleagues. She shared: "on a lot of my projects I give them as crew gifts before we start production, and have water stations available, but you can’t force people to use them."^[52]

Talking Dead

Main article: Talking Dead

A live after-show titled Talking Dead premiered on AMC on October 16, 2011, following the encore presentation of The Walking Dead's season two premiere. Talking Dead features host Chris Hardwick discussing the latest episode with fans, actors, and producers of The Walking Dead.^[55]

Release

Sarah Wayne Callies and Andrew Lincoln in 2010. Robert Kirkman is in the background at left.

Scenes from the pilot were screened July 23, 2010 as part of the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International.^[56] It premiered on AMC on October 31, 2010.^[4] It premiered internationally on Fox International Channels during the first week of November.^[5] The first season premiered in Hong Kong on TVB Pearl on August 30, 2011.^[57] Almost two weeks before the official premiere on AMC, the pilot episode leaked online.^[58] International broadcast rights for the show were sold and announced on June 14, 2010.^[59]

The season 1 DVD and Blu-ray was released on March 8, 2011.^[60] A three-disc special edition of the first season—featuring new featurettes and audio commentaries—was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 4, 2011.^[61] The European versions of the first season DVD and Blu-ray are edited for gore, with cuts to episode two ("Guts"),^[62] episode three ("Tell It to the Frogs"),^[63] episode four ("Vatos")^[64] and episode five ("Wildfire").^[65]

Reception

Critical reception

The first season was reviewed positively by critics, receiving a score of 82 out of 100 on Metacritic (based on 25 reviews) indicating "universal acclaim".^[10] Heather Havrilesky of Salon.com included the show on their list of 9 new TV shows not to miss, giving it a grade of "A", with the author saying, "A film-quality drama series about zombies? Somebody pinch me!"^[66]

The second season received generally positive reviews with a score of 80 out of 100 based on 22 reviews on Metacritic.^[11] Some critics have been less than enthused with the second season, such as Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly, who now describes the series as "a nighttime soap with occasional appearances by deceased but moving, flesh-rotting, flesh-eating cameo monsters. [...] Every week, it seemed, a passel of folks went out and rooted around for awhile, came back to camp, and everyone lives off the fat of Hershel's land until it was time to go out and search for Sophia again. Occasionally someone reminded Rick they're supposed to be headed for Fort Benning and he gets all huffy about not leaving any child behind. It became a parody of a Samuel Beckett play."^[67] Nate Rawlings of Time's online entertainment section noted that "the pace during the first half of this season has been brutally slow. Changes in pace would be fine if the writers had used that time well, which they have not. They've tried to develop individual characters, but each subplot meant to add a layer to a character has been quickly resolved."^[68] Other critics such as Scott Wampler of Collider.com recognized the mediocre first half of the season claiming that "there seemed to be a helluva lot of water-treading." However Wampler also distinguished the increased quality of the second half saying "The second-half of the season, on the other hand, seemed far more intense, more interesting, better written."^[69]

The third season garnered positive reviews by critics, receiving a score of 82 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 18 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".^[70] Verne Gay of Newsday claims that season 3 "doesn't disappoint" going on to say that there are "spots where you will yell out at the screen, 'Oh, my God, that just didn't happen.' Yes, the new season is that good", concluding his review by giving the season an A+ rating.^[71]

Ratings

Season	Timeslot (ET)	Episodes	Premiered		Ended		Average viewers (in millions)
Season	Timeslot (ET)	Episodes	Date	Premiere viewers (in millions)	Date	Finale viewers (in millions)	Average viewers (in millions)
Season 1	Sunday 10:00 pm	6	October 31, 2010	5.35^[72]	December 5, 2010	5.97^[73]	5.24^[74]
Season 2	Sunday 9:00 pm	13	October 16, 2011	7.26^[75]	March 18, 2012	8.99^[76]	6.90^[77]
Season 3	Sunday 9:00 pm	16	October 14, 2012	10.87^[78]	March 31, 2013	12.40^[14]	11.42^[79]

The Walking Dead: Viewers per episode (in thousands)

Season 1 (2010): Viewers of the first airing on AMC in the U.S. on Sunday at 10:00 pm ET
Season 2 (2011–12): Viewers of the first airing on AMC in the U.S. on Sunday at 9:00 pm ET
Season 3 (2012–13): Viewers of the first airing on AMC in the U.S. on Sunday at 9:00 pm ET

	Ep. 1	Ep. 2	Ep. 3	Ep. 4	Ep. 5	Ep. 6	Ep. 7	Ep. 8	Ep. 9	Ep. 10	Ep. 11	Ep. 12	Ep. 13	Ep. 14	Ep. 15	Ep. 16
Season 1	5,350	4,710	5,070	4,750	5,560	5,970
Season 2	7,260	6,700	6,100	6,290	6,120	6,080	6,620	8,100	6,890	7,040	6,770	6,890	8,990
Season 3	10,970	9,550	10,510	9,270	10,370	9,210	10,430	10,480	12,260	11,050	11,010	11,300	11,460	10,840	10,990	12,420

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead was nominated for Best New Series for the 2011 Writers Guild of America Awards.^[12] It was nominated for Best Television Series Drama at the 68th Golden Globe Awards.^[13] It was also named during the American Film Institute Awards 2010 as one of the top 10 television programs of 2010.^[80] For the 2011 Saturn Awards, the series received six nominations—for Best Television Presentation, Andrew Lincoln for Best Actor in Television, Sarah Wayne Callies for Best Actress on Television, Steven Yeun for Best Supporting Actor in Television, Laurie Holden for Best Supporting Actress in Television, and Noah Emmerich for Best Guest Starring Role in Television.^[81] The series was nominated for Best Drama Series at the inaugural 1st Critics' Choice Television Awards.^[82] The pilot episode "Days Gone Bye" received three nominations for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards—it was nominated for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series^[83] and won for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special.^[84]