There’s no stopping Zombies: US Walking Dead premiere delivers record ratings

By John Freeman on October 16, 2013

The fourth season of The Walking Dead delivered the highest ratings of any episode in series history for US network AMC on its debut this week in the US. The season four premiere was watched by 16.1 million total viewers and AMC says it continues to be the Number 1 show on all of television among the coveted 18-49 demographic.

With time-shifted playback, AMC suggests the premiere should exceed 20 million viewers.

The comic the series is based on is drawn by Britain’s Charlie Adlard, who was celebrating the title’s success at The Walking Dead 10th anniversary party earlier this week in New York (There’s some pictures here on the Oh No They Didn’t blog) and will be at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival this coming weekend.

Season Four debuts this Friday (18th October) on Fox UK at 10.00pm and Season Three is airing on Channel Five.

“Sincere thanks to the fans, who have welcomed The Walking Dead back for its fourth season with the highest-rated episode in the show’s history,” said AMC President Charlie Collier. “We could not be more proud of this show and everyone on both sides of the camera who work so hard to give life to this story of character, leadership and survival.

“It starts with series creator, writer and executive producer Robert Kirkman, show runner and executive producer Scott Gimple and the director of last night’s episode (and the man behind the make-up) executive producer Greg Nicotero, their fellow executive producers and an extraordinary cast and crew who are giving their all every day. So clearly, thanks to them, the dead have never been more alive.”

The previous US record for an episode of The Walking Dead was 12.4 million total viewers and 8.1 million viewers 18-49 for the season three finale.

• Fox UK Walking Dead Page

• Channel Five Walking Dead Page

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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.