AMC announced plans today to build on the success of Mad Men and Breaking Bad by developing dramas based on the comic book series The Walking Dead and another inspired by the Danish TV series Forbrydelsen called The Killing. Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) will write, direct and executive produce the previously announced The Walking Dead, which follows a group of survivors after a zombie apocalypse, while The Killing, from writer and executive producer Veena Sud (Cold Case), is a Seattle-based drama that follows the investigation of a murder.
Both pilots will go into production this spring, and if ordered to series, will help shore up the network’s original lineup of dramas that are both critical favorites and repeat winners at the Emmy and Golden Globes.
Wow and here I thought The Walking Dead was the name of Jay Leno’s autobiography.
Hey OH!
The Walking Dead is probably the best ongoing comic series out right now. Frank Darabont is a perfect choice for this- here’s hoping he can somehow convice the network to allow it be broadcast in black and white like the comic- The Mist (which darabont directed) was 100x better in b&w but the studio freaked out and the movie bombed
Just like the supposed MTV “we’re going to do something with ‘Dawn Of The Dead’… we just don’t know what yet. Maybe a musical, or a reality show…” zombie project, this could seriously suck or be seriously cool. The Walking Dead is based on the idea of starting where most zombie flicks end, and then continuing from there. The source material is, of course, amazing and a Graphic Novel Fanboy’s wet dream. But it’ll be one of a kind – not only in an “ultra-violent-and-hyper-sexual” way (the way many modern zombie tales tend to be), but also because a TV show could concievably go on wayyyy after the survivors hit the “Day Of The Dead” point (i.e. – the 1985 Romero flick where, quite possibly, the last humans alive can’t get over their petty differences). George Romero always said he envisioned some sort of society where zombies are “reintegrated”, but if that gives us nothing but “Land Of The Dead”, I’m seriously hoping for something 100% new. And while that last phrase may be the death knell for a program on any other TV network, AMC has shown that they have the guts to go where CBS never would. So while I’m holding out for “Breaking Bad”-style originality and longevity, one can’t help but be scared that we’ll just get another “John From Cincinatti”. And the last time they tried to bring a Danish show to TV, the Lars Von Trier mini-series “The Kingdom” somehow morphed into “Stephen King Presents Kingdom Hospital”. We’ll see.
I just wish it was on a different network like HBO, Showtime, or Starz. It can’t be as violent, brutal, and sexual as the comic book if it’s on AMC.
Agreed – I thought I heard a while back that HBO was picking this up. Oh well…
Have you seen Breaking Bad? The creator of the book is fine with AMC because of what Breaking Bad has shown. So there won’t be tits or the f-word. Boo-hoo. NBC was the network they outbid so its good to be on AMC.
Oh God no! Please put an end to this ENDLESS flesh eating zombie crap!! “Night of the Living Dead” was awesome and revolutionary and so forth and so on but zombies have never recovered. Watch a classic like “White Zombie” and learn what it is really all about!! Friggin sheep…
Paul, really? Walking dead has been going on forever, and My God is it good. Take a walk to your nearest Borders and read a few. As far as this show goes, I remain cautiously enthusiastic. I thought Watchmen would be good, but we all know how that turned out.
Hey Paul, why don’t you get a girlfriend, then get a life. Oh and pick up ”28 days later” while you’re at it..then we’ll allow you to have an opinion about zombies, you freakin’ old balls. My cat pucked on your couch, sorry.
THIS. WILL. ROCK.
I hope they cast Nathan Fillion as Rick.
I herd that The Walking Dead tv series release date is May 15,2010