Tag: The Walking Dead (66-78 of 184)

Oct 21 2012 07:00 AM ET

'The Walking Dead': Michael Rooker says 'You got Merle all wrong!'

Image credit: Gene Page/AMC

Merle Dixon. He’s the character Walking Dead fans love to hate, but the man who plays him, Michael Rooker, insists that Merle is simply misunderstood. According to Rooker, Merle is a positively delightful individual who did nothing wrong on that roof before he was handcuffed and left to die back in season 1. Who knows? Maybe he’s right, because when I went on set for an upcoming season 3 scene, the residents of Woodbury could not stop chanting his name — “Merley! Merely! Merely!” — over and over.

On this week’s InsideTV Podcast, Rooker explains what makes Merle so gosh darn swell. He also offers his theory as to where Merle has been all this time (“I tell people I’ve been done to the Bahamas. I learned how to make mixed drinks, partied a bit, and then decided to come back north.”), his thoughts on appendages (including a spatula) that can be added to the contraption where his right hand used to be, and what might happen when Merle and brother Daryl are finally reunited. Does the conversation go off the rails a few times? DAMN STRAIGHT! What else would you expect from our main man! Ladies and gentlemen, feast your ears on the world according to Michael Rooker! Click on the audio player below if you handle the truth he’s throwing down. (The Michael Rooker Walking Dead chat starts at 21:45.) READ FULL STORY »

Oct 15 2012 03:42 PM ET

'Walking Dead' premiere gets fall's biggest rating

the-walking-dead-ratings.jpg

The third season premiere of a basic cable zombie drama just delivered a bigger rating in the adult demo than any entertainment series this fall — including all broadcast shows.

Sunday night’s third season premiere of The Walking Dead delivered a huge 10.9 million viewers for its first telecast. But what’s really impressive is the show’s adults 18-49 demo rating of a 5.8.

That’s stunning.

The closest broadcast entertainment programs has gotten this fall to that number is ABC’s Modern Family season premiere that pulled a 5.5 (all these are apples-to-apples next-day ratings, not including DVR). Football has delivered bigger numbers, but that’s sports and we’re talking entertainment programming. And AMC accomplished this rating with an extra disadvantage — not having one of its major distributors, Dish Network, on board due to its carriage contract dispute (imagine how many more viewers the episode might have had with Dish). And of course that’s aside from AMC’s other major disadvantage of being a cable network that’s only in a fraction of U.S. households compared to the Big Four broadcasters. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 14 2012 11:00 PM ET

'The Walking Dead': Exec producer Robert Kirkman talks about tonight's bloody season premiere

the-walking-dead-301.jpg

Image Credit: Gene Page/AMC

Twenty-eight seconds. That’s how long it took Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes to make the first zombie kill in tonight’s season 3 premiere of AMC’s undead epic The Walking Dead. And it only took one more second for IronE Singleton’s T-Dog to make another.

Written by showrunner Glen Mazzara, “Seed” saw Rick and crew mowing down a horde of slavering ghouls as they attempted to take over the prison that seems likely to be one of the main locations of this third run of shows.

Although around half a year of onscreen time has passed since we last saw our post-apocalyptic heroes, the episode was very much of a piece with the action-packed shows that concluded the previous season. “Going back and doing quieter stories with less zombies just didn’t seem like the right move,” explains Robert Kirkman, writer of the Walking Dead comic and an executive producer on the show. “So we decided to plow ahead and make things a little more high octane.”

Below, Kirkman talks more about the episode, whether Daryl and Carol really are “screwing around” — and lunching on owls. Woo-hoo! READ FULL STORY »

Oct 14 2012 10:01 PM ET

'The Walking Dead': Meet the [SPOILER]! Showrunner Glen Mazzara introduces us to the people in that final scene

Image credit: Gene Page/AMC

It was an episode filled with thrills, chills, and an ungodly amount of kills. And there was one final surprise awaiting our not-so-merry band of survivors in the very last shot.

[SPOILER ALERT: Continue reading only if you have already watched Sunday’s season premiere of The Walking Dead. Seriously, stop right now if you haven't. Read on at your own risk!] After Rick and Co. infiltrated a prison and narrowly escaped an angry horde of flesh eaters, they looked up to see the biggest shock of all — a group of five humans. Who are they and what is their story? We went to main man in charge, showrunner Glen Mazzara, for answers.

As you may have guessed — from their presence in the comic book storyline on which the show is based, as well as the location — the five new individuals Daryl trained his crossbow on in the final scene are indeed convicts who have survived the apocalypse. And while some of them (Axel and Andrew) do share names with prisoners from the comic book, others (Tomas, Oscar, Big Tiny) do not.

“We changed some of these names around,” says Mazzara. “There was a Dexter in the book. Obviously there’s a TV show named Dexter so we changed some of the names to feel more specific to this show.” Here’s a photo identifying all five inmates, plus more from Mazzara on the prisoners’ backstory and individual notes on each character. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 14 2012 07:00 AM ET

'Walking Dead': 5 things you need to know for season 3

Image credit: Gene Page/AMC

Finally! Seven months after the gang fled the farm and a Ricktatorship was born, The Walking Dead returns tonight for season 3 of the zombie drama.

Curious as to what’s in store for the survivors? Be curious no longer! On the latest edition of the InsideTV Podcast, I break down the five things you need to know heading into the season. After watching the first two episodes, visiting both the prison and Woodbury sets, and talking to all the actors and producers involved, I have condensed all that information into a handy-dandy five points that will have you perfectly primed and ready for tonight’s premiere.

That’s not all! Jessica Shaw and I have also seen the next two episodes of Showtime’s Homeland. We talk about the aftermath of Saul’s discovery of the Brody tape. What does it mean? And where does it go from here? We offer hints and teases without spoiling anything. But allow us to say this: It is off the hook.

And we start things this week with what may just be the most psychologically revealing reality-show exit interview of all time. Russell Swan went off on a few tirades during his time on Survivor: Philippines. But as rough as things were out there for him on the island, what has been even rougher for Swan is having to watch it unfold all over again on television in front of millions of people. Listen in on what is at times a painful and heartbreaking conversation with a man still looking for answers on how it all went wrong. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 13 2012 07:00 AM ET

'The Walking Dead': Norman Reedus explains how Daryl Dixon has changed in season 3 -- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

Image credit: Gene Page/AMC

A Ricktatorship was born at the end of last season of The Walking Dead, with Rick Grimes telling everyone to fall in line or fall by the wayside.

But while Rick is now the ultimate authority of the group, where does good ol’ country boy Daryl Dixon stand? We asked the man who plays him, Norman Reedus, for intel on how Daryl will be different in season 3 (which premieres Sunday night on AMC).

“Daryl has stepped in as the Tonto to Rick’s Lone Ranger,” says Reedus in the video below. “As he’s fighting, he’s always protecting Rick at the same time.”

Unlike Shane, who clashed with Rick over what actions the group should take (until Rick, you know…killed him), Daryl has no desire to call the shots.

“The thing about Daryl is he never wants to lead this group,” says Reedus. “He just is getting validation form the rest of them as somebody that they need, and I think that is the first time in his life that that’s happened.” For more from Reedus on what to expect from Daryl in season 3, click on the video player below. And for more Walking Dead intel, follow me on Twitter @DaltonRoss. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 11 2012 01:41 PM ET

InsideTV Podcast: A despondent Russell Swan talks about his 'Survivor' experience -- 'I'm in a tough psychological situation'

Image credit: Monty Brinton/CBS

It’s hard enough when things don’t go well out there on the island on Survivor. But then you have to come back home and watch them not go well all over again on television. In fact, they usually go even worse, because now you have to watch other players say lots of mean things about you. That helps explain the fragile nature of Russell Swan when Jessica Shaw and I spoke to him on this week’s edition of the InsideTV Podcast. Russell is taking a deep, long look inside himself in the wake of what could only be described as a disastrous run on Survivor: Philippines, and he explains the pain of having to explain to his 9-year-old daughter what exactly went wrong out there — meaning, basically everything. It’s about as honest of an emotional inventory as you are likely to hear (and worth you fighting through a few minutes of audio difficulty in the middle).

Also on tap this week, I take the five questions every Walking Dead fan wants answered heading into season 3 and offer juicy teases as to what to expect when the AMC drama returns this Sunday night. Plus, Jessica and I react to last week’s Homeland bombshell and preview the awesomeness in store for the next two episodes. You will not believe what is coming up next! READ FULL STORY »

Oct 11 2012 12:40 PM ET

'The Walking Dead': New behind-the-scenes images of the prison and Woodbury -- EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS

The Walking Dead finally returns for season 3 this Sunday night and there will two new big locations in the third year of the AMC drama. Rick and Co. will set up shop in a prison (after they clear all the zombies out, that is), while Andrea and Michonne will find their way to Woodbury, a town run by a mysterious new leader who calls himself the Governor.

And to whet your appetite, here are two more behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, one of each locale. Check out Andrew Lincoln taking aim at a walker, as well as Laurie Holden behind the camera in a Woodbury interior set. And for more Walking Dead scoop, follow me on Twitter @DaltonRoss. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 10 2012 10:00 AM ET

'The Walking Dead' cast members fight zombies at 'The Soup' -- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

walking-dead-norman-and-lou.jpg

Image Credit: E!

The impending return of AMC’s The Walking Dead can mean only one thing: The subsequent return of Soup of the Walking Dead!

Last year, zombies attacked the E! studios, and on tonight’s Soup, they’re back to make everyone dead inside.

Check out the clip below, which features Walking Dead actors Norman Reedus and Steven Yeun teaming up with Joel McHale to fight the likes of zombie Amanda Bynes. (<Greatest sentence ever?) You can watch the whole skit on a new episode of The Soup, tonight at 10 p.m. on E! READ FULL STORY »

Oct 9 2012 11:47 AM ET

'The Walking Dead': Andrew Lincoln says no one is safe in season 3 -- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

The season 3 premiere of AMC’s The Walking Dead is less than a week away, and according to star Andrew Lincoln, some big name deaths may not be far behind. To anyone that thought the show would back off on offing some of its main characters after sending Dale and Shane to the afterlife in season 2 — think again! “Frankly, every time anybody reads a script they live in mortal fear,” says the man who plays Rick Grimes in the video interview below.

But zombies aren’t all our survivors have to worry about this year. As Lincoln explains, the humans will also have to worry about…other humans. “That’s what this season is about, really,” says Lincoln, “is that human beings can be far more atrocious to one other and invent incredibly novel and imaginative ways to hurt one another.” To see more of our chat with the Walking Dead star — including him pleading with producers not to cut his hand off — click on the video player below. And for more Walking Dead scoop, follow me on Twitter @DaltonRoss. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 8 2012 01:49 PM ET

'Homeland,' 'Supernatural,' 'Vampire Diaries,' 'The Walking Dead,' 'Covert Affairs': Find out what's next in the Spoiler Room

Spoiler-Room.jpg

Image Credit: Justin Stephens/The CW; Nadav Kander/Showtime; Jordan Nuttal/The CW

I’m simply floored by the amount of great TV on right now. Maybe I’m addicted. Maybe I need a life. And maybe I don’t care. It’s too much fun.

Also a blast? Answering your questions. So keep ‘em coming: spoilerroom@ew.com and via Twitter @EWSandraG.

‘HOMELAND’: WHAT NOW?!
If you haven’t watched last night’s episode, I recommend you skip over this little section.

I know, it’s rare that I give a spoiler warning within a spoiler column, but I would never want to ruin something as big as what happened at the end of last night’s Homeland. Just when I thought I had an idea of where the season was headed, my theory blew up in my face just two episodes in! READ FULL STORY »

Oct 2 2012 12:01 PM ET

'The Walking Dead': Norman Reedus and Michael Rooker debate which Dixon is the bigger badass -- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

They have yet to share a (non-hallucination) scene together, but Daryl and Merle Dixon of The Walking Dead have nonetheless become TV’s most infamous brothers. Their blood bond is likely to be severely tested when season 3 of AMC’s zombie drama premieres on Oct. 14. At some point, it appears that Daryl’s group at the prison and Merle’s gang in the nearby town of Woodbury will go toe to toe. The question is: Will the siblings fight against or alongside one another?

Here’s another question: Which Dixon is the bigger badass? We asked the two men who play them — Norman Reedus and Michael Rooker — that exact question, and you can click on the video player to see how they answer. We also asked the on-screen siblings about their various fan groups (including the Dixon’s Vixens), and Reedus has a pretty boss idea on how the various clubs can fight it out for their love. Check out the video below to see Reedus and Rooker in all the Dixon glory! And for more Walking Dead scoop, follow me on Twitter @DaltonRoss. READ FULL STORY »

Sep 27 2012 12:30 PM ET

'The Walking Dead': David Morrissey (a.k.a. the Governor) drops intel on the town of Woodbury -- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

While much has been made of the West Georgia Correctional Facility being the big new locale for season 3 of The Walking Dead, plenty of action will also be taking place just a few miles away in the town of Woodbury, GA. And who better to provide intel on said town than the man who runs it? We sat down with the actor who plays the Governor, David Morrissey, to get his take on a place that may not be as wonderful as it seems on the surface.

“It’s an oasis in this madness,” says Morrissey. “Although it looks like a fortress, there’s aspects of it that look very idyllic, which are idyllic in this world. That comes at a cost.” What that cost is remains to be seen, but we already know that Andrea and Michonne will end up at the town, and that a confrontation will eventually take place between the prison and Woodbury contingents. So not everything is hunky-dory. To hear more from Morrissey on what to expect from Woodbury, check out the video below. And for more Walking Dead scoop, follow me on Twitter @DaltonRoss. READ FULL STORY »

Advertisement

TV Recaps

Powered by WordPress.com VIP
Who will win 'Dancing With the Stars'?