AMC has announced that they’ve ordered two seasons of the still unnamed spin-off of The Walking Dead. The first season of six episodes will debut late Summer 2015 while the second season will kick off sometime next year.
Here’s the press release:
AMC ANNOUNCES TWO-SEASON ORDER FOR A COMPANION SERIES TO “THE WALKING DEAD” (TITLE TBD)
New Series Will Air Day-and-Date on AMC Global
NEW YORK, NY – March 9, 2015 – AMC today announced that it has placed an initial two-season order for a companion series to “The Walking Dead,” the #1 show on television among adults 18-49 for going on three seasons.
The new series (title to be announced) will be set in Los Angeles and focused on new characters and storylines. The show’s first season will consist of six one-hour episodes and premiere on AMC in late summer. The show’s second season will air in 2016.
Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero and David Alpert from “The Walking Dead” are executive producers of the new series, which, like the original, is being produced by AMC Studios. Dave Erickson (“Marco Polo,” “Sons of Anarchy”), who co-created and co-wrote the pilot with Kirkman, is an executive producer and showrunner. The series will star Cliff Curtis (“Missing,” “Gang Related”), Kim Dickens (Gone Girl, “Sons of Anarchy”), Frank Dillane (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) and Alycia Debnam Carey (Into the Storm).
“We take incredibly seriously the notion of building a satisfying companion series to the number one show on television. From the beginning of ‘The Walking Dead’ on AMC, we’ve been asked questions about what was going on in other parts of the zombie apocalypse, and what it looked like as the world really did ‘turn.’ Through this new series, we’re going to find out,” said Charlie Collier, AMC president. “Robert Kirkman, Dave Erickson and their writing team, along with an incomparable set of producers, cast and crew have created something remarkable and clearly distinct. We respectfully follow the request of Monty Python as we bring out (the latest of) our Dead.”
“We feel empowered by this two-season commitment, a serious show of faith from our network partner AMC,” Kirkman said. “I personally take it as a sign that they believe, like we do, that we’ve accomplished our goal of developing something original that can pay tribute to the original show and expand the world I created while at the same time having something new to say with this story. I’m very grateful that we now have the opportunity to tell this amazing story and show the fans that we really haven’t scratched the surface yet when it comes to ‘The Walking Dead.'”
“This vote of confidence from our partners at AMC is gratifying, to say the least,” Erickson said. “We’ve been blessed with amazing writers and a stellar cast – and we can’t wait to build this apocalyptic drama over the next two seasons and hopefully beyond.”
In addition, AMC Global, the international AMC-branded television network, announced it has acquired the international television rights to the series, which it plans to air within 24 hours of the U.S. premiere. AMC Global launched in late 2014 and is available in over 115 countries and territories throughout Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
About AMC
Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade, or creating acclaimed original programming, AMC brings to its audience something deeper, something richer, Something More. The network reigns as the only cable network in history ever to win the Emmy(R) Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row with “Mad Men,” and six of the last seven with current back-to-back honoree, “Breaking Bad.” The network boasts the most-watched drama series in basic cable history and the number one show on television among adults 18-49 for the last two years with “The Walking Dead.” AMC’s original drama series include “Mad Men,” “The Walking Dead,” “Better Call Saul,” “Hell on Wheels,” “TURN: Washington’s Spies,” “Halt and Catch Fire,” and the forthcoming “Humans,” “The Making of The Mob: New York,” “Into the Badlands” and “The Night Manager.” AMC also explores authentic worlds and discussion with original shows like “Talking Dead” and “Comic Book Men.” AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, SundanceTV, BBC America and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. AMC: Something More.
What do you think? Do you think you’ll be watching this upcoming spin-off?
The title of the “The Walking Dead” Companion Series was officially revealed on “The Walking Dead”‘s season 5 finale: “Fear the Walking Dead”.
Being that The Walking Dead is my favorite show on TV and everyone in the house knows to leave me alone for two hours (to include The Talking Dead), I am very interested in the new show that will be coming out, with the understanding I already know it will be nothing like the series in Atlanta. Also, Cliff Curtis is an amazing actor and will bring good or bad in this new world to different level with his own style and nothing like Rick Grimes.
I’m very wary of this idea it, makes me think of the saying: If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. If this spin off fails it could taint the original and very popular series. I will give it a go when it airs and hope for the best.
I’m interested to see where this show will go. Will the new group be a “good” group like the current one? Is it going to be slow paced and character driven? Or will it be full on crazy zombie killing all the time? There have been so many Zombie adaptions, i’m excited but also nervous about how they will do it. In the first couple of seasons they were worried about surviving the dead, while now it’s more of surviving the living. Will the people of LA be about trying to save the humans or turn on each other again?… Read more »
AMC has done short seasons for the first season of a lot of their shows. Then, the second one on gets more episodes.
So if this is going to be based in LA, CA will they be fighting their way though huge hordes everywhere like in Atlanta in the beginning? Then what? They make it to the hills? It seems they could have started someplace a bit more interesting like UT, OR, WA or MT. Places that also offer a challenge from the terrain and weather. Basically so we don’t have a Walking Dead that’s like the original, but in CA where so damn many stories are based out of
Can’t wait, but it is really not 2 seasons. One 12 episode season split up in to 2 seasons…only 12 episodes…so sad then wait 1 year, by that time I have found something new to watch and forget about these 10 or less episodes…..But will watch, because TWD is the best show on TV…
As far as I know they haven’t decided how many episodes will be in the second season as yet.