The Walking Dead: Season 2 finale ‘Beside the Dying Fire’ put up ratings numbers that would make networks jealous, much less other cable series. With the promise of a prison and Danai Gurira joining the cast as sword-wielding and zombies-wrangling heroine Michonne, more ratings records are likely to crumble later this year.
The zombie invasion of Hershel’s Farm drew a total of 9 million viewers on Sunday night per Nielsen, a series high. The previous record was held by, what else, The Walking Dead: Season 2 mid-season premiere with 8.1 million viewers. Taking the second airing at 11:30pm EST into consideration, The Walking Dead: Season 2 finale totaled 10.5 million viewers.
Even more astonishing is 6 million of those 9 million viewers, or two-thirds, fell into the advertiser coveted 18-49 demographic. Those amazing numbers, a new basic cable record, top the 5.4 million put up by the mid-season premiere just a few weeks ago.
Taking all of Season 2 into consideration, the average viewership per episode climbed 32 percent from Season 1, up to a whopping 6.9 million viewers per episode.
Season 3 of The Walking Dead is well underway with Robert Kirkman, Glen Mazzara and their team of writers having already prepped the first 8 of 16 ordered episodes. Kirkman announced during The Talking Dead that Treme actress Danai Gurira was joining the cast to play the cloaked figure that rescued Andrea, known in the comics as Michonne.
Once more people are exposed to The Walking Dead via the upcoming Blu-ray and DVD release of Season 2, expect the Season 3 premiere in October to make a legitimate run at breaking the series’ own records yet again.
Click here to pre-order The Walking Dead: Season 2 on Blu-ray for $48.99 at Amazon.com, 30% off the $69.99 list price.
