With less than a week before the Season 5 premiere of The Walking Dead, AMC has preemptively renewed the hit zombie apocalypse drama for another season in a move that will surprise no one and enthrall every 0ne.
The Walking Dead Season 6 premiere date will fall into 2015, most likely in mid-October when every previous season has debuted. Season 5 premieres this Sunday, October 12 at 9/8c on AMC.
The past three season of The Walking Dead have spanned a total of 16 episodes each following a 13-episode order for Season 2 and brief six-episode inaugural season. It’s curious that AMC didn’t commit to another 16 episodes in their announcement this morning and may signal either an increase or decrease is at least being pondered at the executive level.
The Walking Dead Season 6 should be joined next year by the first season of a new spin-off series that is set to start shooting later this year. AMC has not announced when that series will air, so it could either piggyback The Walking Dead or air in a different time of year to spread the walker exposure more evenly across the TV broadcast calendar, so to speak.
This The Walking Dead renewed news comes as Mad Men is gearing up to run its final eight episodes next summer and one prevailing theory is that the new TWD spin-off will take over Mad Men’s Sunday night spot. Before we get there, AMC will debut the Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul in February as the cable network continues to build out original programming from its established brands.
“We could not be more excited for October 12th as we share new episodes of The Walking Dead with fans around the globe,” AMC President Charlie Collier offered in the renewal announcement. “In advance of Sunday’s season five premiere, AMC proudly confirms a sixth season order of this extraordinary series. Thank you to Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple, the terrific executive producers, and the entire team who brings this compelling world and these rich characters to life. There’s plenty more Dead ahead thanks to their impressive, collective effort.”
