THE WALKING DEAD: A MODERN CLASSIC

When it comes to television series, it seems like I always come late to the party. I love The Dean Martin Show, The Twilight Zone, and The Jack Benny Show, but they all aired well before I was born. I am a fan of the comedy series Seinfeld, but I did not watch the show until the final episode aired in May of 1998. My family joked me that in a couple years maybe I will discover I Love Lucy! I have recently discovered a television series that just ended its 4^th season. I did not think I would like it, but now I am addicted to the AMC series The Walking Dead. Amazingly the show is still on, and will air its new season in October of 2014. Based on the comic book series of the same name, The Walking Dead tells the story of a small group of survivors living in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. The first season mostly takes place in the Atlanta metropolitan area, and the second through fourth seasons in the surrounding countryside of northern Georgia, as the survivors search for a safe haven away from the shuffling hordes of predatory "walkers" or "biters" (as the zombies are referred to in the show), who devour any living thing they catch, and whose bite is infectious to humans. The plot focuses primarily on the dilemmas the group faces as they struggle to maintain their humanity during the day-to-day challenges of surviving in a hostile world. This includes battling the zombie hordes, coping with casualties, and dealing with predatory human survivors.

The group is led by Rick Grimes, who was a sheriff's deputy  before the zombie outbreak. At every turn they are faced with the horror of the walking zombies, the changing dynamic of their group, and hostility from the scattered remains of a struggling human populace who are focused on their own survival now that society's structures have collapsed.

The Walking Dead premiered on October 31, 2010, on the cable television channel AMC in the United States. It premiered internationally during the first week of November 2010 on Fox International Channels. Based on its reception, AMC renewed the series for a second season of 13 episodes, which premiered on October 16, 2011. Two episodes into the second season, AMC announced that the show would return for a third season of 16 episodes, which began airing on October 14, 2012. On December 21, 2012, AMC renewed The Walking Dead for a fourth season of 16 episodes, which premiered on October 13, 2013. On October 29, 2013, AMC renewed it for a fifth season.

The series has been well received and has been nominated for many awards, including the Writers Guild of America Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama. he series has also attained strong Nielsen ratings, surpassing various records for a cable series, including viewership of 16.1 million for its season four premiere, making it the most-watched drama series telecast in basic cable history.

I was not sure I would like the series when I first watched it. Next to rats and death, I think I am most afraid of zombies, but it really only took me a few episodes before I realized the show was more than zombies. Its success is due to the character development. The zombies are second to the characters, and in some episodes one can forget about the zombies entirely. I am thankful I discovered this show while it was still on, and I recommend The Walking Dead. It is definitely a modern “classic”…