Where is The Walking Dead?
A number of readers have been asking about which network has picked up new US zombie series The Walking Dead.
- Published by David Knox
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A number of readers have been asking about which network has picked up new US zombie series The Walking Dead.
Based on the comic book of the same name, it tells the story of the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse and follows a small group of survivors travelling across the United States in search of a new home.
The series airs in the US on AMC, which also has Mad Men and Breaking Bad, and it’s been generating a lot of buzz since it premiered on Halloween.
The Wall Street Journal said that the “pilot episode is so good that it has hooked even a zombie hater like me.” The writer added that what made the show so good was that it looks cinematic.
After checking with a number of sources, TV Tonight had learned that no Australian network has yet picked this up.
Three networks showed interest in the series, but the rights are believed to be top price. Foxtel is still interested in the series, but no deal is yet finalised.
Unfortunately for a cult series like this, the longer it is delayed the more the audience could resort to piracy.
If James Packer really wants to keep TEN young, could he write a cheque for this one please?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1v0uFms68U[/youtube]
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40 Responses
This is why people torrent shows. Listen up networks, just start putting everything up online, or even go through iTunes. I’d happily pay a small fee to watch this instead of torrent it.
28 Days Later
28 Weeks Later
Thats what comes to my mind.
Not very original.
It is brilliant. Like Breaking Bad and Mad Men, stunning cinematography, engaging plot…zombies and Andrew Lincoln…Zing!
Mad Men and Breaking Bad on FTA are over a year behind Foxtel, which was already about 2 months behind AMC with airing episodes. 90% of the fanbase has already watched the shows before they finally air on SBS or ABC2.
If ABC and SBS can’t afford it, TWD would be good for either Go, 7Mate, or Eleven, but if it’s only 6 episodes, the asking price won’t be justified for them, so Aus viewers will resort to piracy to see it. Nine were foolish to onsell Damages and Breaking Bad (that they both got through their Sony output deal) to Foxtel, as they would’ve been a good fit for Go, or Gem.
@Barry Saunders The only reason that Breaking Bad and Mad Men don’t rate is that people for some stupid reason do not watch SBS or ABC 2. Look what happened to Top Gear when they put in on Ch 9! It rated better than it ever did on SBS. Which goes to show how stupid viewers can be.
Me, i would rather it on SBS or ABC and they won’t stuff it around like all the other stations do. But i’m tipping i would have seen it before they decide to put it on anyway.
I tend to find the zombie apocalypse thing a bit hackneyed but this looks really good and has some good names both behind and in front of the camera. Interesting that two of the male leads are English (Lennie James is cropping up all over the place now).
Unfortunately, this is unlikely to rate that well here in the land of safe and bland TV. chk chk, you conveniently forget how badly niche programs like this have been treated by your beloved Nine network. You’d be a fool to think this would be any different. This would be a perfect fit for ABC2 at 9:30 on Tue now that “Deadwood” has finished. Then we could see Andrew Lincoln again afterwards in “Teachers”.
Seeing as it performed brilliantly on premiere (2.7 rating with Adults 18-49 – that’s larger than ratings for 10pm Sunday rivals ‘Brothers and Sisters’ and ‘CSI Miami’), you would think the networks or indeed Foxtel would be scrambling to grab this terrific program.
I watched this the other night…easily one of the best things I’ve seen all year (along with Boardwalk Empire and Breaking Bad). I’m not a massive fan of the zombie/horror thing but it’s much more about human relationships, directed by Frank Darabont of Shawshank Redemption fame. Doesn’t pull any punches from the comic series in terms of violence either, some parts were quite shocking. AMC are quickly becoming the new HBO.
More importantly, who’s going to air AMC’s Rubicon? That’s a terrific show.
Yeah except Mad Men & Breaking Bad don’t rate! Sure write a cheque out to AMC to assure critical acclaim but for what I assume is a premium price probably isn’t worth their while. This should go to Foxtel.
I watched the first episode a couple days ago and while it was mostly great, I’ve heard it falls down quite a bit afterwards from critics who’ve seen later episodes. Definitely not MM or BB quality.
Could generate some huge buzz for 7mate or Eleven
I’m going to be watching this tonight I think 😛
If you were to put aside the the locally produced vs. international darma argument , all that the comercial networks here need to do to back a winner is simply write a cheque to AMC for whatever their next project is. This network continues to produce great character driven stories (Breakng Bad/ Madmen) which don’t rely on lame tired concepts that run out of steam after half a dozen episodes.
Nobody knows if this show will go the distance but if the pilot is anything to go by it has the potential to. Engaging characters, solid story and great cinematography & score.
this should be shown on Go!
Even if they picked it up today we wouldn’t see it for months, right? Not till mid next year probably? It’ll be finished and out on DVD by then…
I’ve watched the pilot and thought it was great so i’m gonna watch the rest of the series, well before it gets screened here. I reckon SBS would be the only hope for it to be shown here cos it doesn’t really seem like commercial network material. And they’d only put it on at 12.3am anyway
I’ll try to wait until the DVD is released in the US.
Since the series is only 6 episodes and finishes early in December, I’m hopeful that it will be released on DVD pretty soon after the final episode is screened. With the strong Aussie dollar, DVDs are normally cheaper from the US and I have no intention of waiting until a network in Australia screens it and then finally permits it to be released on DVD locally.
if it was a by the numbers Medical Drama, Crap Reality Show or Police Procedural they would have been all over this already.
There is a great review of the pilot script out there (on ain’t it cool I believe) that aptly covers it’s issues – great look and feel but distractingly derivative and isn’t “about” anything. If it’s “top price” then I see why the networks didn’t bother.
Hopefully it will improve with more mythology and the subplots hinted at in the last ten minutes.
I was starting to worry that nobody was interested in it, but I do wonder what kind of a time slot this would be shown if it were put on one of the commercial channels. It seems a little too violent for a 7:30 or 8:30 slot on channel 7
It’s very disappointing to learn that no Austn TV network has picked up the rights to what sounds like an exciting show.
Yes, reality shows are cheaper to produce, but in my book they’re generally far inferior to a well produced, tightly scripted drama with high production values — all apparent attributes of The Walking Dead, from what I’ve read over the last couple of weeks.
It sounds like I’ll be buying this one on DVD.
Oh Wow. that looks brilliant!
Very similar to 28 Days Later it seems. But I love Zombies; think I’m waiting for a FTA network you’re wrong 😛
Ten should get this on air for Eleven.
This is the kind of program we need on Australian television – not a cop show, not a medical show but a balls to the wall zombie epic. If the local networks do not have the courage to produce something like this they should at least have the courtesy to purchase it.
If there was ever a program for whcih fast tracking was mandatory it is this.