A The Walking Dead spin off is in development, AMC announced this morning.
Set for a premiere in 2015, The Walking Dead spin off will use its existing creative team but will follow an entirely new set of characters and locations.
“Building on the success of the most popular show on television for adults 18-49 is literally a no-brainer,” said Charlie Collier, AMC’s president and general manager. “We look forward to working with Robert, Gale and Dave again as we develop an entirely new story and cast of characters. It’s a big world and we can’t wait to give fans another unforgettable view of the zombie apocalypse.”
“After 10 years of writing the comic book series and being so close to the debut of our fourth, and in my opinion, best season of the TV series, I couldn’t be more thrilled about getting the chance to create a new corner of The Walking Dead universe,” said comic creator and executive producer Robert Kirkman. “The opportunity to make a show that isn’t tethered by the events of the comic book, and is truly a blank page, has set my creativity racing.”
The news of a Walking Dead spin off comes on the heels of AMC’s announcing a Breaking Bad spin off following Saul Goodman last Wednesday.
While we do like the idea of an entirely new zombie story line set in a world even Kirkman hasn’t dreamed up yet, we’re cautious about how AMC is proceeding with the future of their programming line up. Breaking Bad and Mad Men are ending, and the network has yet to come out with a new show to replace them. Rather than going for something entirely new, they’re falling back on the hits.
Meanwhile, The Walking Dead season 4 will premiere Sunday, October 13 on AMC.