While its future seems largely focused on smaller spinoffs, Scott M. Gimple teases thatThe Walking Deadmay return to the original show’s long-form episode count. Having launched with the direct adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s graphic novel of the same name, the post-apocalyptic universe has grown to include six spinoff shows, includingthe ongoingDead CityandDaryl Dixon. Beyond those, development is said to be underway on other spinoffs, includingMore Tales from the Walking Dead Universe, which was announced in April 2023, but hasn’t gotten an update since.
During an interview withThe Directat Multicon, Gimple was asked about the future of theWalking Deadfranchise beyond the current running shows. When asked about whether the franchise will go back to the previously planned movie route,the franchise boss confirmed it was “less likely” to happen, but that there are currently talks about returning to the original show’s long-form episode count. See what Gimple said below:
I mean, I would just say different formats… They’re always in our minds and, you know, is it a six-hour, is it a two-hour, is it a… my dream would be another 16-hour-a-year series. We’re talking about that. Feature films… probably less likely. But different ways that we do the show, we have to do it and we will.
AMC Is Looking For Another Flagship
In the years since both the mainline show and its first spinoffFear the Walking Deadcame to a close, the franchise has been in an interesting flux. Where some interconnected TV universes, likeLaw & OrderorStar Trek,have always ensured there is a long-form show running concurrently with a shorter spinoff,The Walking Deadhas instead shifted towards shows that only run for a handful of episodes each, the longest of the recent installments being the upcomingDead Cityseason 2, which is set to consist of eight episodes.
SinceDaryl Dixonhas grown rapidlyin viewership since its debut, andDead Cityfound a solid reception on its 2023 premiere, it seems likely both will continue for at least another couple of seasons each before coming to an end. That being said, with no other confirmed projects in the works,it would make sense for AMC to seek out a new mainlineWalking Deadshow to carry the franchise forward.
All The Upcoming Walking Dead Shows Explained
The Walking Dead may be over, but the horde of TWD spinoffs is still creeping forward, each with its own distinct setting, characters, and tone.
The most likely avenue for a new, long-form show in the universe would be a culmination of the various spinoffs into one project. TheRick and Michonne-focusedThe Ones Who Live, originally planned as a trilogy of films, ended with them reuniting with their children, but not with the rest of the main characters of the original show, whileDead CityandDaryl Dixonhave their leads in regions away from Alexandria and the Commonwealth. While it will take overcoming some narrative hurdles,a long-formWalking Deadshow could be about all of their journeys back to each other.
Fear the Walking Dead, which was a West Coast-set prequel following the beginning of the zombie apocalypse, has already proven that the show’s spinoffs can have more substantial episode orders. While the series began with a six-episode first season (as did the flagship show), episode counts ballooned as its popularity grew, eventually reaching capping off at 16 episodes, which wasthe same as the average number of episodes for seasons ofThe Walking Dead. All in all, the spinoff prequel ran for eight seasons and a total of 113 episodes, compared to the flagship show’s 11 seasons and 177 episodes.
Viewers were not privy to the star of the apocalypse in the original series, which kicks off with Rick Grimes waking up from a coma in a world already overrun by Walkers.
So far, none of the later spinoffs have run as long asFear the Walking Dead, which could explain why they have gotten such limited episode orders. However,both the flagship show and its first spinoff had hit double-digit episode orders by their second seasons, so it seems that the current plan is to maintain tighter episode orders among the spinoffs, potentially so they do not all overlap with one another on the schedule. Below, see a breakdown of the episode counts of every series intheWalking Deaduniverse:
6
13
16
22
24
15
12
10
8
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Liveseason 1
The lower episode counts of the newer spinoffs in theWalking Deaduniverse do reflect the shortening of television seasons in the modern era of streaming and prestige television. For instance, seasons of Netflix’s flagship showStranger Thingshave ranged between episode counts of eight to nine. However, should the spinoffs continue to explode in popularity,it would make sense to have at least one run longer, so it can continue to draw audiences to AMC for an extended period rather than a span of roughly a month and a half.
A Fresh Cast Would Be The Best Path Forward
Considering just how drawn-out later seasons of the mainline show began to feel with their 16-24-episode runtimes, I’m honestly a little weary aboutThe Walking Deadreturning to a longer-episode count. That being said, if the new show were to shift the focus away from the characters we’ve seen over the past 15 years, and explore a new side to the post-apocalyptic world, I could very well see the franchise finding new life with another long-form show.
Source:The Direct
The Walking Dead
The Walking Deadis a massive multimedia franchise that began with a comic book series created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The franchise gained widespread popularity with the launch of the television seriesThe Walking Deadin 2010 on AMC, which chronicles the lives of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, referred to as “walkers.” The success of the original show has led to numerous spin-offs, web series, video games, novels, and other media. The franchise explores themes of survival, human nature, and the breakdown of society in the face of an existential threat, making it one of the most successful and influential horror series of the 21st century.
