Anyone believing that the end ofThe Walking Dead’s flagship show is about to start the zombie franchise shambling into wind-down mode need not worry - or perhaps rejoice in some cases - as AMC have announced that a new spin-off series is coming in the form ofTales of the Walking Deadnext year. Unlike other shows such asFear The Walking DeadandWalking Dead: World Beyond, this newest addition to the zombie family, which was originally announced last year, will act like an anthology of one-shot comics, with each episode being a stand-alone story about both long-standing characters as well as new faces to the series.
The Walking Deadaired its first episode in 2010 and in the eleven years since it has become one of the biggest programs on television, even if in recent years the ratings have been taking a bit of a slide, and there have been a lot of characters passing through during that time for this new series to really draw back in some of the best and most loved characters from the history of Robert Kirkman’s zombie soap opera. While the first season will consist of a conservative six one-hour episodes, which will enter production at the turn of the year with an expected premiere in the summer, it is a fair assumption to say that more will follow soon after.
The series will seeThe Walking DeadandFear The Walking Deadproducer and writer Channing Powell act as showrunner, and said of the new project, “I started as a fan ofThe Walking Deadand have ended up as a showrunner of what will hopefully be one of its most unique spin-offs. That’s nuts and I’m so grateful to AMC and Scott [Gimple] for supporting me and my writers while we pushed, pulled and poked at the boundaries of this universe to bring you something new and unexpected, while hopefully still tending to what core audiences loved so much about the flagship show.”
“The Walking Deadis a show that made television history and attracted an army of passionate and highly engaged fans,” said Dan McDermott, president of original programming for AMC Networks and AMC Studios. “We see so much potential for a wide range of rich and compelling storytelling in this world, and the episodic anthology format ofTales of the Walking Deadwill give us the flexibility to entertain existing fans and also offer an entry point for new viewers, especially on streaming platforms. We have seen the appeal of this format in television classics likeThe Twilight Zoneand, more recently,Black Mirror, and are excited to engage with fans in this new way, against the backdrop of thisvery unique and engrossing world.”
Scott M. Gimple, who acted as showrunner onThe Walking Deadbefore becoming chief content officer for the whole franchise, added, “This series, more than any other in theWalking Dead Universe,runs on new voices, perspectives, and ideas– bringing to life stories unlike any we’ve told before. I’m thrilled to be Channing’s consigliere, helping in every way I can to make those new visions real for the best fans in TV.”
WhileTales of the Walking Deadwillbegin a whole new chapter in the franchise, elsewhere it is more about closure withThe Walking Deadhaving just ended the first part of its final season, andThe Walking Dead: World Beyondalso heading to its end with new episodes of its second and final season currently releasing each Sunday. Additionally,Fear The Walking Deadkicks off its seventh season this Sunday, October 17th.
