the Walking Dead

Frank Darabont brought the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard to television as The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror drama. It begins when sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes comes out of a coma and finds that zombies have overrun the world. After reuniting with his family, he takes charge of a band of survivors who must fend off the roaming 'walkers' as well as rival human communities whose own laws and morals spark violent conflict. The narrative unfolds first around Atlanta, Georgia, and later in Alexandria, Virginia. Premiering on AMC on October 31, 2010, the show ran for eleven seasons and 177 episodes before ending on November 20, 2022. Andrew Lincoln starred as Rick Grimes until the ninth season, alongside long-serving cast members such as Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Danai Gurira and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. From its third season it drew the largest 18-49 audience of any cable or broadcast series, earned nominations including a Golden Globe for best drama series, and became the foundation of a franchise that grew to include spin-offs such as Fear the Walking Dead.