The Walking Dead: Dead City Is A Ratings Hit
The Walking Dead: Dead City is now the most watched drama on cable this year.
The Walking Dead: Dead City became the most-watched cable drama of 2023 when its first episode debuted on June 18. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series raked in 683,000 viewers on AMC, while simulcasts on BBC America and IFC boosted the total to 1.12 million.
The premiere also attracted 283,000 viewers in AMC’s core demographic of adults aged between 25 and 54.
Speaking about the impressive viewership numbers, President of Entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks, Dan McDermott, said:
“We are thrilled so many viewers joined Maggie and Negan in the streets of Manhattan for the first episode of The Walking Dead: Dead City. We can’t wait for the fans to see all the twists and turns in the city that never sleeps. Turns out walkers don’t sleep, either.”
-Dan McDermott
The Walking Dead: Dead City also achieved the highest viewership and subscriber acquisition for a series premiere on AMC+. It surpassed the record set by Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, although specific viewing figures have not been publicly disclosed, as is the norm with streaming platforms.
Dead City’s numbers are super impressive since the era of viewers tuning in to watch a cable series debut has faded.
Among current series, the only show that can be compared to the popularity of The Walking Dead is Yellowstone on Paramount Network. The season five premiere of the Western attracted 9.41 million viewers during its live broadcast.
Although The Walking Dead: Dead City did not reach the same level of success, its viewership figures confirm the franchise’s appeal.
Created by Eli Jorné, The Walking Dead: Dead City is the fifth series in the popular zombie franchise. Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan return as Maggie and Negan from the original television series.
They are joined by Gaius Charles, Željko Ivanek, and Mahina Napoleon in starring roles. Development on the series began in March 2022, with the series wrapping in October 2022.
The story follows Maggie and Negan as they travel into a post-apocalyptic Manhattan to find the former’s kidnapped son Hershel. Cut off from the mainland, the city is crumbling and populated with the dead and denizens who have made New York City their home.
As a result, the streets are filled with anarchy, danger, and terror. The first season consists of six episodes.
During The Walking Dead: Dead City premiere, AMC unveiled a first-look teaser for the upcoming Daryl Dixon spin-off, which will debut later this year. The teaser sees Norman Reedus’ character, wielding a crossbow, stranded at sea on an overturned boat, appearing worn out and in need of help.
Since the series is set in Europe, Dixon is probably somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon sees Norman Reedus reprising his role from the original series, alongside Clémence Poésy and Adam Nagaitis as new characters.
The show was initially supposed to include Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier. However, scheduling issues resulted in the actress being written off the show, shifting the focus to Daryl.
The story follows Daryl Dixon, who washes ashore in France and struggles to remember how or why he got there. Each episode chronicles his journey across the broken country as he tries to find a way back home.
Along the way, Daryl forms connections that complicate his ultimate plan. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon will consist of six episodes.
