Walking Dead Is Making An LGBTQ Spinoff
The Walking Dead might be adding an LGBTQ+ spinoff to the mix.
This article is more than 2 years old
The Walking Dead seems pretty committed to expanding its world in a number of spinoff shows. In addition to the current spinoffs, Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond, there are two other spinoffs in the works that we know of. There is the unnamed Daryl & Carol spinoff and an episodic anthology show called Tales of the Walking Dead. Well, if a new report is on the money, there could be another spinoff on the way.
Insider Daniel Richtman is claiming that an “LGBT-led show” in The Walking Dead universe has entered into development. Richtman does not offer any other specifics than that, but he does not seem to claim that this LGBTQ+-led show is one of the current spinoffs that are already being developed. Because of that, his report leads us to believe that this is yet another brand new series that will join the ranks of the many other spinoffs.
Exactly what the significance will be of the lead character (or characters) being a member of the LGBTQ+ community is also unclear. Will AMC be marketing the show around that fact? Or will this just be another Walking Dead spinoff with a particular angle that happens to be led by an LGBTQ+ character? This raises all sorts of questions and should be taken as a pure rumor at this point. We have little else to go on outside of Richtman’s report.
Not to mention that The Walking Dead universe might be spreading itself way too thin in the wake of the main show’s upcoming end. With two other shows already airing and two more in the pipeline, does it really make a whole lot of sense to start planning yet another series? There is also the matter of the franchise’s popularity sharply declining in recent years. Ratings have been trending downward for the main show and the most recent spinoff, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, slumped down to under a million viewers halfway through its first season. Are people just getting tired of the franchise?
If any of the spinoffs would have a chance at grabbing viewers and keeping their interest, it is probably going to be the one led by Daryl & Carol. Those are two longtime fan-favorite characters that will probably generate enough interest in the spinoff on their own. Will fans be nearly as interested in Tales of the Walking Dead? And would a totally new spinoff like Worlds Beyond with an LGBTQ+ lead character still not have enough curb appeal for fans of the franchise?
It seems pretty clear that AMC wants to keep The Walking Dead franchise alive for as long as they possibly can. But, if they go overboard, it could become as shambling and lifeless as the many zombies that populate its world. We will have to keep our ears open for any significant updates about this potential new spinoff as well as everything else that is in the works. How much longer can this iteration of the zombie apocalypse stay relevant in the pop culture landscape? Only time will tell.
