2010: AMC's 'Walking Dead' Starts Walking
On this day in 2010, AMC selected Halloween night as the perfect evening on which to launch a new series, The Walking Dead, based on Robert Kirkman's comic-book series about a world suddenly overrun by zombies. The drama series, starring Andrew Lincoln as southern sheriff Rick Grimes, was an instant critical and popular success.
Despite - or, more likely, because of - the fact that several key characters have been killed since the series began, The Walking Dead has gained viewers and prestige each year. Even the unexpected departure of series creator Frank Darabont, between Seasons 1 and 2 in 2011, didn't slow the show's momentum or acceptance.
Its Season 3 premiere in 2012 drew an estimated 10.9 million viewers, making The Walking Dead the most-watched drama series telecast, to that point, in basic cable history.