We knew the writing was on the wall as ratings steadily declined, and AMC has now officially announced that The Walking Dead will soon come to an end.
The network revealed that the zombie survival drama has been renewed for an eleventh and final season, which will run for a massive 24 episodes. No premiere date has been announced, but the first 12 episodes will air next year, with the final 12 concluding the long-running series in 2022. That won't be the last we see of two of the show's most popular characters, however!
It's also been announced that another two spinoff series are currently in the works, and one will focus on the continuing adventures of bonafide badasses Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride). The other is said to be an "anthology themed offshoot."
“It’s been 10 years ‘gone bye;’ what lies ahead are two more to come and stories and stories to tell beyond that,” said Scott Gimple in a statement. “What’s clear is that this show has been about the living, made by a passionate cast, team of writer/producers, producers, and crew, bringing to life the vision put forth by Robert Kirkman in his brilliant comic — and supported by the best fans in the world. We have a lot of thrilling story left to tell on TWD, and then, this end will be a beginning of more Walking Dead — brand new stories and characters, familiar faces and places, new voices, and new mythologies. This will be a grand finale that will lead to new premieres. Evolution is upon us. The Walking Dead lives”
Added showrunner Angela Kang: “I look forward to digging in with our brilliant writers, producers, directors, cast and crew to bring this epic final chapter of Robert Kirkman’s story to life for our fans over the next two years. The Walking Dead flagship series has been my creative home for a decade and so it’s bittersweet to bring it to an end, but I could not be more excited to be working with Scott Gimple and AMC to develop a new series for Daryl and Carol. Working with Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride has been a highlight of my career and I’m thrilled that we get to keep telling stories together.”
What do you guys make of this news? Is it time for The Walking Dead to end, or would you have preferred to see it keep on trucking?