Five things you should know about The Walking Dead.
1. What’s it all about?
The Walking Dead (TWD) is based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics. It tells the story of the months and years that follow after a zombie apocalypse, and follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), who travel in search of a safe and secure home.
2. Who owns and distributes it?
Outside of North America, the AMC’s first whollyowned original series airs on FIC channels (FOX Movies Premium in Asia), who owns all international rights for the project. eOne handles Broadcast TV rights and Digital/DVD rights in all markets.
3. When and how will Season 3 be aired?
The highly-anticipated third season premiered internationally throughout the week of October 15, 2012, and exclusively on FOX Movies Premium in Southeast Asia on Sunday, October 21, followed by all new episodes scheduled to air every Sunday. The series’ international rollout will reach FIC audiences in 122 countries, speaking 36 languages and will be seen by over 200 million internationally. Markets include: Australia, UK, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Turkey, the Balkans, the Baltic, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, all Latin America, all Middle East, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Season 3 (16 x 60’) will air in two-parts, with a hiatus in between of which the final eight episodes will return in February 2013.
4. Just how popular is TWD?
“Season 2 of TWD marked the best performance for a U.S. cable show in our international markets. It delivered record-breaking ratings in both the U.S. and internationally,” says Sharon Tal Yguado, EVP Scripted Programming at FIC. In Asia, the Season 2 premiere on FOX Movies Premium last October shattered ratings records, making it the #1 rated cable channel in Singapore and #1 rated western movie cable channel in Malaysia.
Also, there are a lot of death predictions from fans of the comic book by Robert Kirkman, of which the series came from, but the series’ writers are not giving anything away. The editor of TV ASIA Plus has his own predictions, having visited the set mid season, but is sworn to secrecy – guess on!
5. What’s new in Season 3?
New locations: The sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes hopes to seek refuge within some prison walls this season, but there might be “walkers” (as the zombies are called) awaiting, or not?
New characters: The Governor, one of the most notorious baddies in the comic book world, and the katana-wielding Michonne, who slashes the heads of walkers without a care, are the latest additions and possibly the most anticipated characters from die-hard fans of the comic books.
New locations: Having lost their farmhouse in Season 2, the group seeks refuge in a prison, hoping that the walkers will be walled-out. There’s also Woodbury, the Governor’s town, which is walled-in, but sources say Woodbury is too good to be true.
New ways of killing: More unarmed combat this season as the ammunition starts to run out and the living know they’ve got to stop shooting to attract less attention. Expect bullets to fly by the end of the season though, as props master John Sanders promises a massive machine-gun showdown! (Read on).
