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The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic horror drama television series developed by Frank Darabont and based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic horror drama television series developed by Frank Darabont and based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. It follows a group of survivors navigating a zombie apocalypse and the collapse of modern civilization. The series premiered on AMC on October 31, 2010, and concluded on November 20, 2022 after eleven seasons and 177 episodes.

Premise

The series follows survivors trying to remain alive after the collapse of modern civilization during a zombie apocalypse. Conflicts with other survivors are a major part of the story, alongside the constant threat of walkers.

Production and broadcast

The Walking Dead was developed for television by Frank Darabont and premiered on AMC in 2010. It ran for eleven seasons before ending in 2022.

Franchise

The series is part of The Walking Dead franchise, which expanded into multiple television series, web series, comics, novels, video games, and other media.

Reception and legacy

The series became one of AMC's best-known dramas and helped establish a large television franchise built around the same fictional universe.

Key facts

  • The series is the first television series in The Walking Dead franchise.
  • It is set after a worldwide zombie apocalypse, with zombies referred to as "walkers".
  • The story centres on a large ensemble of survivors facing both walkers and hostile human groups.
  • The series ran on AMC in the United States and was also distributed internationally through Fox Networks Group and Disney+.
  • It concluded in 2022, though the franchise continued with spin-off series and other media.
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Canadian context

The series was distributed in Canada through Disney+, making it widely available to Canadian viewers.

Frequently asked questions

What is The Walking Dead?
It is an American post-apocalyptic horror drama television series about survivors of a zombie apocalypse.
Who developed The Walking Dead?
The television series was developed by Frank Darabont.
What is it based on?
It is based on the comic book series The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard.
When did it premiere?
It premiered on AMC on October 31, 2010.
When did the series end?
The series ended on November 20, 2022 after eleven seasons.
How many episodes are there?
The series has 177 episodes.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_(TV_series)
    Supports: Premiere date, developer, premise, network, seasons, episode count, conclusion date, franchise context
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_(franchise)
    Supports: Franchise scope, related television series, shared universe context
  3. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_(comic_book)
    Supports: Comic-book source material and creators
  4. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1520211/
    Supports: Series identification and premiere date