'Walking Dead' spinoff: AMC announces the program will debut in 2015
The 'Walking Dead' spin-off will include the original show's creators and producers. Here's what we know so far about the 'Walking Dead' spin-off.
'The Walking Dead' stars Andrew Lincoln (l.), Danai Gurira (center), and Melissa Ponzio (r.).
Gene Page/AMC/AP
Entertainment brands are no longer being built lengthwise 鈥� they鈥檙e being built widthwise. In a post-础惫别苍驳别谤蝉听world, extending a franchise through sequels, prequels, interquels or other time-bending techniques isn鈥檛 sufficient; audiences of today want unique worlds to fully immerse themselves in 鈥� the bigger, the better.
Marvel superheroes and their universe have given rise to expansion plans for the ,听 补苍诲听听universes 鈥� even television has been following the strategy, with AMC widening their听听franchise into the听Better Call Saul听spinoff series; and now more world will be added to the network鈥檚 flagship series,听.听
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AMC made the announcement that it will produce a Walking Dead听companion听series with a 2015 air date in mind; serving on the show as executive producers are听Walking Dead听creator Robert Kirkman and show producers Glae Anne Hurd and David Alpert.
Kirkman had the following to say about the new show (of which details are scant at the moment):
鈥淎fter 10 years of writing the comic book series and being so close to the debut of our fourth, and in my opinion, best season of the TV series, I couldn鈥檛 be more thrilled about getting the chance to create a new corner of 鈥楾he Walking Dead鈥� universe,鈥� said Kirkman. 鈥淭he opportunity to make a show that isn鈥檛 tethered by the events of the comic book, and is truly a blank page, has set my creativity racing.鈥�
Along with the rise of the 鈥渇ranchise universe鈥� model has come the inevitable cynicism that 鈥渦niverse building鈥� is actually just a euphemism for 鈥渃ash-grabbing.鈥� In the case of a听Breaking Bad听spinoff it鈥檚 easy to see why someone might feel sour about such a focused and self-contained character drama being transformed into a franchise universe; however,听Walking Dead听is a different creature, entirely.
The goal of Robert Kirkman was always to create a zombpocalypse saga that is long-lasting and widespread, so really the comic series (and subsequently the show) comes with inherent potential for a much larger universe to be explored. There are infinite number of characters, storylines and perspectives that could be configured into a marketable show; the caveat being that the showrunners will have to be able to find a distinctly new thematic and character drama hook, other than survivors trying to deal with the toll of survival on a zombified earth. We鈥檝e seen that before.听Judging from Kirkman鈥檚 words, however, something new and fresh is indeed the intention.
Personally speaking, I was one of those viewers who was wholly engrossed when听 in the second season. The switch in perspective and introduction of new characters 鈥� different and intriguing characters 鈥� set within a familiar world, was an overall fun experience. (In fact, I still consider it a misstep that the showrunners ultimately negated the entire 鈥淭ailies Saga鈥� by systematically killing those characters off.)
That鈥檚 all to say: There is plenty of potential for the zombpocalypse to offer us more compelling TV drama 鈥� at least in my opinion.
Kofi Outlaw blogs at .