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AMC’s The Walking Dead wrapped the fall portion of its third season in style, logging a monster 10.5 million total viewers for the premiere 9 PM telecast and 15.2 million for the night, including two encores. That was just shy of the record-breaking 10.9 million Live+Same Day total viewers who tuned in to the third season premiere in October. Compared with Season 2 midseason finale in 2011, last night’s audience was up a whopping 58%. The Walking Dead midseason finale drew 6.9 million adults 18-49, up 54% vs. Season 2, and 6.0 million adults 25-54, up 52%. Both qualify as the second-highest deliveries for the zombie series behind the Season 3 premiere (7.3 million in 18-49, 6.1 million in 25-54).
The October series premiere of The Walking Dead ranks as the top telecast on broadcast or cable this fall among adults 18-49. And now, the series’ 18-49 average has topped all other fall series — cable or broadcast. The Walking Dead Season 3 to date also reigns as the No. 1 ad-supported drama series in basic cable history among total viewers, adults 18-49, adults 25-54, adults 18-34 and all male demos. The remaining eight episodes of The Walking Dead Season 3 launch February 10.
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Most violent show on television…bar none.
True, but I think it’s popularity comes from the fact that it’s the most depressing show on television as well.
And that is why the Comic Book is so damn good! Violent, bleak, depressing, hopeless… Hell yeah!
American Horror Story?
Is this a criticism or do you consider it a good thing? Odd to make just that comment, especially a show about, you know, zombies.
As for depressing, what show or film with a post-apocalyptic theme isn’t? Not sure that adds or takes away from a show’s popularity but, again, an odd statement to make about this kind of show.
Besides Family Guy, anyway.
Great episode last night. Best one of the series.
I wish they wouldn’t break it up like this, but those are excellent numbers. They’ll all be back for the rest of the season.
All the more reason to get off the network-only ratings and onto a broader, more accurate barometer. Advertisers et al would follow you more ardently if you added the viewing nuances in. For example, tonight’s ESPN football game looms as a significant viewer grabber. Allowing for time zones, the Giants/Redskins tilt, with playoff implications, should be attract more eyes & ears than NBC’s Cowboys/Eagles (same NFL division) tilt last evening and that led the ratings with 18 mil+ viewers. Be watching how you handle this in the a.m.
It’s pronounced like thermometer.
These numbers prove one thing. Season 2 was HORRIBLE. The show has been so much better this season.
I don’t think Season 2 was horrible at all. And some of the biggest shockers were last year: Sophia in the barn (mid-season finale – can’t top that one IMO), Dale’s death, Shane’s death. The extra material on the Season 2 DVD are incredible and offer much insight and added information about the making of the second season. And I’ve only seen part of the material so far! (The devolution of Shane is fascinating coming from Jon Bernthal himself, and one featurette, “The Meat of the Music” is just wonderful. Bear McCreary is a visionary, and his music for the show is performed by a 40 piece orchestra…based on classic Hitchcock soundtracks and the old horror classics plus some modern electronic percussion, keyboard, etc. If you like music, this one will blow your mind. Not everyone appreciates what the background music – or lack of (as in the horror produced by silence) – does for a scene, whether action or narrative. (Okay – sorry to go on and on – but the 4-disc DVD is a treasure trove of fun and enlightening stuff from Season 2.)
This season is great – but I was disappointed in the premiere, even though I know they had to fight their way into the prison and get it over with. Thankfully, the season got better after that first one.
Well, now that you just ruined Season 2……
Favorite show on Television!
Keep up the good work, writers/creators/crew!
Season 2 numbers would suggest otherwise. It was doing incredibly well in the middle of season 2 as well.
All these number prove is that TWD continues to be the biggest scripted dramatic hit in cable history, but we’ve known that since at least the middle of season 2.
My comment was in reply to the “most violent show on TV”comment! What point are u trying to make? We all watch it, we are all adults ..so what are u trying to say?
Unique storyline. Hard hitting drama. And VERY good actors. Who could ask for anything more? This show proves that you can take the most offbeat of tales, and make it compelling to watch week after week. I’m not one to see frequent flesh eating and decapitions right before I go back to work on Monday, but this show always whets the appetite.
Season 3 and it STILL gives me nightmares!!!!! Not since the first season of ‘Whitney’ have I been so tormented!!! Love TWD. No, I would never recommend it for everyone. I find Big Bang Theory ANNOYING, but millions love it. I don’t trash talk it, I simply don’t watch it. Don’t like TWD, then don’t watch it. Very simple.
It’s so funny to look at the numbers TWD puts up on the same night as the Sunday night NFL game and laugh at the ridiculously low numbers that networks like CBS, ABC, and FOX get in comparison. I mean 10.5 million viewers and a 6.9 demo(SIX POINT NINE-demo rating) is just unreal( if I read the article correctly). Holy Moly! It just shows what can be accomplished even against football games, if you put up a great series. But with those three networks all you get is childish programming(FOX), weak and fluffy programming(CBS), and of course over at ABC, straight men leading a 9pm or 10pm drama is strictly forbidden, so you’ll never see a hit the likes of TWD on that network.
One of the reasons that season 3 is a big ratings hit over season two is that many people started watching recently on Netflix and have caught up with the current on TV episodes. The same happened to Breaking Bad.
Great show and cast One of the best written shows out there. The mid-season break kills me lol
I dont get it. Walking dead is the most watched series on tv and no nominations? The storyy line the actors the love story between glen and maggie, the back stories and the apocolyse as the great equalizer. I would think hollywood would love a show where everyone now has the same socio economic status. Doctors lawyers cops and the pizza guy are all bound together by the fight for survival. No more class warfare. Why were they not nominated for best drama?. I think the acting in homeland sucks. Breaking bad is good too. But twd is what people are watching. The awards are meaningless if intellectual idiots are deciding who should be in the running. Im anxious for each new season. I know alot of people who feel the same and the stats prove it. TWD for best drama. Lets petition the globes. Linda phila
Wow….i’ve not seen the walking dead, pls can any1 recommend if its a gud movie too watch