The excitement that met the announcement of the Breaking Bad spinoff, Better Call Saul, has sent AMC into a frenzy of spinofflust, like a creature of some kind feasting on still-warm prey. Maybe a shark, or something. To this end, the powers-that-be at the channel have asked Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead, if they could have a spinoff for that show too. The benevolent Kirkman placed a mighty hand on little AMC’s head and agreed that yes, they could have that spinoff, as long as it debuted in 2015.
The show doesn’t have a title yet but will still be based, albeit in a much subtler way, on the long-running series that its sister show also takes inspiration from. It will take place in the same universe as the already-existing series, but focus on a completely new set of characters.
Robert Kirkman had this to say:
After 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’t be more thrilled about getting the chance to create a new corner of The Walking Dead universe. The opportunity to make a show that isn’t tethered by the events of the comic book, and is truly a blank page, has set my creativity racing.
“…creativity racing”? Is that a hint that we will finally get to see zombie racing? Perhaps. As stated before, the new show isn’t due till 2015, so we have years of speculation yet.
AMC president Charlie Collier went on to say:
Building on the success of the most popular show on television for adults 18-49 is literally a no-brainer. We look forward to working with Robert, Gale and Dave again as we develop an entirely new story and cast of characters. It’s a big world and we can’t wait to give fans another unforgettable view of the zombie apocalypse.
With Breaking Bad and Mad Men coming to their respective conclusions, and the network’s recent cancellation of The Killing, AMC need a big TV project, fast. Can 2015 come soon enough to save AMC from hordes of zombies representing viewer apathy? Here’s hoping.
