The Walking Dead Showrunner Plays Down Ratings Worries

The Walking Dead is still one of the most talked about TV shows out there, but it’s a sad fact that its ratings have been dwindling for the past few seasons. Despite the boost of interest that you might suppose would happen from Andrew Lincoln’s much-publicized upcoming exit, season 9 so far has already hit numerous record lows for the AMC zombie drama, with the ratings seemingly devolving back to the levels of season 1.

However, this doesn’t seem to be a worry for new showrunner Angela Kang. While speaking to the BBC, she said that TWD’s future doesn’t depend on the ratings but whether creator Robert Kirkman can keep his comic book as fresh and high quality as ever, thereby giving the series new stories to tell.

“Robert Kirkman’s comic book continues to grow strong. As I’ve been working here I think I’ve definitely had the experience where I say: ‘This is the best storyline that has ever been written for the comics. It can’t be topped, we’re going to have to end the show.’ But then he comes up with an amazing twist that makes us keep on reading. There are a lot of ways in which the story could end.”

So, it seems there’s no end to The Walking Dead in sight. Echoing the ambitious previous comments made by AMC CEO Josh Sapan in which he said he hopes for “a decade plus” more of the show, Kang told the BBC that as long as Kirkman keeps going with the comic book, she doesn’t see the series coming to a close anytime soon.

“But as long as the comic keeps going strong, it’s hard for me to say it has to end at this point. We never know what Robert is going to throw at us.”

The Walking Dead is definitely in a transitional phase right now, as series protagonist Rick Grimes is about to be written out, which we’re told will leave the show as more of an ensemble piece with no clear lead character. It’ll be a real test for it if viewers stay past the end of Lincoln’s tenure and get invested in what comes next, and we’ll soon find out how many people stick around, as the actor’s set to bow out later this year.