How Long Will The Walking Dead Last?

Currently, "The Walking Dead" is the most buzzed about show on television. The season two premier recently broke a couple records and led its time slot across all networks. That is not too surprising considering how successful and critically acclaimed the first season was though. Regardless, it remains to be seen just how high the show's ratings and fan base can climb. Will the show be a one hit wonder or will it continue on a long run of success?

The series follows Rick Grimes and company as they travel through a post-apocalyptic world that is stricken with a zombie plague. Unlike other zombie-based movies and shows, this one completely avoids explaining how the infection started or what caused it. However, this works in its favor because the cameras can focus on the action and the struggles of the human survivors. Rick found his way to his family out side of Atlanta, Georgia in the first season, and the second one picks up as the group leaves the city in search of somewhere safe. Obviously, there is a lot of action in between these main events.

As the second season progresses, it will start to be revealed whether the series can keep its momentum up or start to fizzle out. Over five million souls are expected to watch each episode of the current season, which bodes well for its future. It remains to be seen if those numbers will actually hold. Then again, the show should be just fine if the producers and actors keep creating a spectacular product that viewers are craving for. Stunning visuals, realistic zombies, and the feel of a Hollywood film is a big attraction even for viewers that would otherwise not watch anything with the walking dead. Plus, the show has a healthy combination of bloody gore and emotional human interactions. At one step, the survivors might be blowing heads off but will be seen conversing about their personal lives at the next. It is a winning combination for the series.

There is little doubt that a third season of the show will be produced though, so viewers can count on that. Undoubtedly, it is very unlikely that viewership will decline through season two. With that in mind, even great shows that get off to a great start will inevitably start to decline after awhile. "The Walking Dead" might continue on for ten seasons, which would be a great accomplishment, but viewership and popularity would undoubtedly dwindle during that time. Fortunately, the show is wildly popular right now and does not appear likely to slow down anytime soon.

And why would the show be anything but a fantastic success so far? Zombies plus television has never worked very well in the past aside from movie premiers on cable networks. However, "The Walking Dead" has given television audiences something new that is both full of action and realistic. The show is not just a bunch of people blowing the heads off zombies or trying to find a cure for the infection. No, these individuals are fighting for their lives on the television screens and succeeding for the most part. In recent times, zombies have become more popular in films, but that never translated into television until "The Walking Dead" came around. The series might fizzle out a few seasons from now, but it is running as strong as ever right now. With that in mind, this series will not be going anywhere for the next couple years at the very least.

 About the Author: Matthew Warren is a blogger, sci-fi fanatic and entrepreneur.  He operates Sci-Fi Stuff, a science fiction store and manages their onsite forums.