With the popular zombie action thriller coming to its inevitable end, a slew of new projects based off of The Walking Dead franchise are taking the fan circles by storm. AMC is already planning two Walking Dead Spin-offs. There are many more projects in the pipeline. But there seems to be another player other than AMC that intends to attract viewers with more content from the famed post-apocalyptic thriller. IMDb is launching a new Walking Dead Steaming Channel featuring all new zombie content. It will be streaming in IMDb’s official IMDb TV platform.
The immensely successful Walking Dead franchise has led rise to many spin-offs, prequels, sequels, spoofs, and parodies. Other networks have caught on to the trend and launched their own shows and movies after seeing the rise in popularity of the Walking Dead series. The Walking Dead is acclaimed for its universally well-received story arcs and amazing characterization. After a decade of entertaining fans of the genre, The Walking Dead will end with its eleventh and final season in the year 2022. As of now, there are a total of 31 Walking Dead Episodes to be aired, with the current season being given an extension of six more episodes. Season 11 will have a whopping 24 episodes that will be aired within a period of two years.
Even though the show enjoys a success unlike any other show of similar nature in the small screen arena, AMC has decided to pull the plug on the franchise due to waning ratings and increasing controversies. Major stars have left the show. The actors who played Carl and Rick Grimes have called it quits. The new seasons are just not that good without the Grimes family in the front lines. The decision by AMC to halt the show after its 11th season is based on the collective argument of quitting while they are ahead.
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Many Walking Dead characters have entered and exited the series. The show is dead-set on exploring the arcs of not just one but multiple core characters. That was one of the many highlights of The Walking Dead. It had many tales to tell. Its screen-play and direction gave it several brownie points. The zombie action thriller might be coming to its inevitable end but that does not mean the character arcs are incomplete. It was SMC who pulled the plug abruptly. The writers were still writing many more stories exploring the life and times of The Walking Dead characters. Questions like Maggie leaving Hilltop, George’s Community – the Commonwealth, the fate of Ezekiel, and Daryl and Connie’s relationship are still left unanswered.
The end of The Walking Dead will not let anybody get closure. The fans will keep asking these questions. And maybe that is why IMDb TV is coming up with its own Walking Dead Streaming Channel. According to sources, The Walking Dead Streaming channel, called “The Walking Dead Universe Experience” will be available for fans to view on IMDb TV pretty soon.
The channel will feature full-length shows and deleted scenes that never made it to the broadcast version of the episodes. It will also have bloopers as well as exclusive content from The Walking Dead series never seen before by any fan. The fans will be able to view cast interviews, bonus content, behind the scenes images and footage, as well as show runner interviews as part of the exclusive content package. The Walking Dead Universe Experience will also feature scenes and cast interviews of Walking Dead Spin-Off shows like Fear the Walking Dead and the upcoming Walking Dead: World Beyond.
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This is all due to a partnership deal that IMDb made with AMC as part of a contract. IMDb TV is only one of the many platforms IMDb will use to help promote the show. There are several other linear media channels to look forward to as part of that deal. All of them will feature content similar to The Walking Dead Streaming Channel. If you are a true Walking Dead fan, you might be smiling right now. At least for the next two years, there will become thoroughly entertaining content for you to look forward to. The Network arrangement of IMDb TV comes with a price. Any show or movie can stream exclusive content on their platform but it will come with ads. If you are not disturbed by the occasional pop-up and advertisement videos, then you will be a part of an immersive zombie experience unlike anything ever seen in the history of entertainment.
The Walking Dead Season 11 being the last and final season to the long-running series must have come as a shock to many. The corona virus pandemic had a huge role to play in AMC reconsidering its priorities. It is going for a reboot rather than continuing a decade old show to keep production costs low. The fact that a few actors are not happy with taking part in the Walking Dead show anymore also played a huge role in AMC taking this decision.
But they are not ready to leave a franchise that is as lucrative as The Walking Dead. The Walking Dead: World Beyond will feature new characters and a new setting. It will have younger pair of lead actors who represent a generation that grew up in the new zombie infested world. Tales of the Walking Dead is an upcoming horror anthology spin-off that will feature a new arc and new characters for every episode. Another untitled Walking Dead project will feature the characters of Daryl and Carol and will be another spin-off to the current Walking Dead series.
Related: Tales of the Walking Dead: AMC Planning Horror Anthology Spin-Off
A lot is in store for the fans of the show. The news of a streaming subscription platform being roped into the fold sounds like a good option to keep the fans at the edges of their seats. It is most probably a farewell gesture by AMC for their Walking Dead viewers. The launch date for IMDb TV’s Walking Dead streaming Channel is yet to be announced. But we can be sure it is going to be one hell of a ride.
The dead are coming. 2022 will be our final stand. Are you ready to fight or will you run…well ‘walk’ away??
Source: Variety
