WALKING DEAD Renewed for Fifth Season

AMC has renewed The Walking Dead for a fifth season.

News comes as the fourth season is just getting underway, with numbers placing the show in the top slot among adults 18-49, a coveted demographic. The season premiere drew in 16 million viewers, and the live+3 figure at 20 million. Definitely a strong showing for a show that’s had its share of internal turmoil, replacing showrunners every season since its debut, when Frank Darabondt left the show he helped develop for television.

RELATED: Read our recaps of the show here.

Current showrunner Scott Gimple has been confirmed to be returning for season five. Walking Dead co-creator Robert Kirkman has described Gimple as a big fan of the show, and has said season four would more closely resemble the source material. AMC seems to be in the Gimple camp as well.

Charlie Collier, AMC president, said, “This is a show that has erased traditional distinctions between cable and broadcast. Its expanding base of passionate fans has grown every season, most recently – and most notably – with the season four premiere earlier this month, which broke viewership records for the series and became the biggest non-sports telecast in cable history.”