AMC's The Walking Dead, the hit zombie series based on Robert Kirkman's fantastic graphic novel series, has been picked up for a second season after ratings for the first two weeks proved to be AMC's best in their history. The pick-up was widely expected and it was rumoured that the deal was done prior to the first episode even airing.
The second season will be 13 episodes, more than doubling the first season's six episode pick-up. Executive Producer, Writer and Director Frank Darabont has also been quoted saying that popular character Michonne will make her debut in the second season.
The Walking Dead has been averaging around 5 million viewers for week, numbers that are on par with CBS' venerable news show 60 Minutes. It has also been performing very well with the lucrative 18-49 demographic.
In other Walking Dead news, this week marks the release of the 13th trade paperback of the Walking Dead series, Too Far Gone. This book collects issues 73-78 of the monthly comic releases.
The Walking Dead has been a graphic comic book series since 2003, and AMC has converted the series into an episodic television show. Season one is comprised of six episodes, of which the first four have aired. AMC has been re-running the episodes since the premiere on October 31st, 2010, and the ratings numbers reported are based on the Sunday night premiere of each episode.
The Walking Dead is now AMC's most popular show, with ratings higher than other popular series on the network like Mad Men.