Today, AMC and producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, and David Alpert announced a pilot order for what’s being called a “companion series” to their smash hit The Walking Dead.
For a network that, outside of Dead, has struggled to match the creative or commercial successes of their biggest shows Breaking Bad and Mad Men, the decision to move forward with the series is a no-brainer. Season Four of The Walking Dead premiered to a staggering 16.1 million viewers in October 2013 and concluded with 15.7 million viewers in March 2014.
“Almost from the beginning of The Walking Dead on AMC, fans have been curious about what is going on in the zombie apocalypse in other parts of the world,” said AMC President Charlie Collier in a press release.
There are no details as to what characters or locations will be featured on the series or how closely the new series would adhere to Kirkman’s original source material. The original television show has often diverged from the content of the comic series, replaying fan-favorite storylines with different or altogether new characters.
Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul is the network’s next new series, airing in February 2015.
The Walking Dead Season Five premieres on AMC Sunday, October 12.