Last week there were rumors swirling that season two of the Netflix hit series adaptation of Marvel Comics’ Daredevil would feature popular anti-hero character, the Punisher and popular villain/long-time Daredevil nemesis, Bullseye.
Well, we can stop speculating on at least half of that because today Marvel announced that the The Walking Dead‘s Jon Bernthal has been cast as in the role of Frank Castle, New York’s most notorious and bloody vigilante known as the Punisher.
AMC’s The Walking Dead returned Sunday after a two-month hiatus. As a fan of the series I have sat on the edge of my seat for three and a half seasons now, week-to-week, looking forward to the weekly big twist that was inevitably on the horizon that would make me want to tune in the following week. After the most recent episode, After, which featured hardly any dialogue whatsoever and just a series of awful things happening and horrible, depressing imagery, I’ve come to the only conclusion that I think any rational human being can come to: The Walking Dead sucks and it has for quite some time.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ll probably continue to watch if for no other reason than it’s one of the few shows that Mrs. Tastic and I can agree on so it’s at least mildly compelling and tolerable for me, but I came to the conclusion during the midseason finale that the series is not going anywhere as far as the plot is concerned and I begrudgingly accepted that fact after watching After. It’s simply not progressing the way a serial like this should.
Part of the reason why The Walking Dead became as successful as it did as quickly as it did is because it entered the television landscape at the perfect time when post-apocalyptic sci-fi/horror-themed television was on the rise and it has copied the basic premise (that is, what the show really is about at its core) of all of its predecessors and contemporary counterparts. Despite what many fans of this show think, the show is not about surviving and it’s not even about zombies. What the show is really about is exactly what every post-apocalyptic series is about: How do we maintain our humanity (or if it is even possible to) when the apocalypse hits and the end of the world is at hand? This is a very common theme on television today even on shows that aren’t technically post-apocalyptic shows. If you want to examine this further, this theme shows up in popular literature as well, going back decades (think: Lord of the Flies).
So, that’s what the appeal of this genre is at its core. The problem with The Walking Dead is that though it meets the core requirements of the genre on a weekly basis, there is simply no endgame in sight, in other words, there is no point to this series. It’s just a weekly festival of stress and gore and the knowledge that any main character could be killed off at any point. This is inherently the problem of basing your serial television series off of a popular comic book serial that has been running consistently for over a decade. Comic books aren’t meant to have an endgame (unless of course they are limited-run), television serials are. At the end of the day, what is the ultimate goal, the big payoff, the cheese at the end of the maze, the light at the end of the tunnel, etc., for The Walking Dead? Can anyone tell me?
The first season actually gave us a goal: our survivors made it to the CDC and it was hinted at that they were trying to find a cure and if I recall correctly, something about working on a cure in France. Then the CDC blew up, we were all left with this cliffhanger that just made us want more, the series got picked up for a second season and since then it’s just been nothing but a long series arguments, killing the occasional zombie and main characters dying.
As noted, there is plenty of post-apocalyptic television fare currently on television with the same theme as The Walking Dead but they all do it better than The Walking Dead if for no other reason than that we know that eventually there will be a payoff, one way or the other.
Falling Skies: Post-Apocalypse Done Right…
Examples:
TNT’s Falling Skies which is basically The Walking Dead with aliens instead of zombies but the difference is that the protagonists are taking the fight to the aliens instead of constantly running away from them and just trying to survive. The endgame is pretty obvious: either the humans will be victorious and defeat the aliens or they won’t.
NBC’s Revolution is a typical contemporary commentary on humanity with the post-apocalyptic theme and for all of its flaws, it is obvious that there is an endgame to this even if they haven’t ultimately spelled it out completely and they throw in mysteries along the way. Will the power go back on or not? Will humanity be able to start over?
CBS’s Under the Dome and ABC’s former series Lost aren’t post-apocalyptic, but they share the same commentary on humanity theme that the post-apocalyptic fare does through characters in situations where a small group of people are isolated from the rest of the world and their respective series examine how their humanity remains intact. Both series have obvious endgames.
The progenitor of the contemporary post-apocalyptic genre television series, Battlestar Galactica (2003) was nothing more than 75 episodes of morality plays and commentary on the human condition… but the endgame was made clear in the first episode.
Yes, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain…
So, without an endgame or anything else remotely resembling a goal for our protagonists, what exactly is keeping audiences so enthralled with this series? The answer is simple: smoke and mirrors.
The truth is that this series is surviving based on a purely visceral emotional reaction. We love to be scared or more specifically we love suspense and when there are characters that we have become emotionally attached to involved in the suspense it makes the experience that much more satisfying.
One thing that the series has done very well is character development. Character development is a key factor for the success of any series because the better that development is, the more the audience can relate to the characters, the more the audience becomes attached to the characters and thus, the more the audience becomes attached to a series. Character development seems to be the sole focus of The Walking Dead and the writers and producers appear to be hanging the continued success of the series on the audience’s emotional attachment to the characters (and average to slightly better than average subplots) hoping that they won’t notice that there really is no main plot to this series.
I’m sorry, but no series can survive on character development alone. There has to be some substance and not only isn’t there any substance to this series, it’s just becoming more depressing every week.
THIS: Good.
One of the traps of developing characters as thoroughly as this series has done to the exclusion of everything else (because it doesn’t have much else to go on) is that when you kill them off (see: Herschel, Dale, Andrea, T-Dog, Shane, Laurie, etc.) you invariably piss off your core audience. This is exactly why the meme “IF DARYL DIES, WE WILL RIOT” exists to begin with. The only thing that people care about on this show is the characters. You’ll never see a meme that says “IF THEY DON’T FIND A CURE, WE WILL RIOT” or any reference to anything else regarding the plot because there is no plot that the audience can discern or relate to.
THIS: Not happening… ever.
That said, the death of a main character can be overcome if the death of the character turns out to be for some greater good and the audience can justify and rationalize the loss of the character. The problem with The Walking Dead in this regard is that all of these character deaths are simply pointless and they’ve made astute viewers like myself examine the series for what it is and what it’s missing.
Q: Why did Herschel have to die?
A: Because the writers are running out of ideas and needed to emotionally jar the audience by having the ruthless villain murder him in the most gory way imaginable in order to ensure that audience would return on February 9th for the midseason premiere.
Well, that was just fun for everyone… and right before Christmas, no less.
That was a mistake, folks, because Sunday’s episode accomplished two things: being depressing and boring the shit out of me. It also made me be honest about the series in general, addressing what I rationally knew but didn’t want to accept during the midseason finale. After succeed in polarizing me very badly and I’m not the only one.
The truth is that even on the most dark and morbid series the audience needs some comic relief and ultimately some hope. The Walking Dead provides neither. As dark as Breaking Bad was, Vince Gilligan smartly inserted humor into it regularly and there was always an implied endgame to the series and there was always the hope that even if Walt were to go down that there would be some good fortune for his family.
There is simply no hope on The Walking Dead and there doesn’t appear to be any intention of providing any whatsoever.
Instead of doing a crap-ton (yes, that’s a legitimate unit of measurement) of pieces on the upcoming midseason 2012 – 2013 midseason schedule, we decided to make it really easy for you and just give you the rundown on the new shows that are premiering and the returning shows that we have an interest in and we know you do, as well. If your show isn’t covered, drop us a line and we’ll get you caught up! As a bit of an aside, and before anyone asks, we have no idea when season six of Mad Men will be premiering because, as usual, Matthew Weiner and AMC are being obnoxiously tight-lipped about it. That being said, John Slattery (Roger Sterling) expects it to be premiering around the same time as season five did last year.
(All times Eastern, * Indicates a New Series/Show Premiere)
January
|
Date |
Title |
Network |
Time |
|
January 4th |
SyFy |
10:00 p.m. |
|
|
January 6th |
PBS |
9:00 p.m. |
|
|
January 7th |
Deception* (Formerly Infamous) |
NBC |
10:00 p.m. |
|
January 8th |
FX |
10:00 p.m. |
|
|
January 10th |
NBC |
9:30 p.m. |
|
|
January 11th |
FOX |
9:00 p.m. |
|
|
January 11th |
Cinemax |
10:00 p.m. |
|
|
January 14th |
SyFy |
8:00 p.m. |
|
|
January 14th |
SyFy |
9:00 p.m. |
|
|
January 14th |
SyFy |
10:00 p.m. |
|
|
January 15th |
SyFy |
9:00 p.m. |
|
|
January 17th |
FX |
10:00 p.m. |
|
|
January 19th |
BBC America |
9:00 p.m. |
|
|
January 21st |
FOX |
9:00 p.m. |
|
|
January 25th |
Starz |
9:00 p.m. |
|
|
January 30th |
FX |
10:00 p.m. |
|
|
January 31st |
NBC |
10:00 p.m. |
February
|
Date |
Title |
Network |
Time |
|
February 1st |
Netflix |
(N/A) |
|
|
February 5th |
NBC |
9:00 p.m. |
|
|
February 6th |
Spies of Warsaw* (Miniseries) |
BBC America |
8:00 p.m. (Assumed. No Time Given by Network) |
|
February 7th |
NBC |
8:00 p.m. |
|
|
February 8th |
FOX |
8:00 p.m. |
|
|
February 10th |
AMC |
9:00 p.m. |
|
|
February 10th |
SyFy |
9:00 p.m. |
|
|
February 14th |
ABC |
8:00 p.m. |
|
|
February 26th |
SyFy |
10:00 p.m. |
March
|
Date |
Title |
Network |
Time |
|
March 3rd |
ABC |
9:00 p.m. |
|
|
March 5th |
CBS |
10:00 p.m. (Series Premiere) |
|
|
March 8th |
NBC |
9:00 p.m. |
|
|
March 8th |
CBS |
9:00 p.m. (Regular Timeslot Premiere) |
|
|
March 25th |
NBC |
10:00 p.m. |
|
|
March 30th |
BBC America |
9:00 p.m. |
|
|
March 31st |
HBO |
9:00 p.m. |
April
|
Date |
Title |
Network |
Time |
|
April 8th (Assumed. No Official Date Yet, Only Month) |
BBC America |
8:00 p.m. |
|
|
April [?] (No Official Date Yet, Only Month) |
SyFy |
8:00 p.m. |
May
|
Date |
Title |
Network |
Time |
|
May 1st |
ABC |
8:30 p.m. |
Via Joint Statement from AMC and Glenn Mazzara:
December 21, 2012 –
Today, AMC announces the season 4 pick-up of The Walking Dead.
AMC also jointly announces with Glen Mazzara today that for future seasons, the two parties have mutually decided to part ways. Glen guided the series creatively for seasons 2 and 3. AMC is grateful for his hard work. We are both proud of our shared success.
Both parties acknowledge that there is a difference of opinion about where the show should go moving forward, and conclude that it is best to part ways. This decision is amicable and Glen will remain on for post-production on season 3B as showrunner and executive producer.
Sign me up for this soundtrack.
Via Press Release:
STARZ TEAMS UP WITH CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED COMPOSER BEAR MCCREARY FOR ANTICIPATED ADVENTURE SERIES “DA VINCI’S DEMONS”
Los Angeles, CA – November 13, 2012 – Starz Entertainment and BBC Worldwide Productions announced today that groundbreaking composer Bear McCreary (“The Walking Dead,” “Battlestar Galactica”) will serve as the musical composer for the upcoming historical fantasy “Da Vinci’s Demons,” which will premiere on STARZ in the U.S. and will be distributed by BBC Worldwide in international territories in Spring 2013. The eight-episode series, written by David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Man of Steel) who also directed the first two episodes, follows the ‘untold’ story of the world’s greatest genius, Leonardo da Vinci, during his turbulent youth in Renaissance Florence.
Goyer commented, “I’ve been a fan of Bear’s since hearing his score for ‘Battlestar Galactica,’ which was inspired and unexpected. We wanted something similarly grand, but unconventional for ‘Da Vinci’s Demons’.”
Emmy® Award nominated, McCreary is one of the leading musical composers in television and has worked on some of the most successful shows in the medium. At the age of 24, he received widespread acclaim for his groundbreaking score to SyFy’s hit series “Battlestar Galactica,” for which he composed, “the most innovative music on TV today,” according to Variety. He was declared as one of the “Ten Best Science Fiction Composers of All Time,” by io9.com, listing him alongside legends John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and Bernard Herrmann.
McCreary’s recent credits include AMC’s smash hit, “ His score for the FOX series “Human Target” featured the largest orchestra ever assembled in the history of series television and earned him his first Emmy® nomination. McCreary’s many other credits include: “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” “Eureka,” “Caprica,” “Trauma” and “The Cape.” His feature film work includes the upcoming Knights of Badassdom (starring Peter Dinklage and Summer Glau) and his videogame credits include Sony’s successful SOCOM 4: U.S. NAVY SEALs. With degrees in composition and recording arts from the prestigious Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, McCreary’s professional training came from film music legend Elmer Bernstein (The Magnificent Seven, The Ten Commandments). He has also conducted orchestral performances of his music in North America and Europe and has been invited to conduct at film music festivals such as Fimucité in Tenerife and the International Film Music Festival in Úbeda, Spain. The Walking Dead,” on which he collaborated with writer / director Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) and producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator).
“Da Vinci’s Demons” will star Tom Riley, who has received wide critical acclaim in the UK for his performances in theater, film and on television and was nominated by the Drama Desk Awards for his performance in the 2011 Tony® Award nominated Broadway play, “Arcadia.” Riley’s co-stars include Laura Haddock (The Inbetweeners Movie, “Honest,” Captain America: The First Avenger) who plays the celebrated beauty with obscure motives, Lucrezia Donati; Elliot Cowan (“Marchlands,” “The Fixer,” “Lost in Austen”) who plays the shrewd de factor ruler of Florence, Lorenzo Medici; and Lara Pulver (“True Blood,” “Sherlock,” “Robin Hood”), who plays his wife Clarice Orsini. David S. Goyer, co-writer of blockbuster and critically-acclaimed films Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and writer of the upcoming Man of Steel, is showrunner. Julie Gardner is Executive Producer, along with BBC Worldwide Productions’ Head Jane Tranter. The series is currently in production in Wales.
About Starz Entertainment
Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie and original programming entertainment service provider operating in the United States. The company offers 17 premium channels including the flagship STARZ®and ENCORE® brands with approximately 20.8 million and 34.3 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs in total more than 1,000 movies and original series every month across its pay TV channels. Starz Entertainment is recognized as a pay TV leader in providing HD, On Demand, HD On Demand and online advanced services for its STARZ, ENCORE and MOVIEPLEX brands. Starz Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LMCA).
About BBC Worldwide Productions
BBC Worldwide Productions is one of five core businesses under BBC Worldwide America, the U.S. division of the main commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), BBC Worldwide. Led by Jane Tranter, BBC Worldwide Productions is based in Los Angeles and develops and produces scripted and non-scripted projects for U.S. cable and broadcast networks, as well as digital platforms. The production company is responsible for various titles currently on air and in production including Da Vinci’s Demons (Starz), Criminal Justice (HBO), Getting On(HBO), Top Gear (HISTORY), Torchwood: Miracle Day (Starz) Breaking Pointe (CW), Richard Hammond’s Crash Course (BBC AMERICA), What Not to Wear (TLC), The Week the Women Went(Lifetime) and the cultural phenomenon, Dancing with the Stars (ABC).
# # #
Via Press Release:
October 17, 2012 – TNT has greenlit a new series from executive producers Frank Darabont (The Walking Dead, The Shawshank Redemption), Michael De Luca (The Social Network, Moneyball) and Elliot Webb (Tall Time Tales). TNT has ordered a total of six episodes for the untitled project, which is being produced by TNT Originals.
Based on the critically acclaimed book L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America’s Most Seductive City by John Buntin, the story chronicles the epic battle between Los Angeles Police Chief William Parker and mobster Mickey Cohen. Alissa Phillips (Moneyball) of Michael De Luca Productions serves as co-executive producer. Darabont wrote and directed the pilot. The show, which will air on TNT and Turner networks around the world, will be distributed by TBS International outside of the United States and Canada.
This new series tells the true story of a decades-long conflict between the Los Angeles Police Department, under the determined leadership of Police Chief William Parker, and ruthless criminal elements led by Mickey Cohen, a one-time boxer who rose to the top of L.A.’s criminal world. The series is a fast-paced crime drama set in Los Angeles during the 1940s and ’50s. It’s a world of glamorous movie stars, powerful studio heads, returning war heroes, a powerful and corrupt police force and an even more dangerous criminal network determined to make L.A. its West Coast base.
The new drama stars Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead) as Joe Teague, an ex-Marine now working as an LAPD cop in an era rampant with police corruption. Jeffrey DeMunn (The Walking Dead, The Shawshank Redemption) plays Det. Hal Morrison, who heads up the LAPD’s new mob squad, with Jeremy Strong (The Happening, Lincoln) as Det. Mike Hendry, Morrison’s second in command. Neal McDonough (Captain America, Desperate Housewives) is Capt. William Parker, Teague’s boss who is determined to weed out corruption and bring down Mickey Cohen. And Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes) plays Ned Stax, who fought alongside Teague during World War II but who now works as a lawyer with connections to the mob.
The series also stars Ron Rifkin (Alias, L.A. Confidential) as Los Angeles Mayor Fletcher Bowron, who makes it his mission to clean up corruption in city government; Pihla Viitala (Tears of April) as Anya, the head bartender at Bunny’s on Central Avenue, the West Coast center of the African-American jazz scene; and Alexa Davalos (Clash of the Titans, The Mist) as Jasmine, a beautiful woman whose past has come back to haunt her.
In the pilot, Simon Pegg (Star Trek, Shaun of the Dead) guest-stars as Hecky Nash, a third-rate comedian and mob hanger-on.
“This series is an intense, exciting drama that takes viewers back to a truly fascinating time in the history of Los Angeles,” said Michael Wright, president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “Frank Darabont, Michael De Luca and Elliott Webb have delivered an outstanding opening episode that evokes the time and place in stunning detail. Together with a pitch-perfect ensemble cast and top-notch production crew, they have woven an engrossing tale of heroism in the face of greed and corruption. We’re very excited to be working with such talented storytellers in bringing this project to life.”
This announcement marks the latest move in TNT’s ambitious strategy to expand to a year-round model of original programming. After dominating the original programming charts this past summer with five returning hits and the three most-watched new series, TNT is ready to build on that success this winter with a slate of six original series. The lineup includes the return of the hit dramas Rizzoli & Isles, Leverage and Dallas; a new season of the critically acclaimed Southland; the premiere of Monday Mornings, a powerful new medical drama from David E. Kelley and Dr. Sanjay Gupta; and the launch of the gripping unscripted series Boston’s Finest, from executive producer Donnie Wahlberg.
(Originally Posted At Vic’s Movie Den)
Netflix Alert – The Walking Dead Season 2… Oh, Yeah!!!
There is much cause for celebration for those who subscribe to Netflix’s instant streaming service. Netflix will premiere Season 2 of the insanely popular AMC Original series The Walking Dead on September 30th.
The highly anticipated third season will premiere on AMC October 14th, so all of you TWD fans have plenty of time to catch up with the series before the premiere. You could always marathon-watch it… like I’ve been known to do with some series (Dexter, anyone?) or you can watch one or two episodes a day and still have time. At the ‘Tastic, we like to give you options.
So, enjoy, all of you Zombies acolytes and don’t miss The Walking Dead season two on Netflix and the season premiere on AMC of Season three on October 14th! Highly recommended. Enjoy.
In news that makes us say, “‘Bout flippin’ time…,” AMC announced that the premiere dates for the latest seasons of their hit shows Mad Men and The Killing. Season five for Mad Men will begin on March 25th and season two of The Killing on April 1st.
AMC also announced that they have ordered 16 episodes of The Walking Dead, which is three more than the current season’s order of 13. The second half of season two of The Walking Dead premieres on February 12th.
There’s also some information below about a new unscripted series featuring Kevin Smith called Comic Book Men that we’ve seen the trailer for but, to be honest, even as geeky as we are, what we saw didn’t excite us that much. Comic Book Men will be premiering immediately after the season 2.5 premier of The Walking Dead.
Check out the two press releases below.
Via Press Release:
AMC ANNOUNCES Q1 & Q2 2012 PREMIERE DATES FOR NEW AND RETURNING ORIGINAL SERIES
“Mad Men” Season 5 Debuts with Two-Hour Premiere on Sunday, March 25
“The Killing” Returns with Two-Hour Premiere on Sunday, April 1
Unscripted Series “Comic Book Men,” New Episodes of “The Walking Dead,” Along with Return of Live After Show “Talking Dead,”
Debut February 12
Pasadena, CA – January 14, 2012 – AMC announced today, from the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, California, premiere dates for new and returning original series in Q1 and Q2 2012, including the critically acclaimed dramas “Mad Men,” “The Killing” and “The Walking Dead,” as well as its unscripted series “Talking Dead” and “Comic Book Men.”
Following are additional details on AMC’s early 2012 premieres:
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12
The critically acclaimed second season of “The Walking Dead” returns at 9pm ET/PT with the new episode, “Nebraska.” February 12 also marks the return of AMC’s live after show, “Talking Dead,” at midnight ET.
Also, for the first time, “The Walking Dead” fans can participate in a live, interactive experience online while watching new season two episodes on AMC. “The Walking Dead” StorySync on amctv.com invites viewers to vote in polls, answer trivia questions and relive tense moments via video clips – all timed to coincide with the premiere broadcast of the series’ latest episode. Think Shane should have stayed away from the barn? Vote in StorySync’s “Judgment” poll and see if fellow fans agree. See a particularly gruesome walker kill? Rank it on the “Gore Gauge.” And, as always, a live “Watch & Chat” for each episode lets visitors join the ongoing commentary fueled by fellow rabid fans. (StorySync is optimized for both Internet browsers and tablet devices.)
“The Walking Dead” season two continues to deliver the strongest telecasts for any drama in basic cable history against Adults 18-49. The series’ international premieres delivered equally impressive results in all major international TV markets, and broke pay-TV ratings’ records across the world. The series is led by a cast that includes Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Jeffrey DeMunn, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs and Norman Reedus.
Immediately following “The Walking Dead” is the premiere of AMC’s newest unscripted series, “Comic Book Men,”at 10pm ET/PT. Executive produced by Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy), Charlie Corwin’s Original Media (“LA Ink,” “Storm Chasers”) and Elyse Seiden (Red State), the series (formerly titled “Secret Stash”) is set in Smith’s iconic comic shop Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, and captures the world of the neighborhood comic book store and fanboy culture. The season consists of 6 one-hour episodes.
SUNDAY, MARCH 25
As one of the most highly anticipated season premieres of the year, the Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning drama “Mad Men” is back with a two-hour season 5 premiere on Sunday, March 25 at 9pm ET/PT. Written by Matthew Weiner and directed by Jennifer Getzinger, the season premiere episode will also be available onamctv.com the Monday after air.
Following the premiere, on Sunday, April 1, “Mad Men” will return to its regular timeslot at 10pm ET/PT with an episode written by Erin Levy and Matthew Weiner and directed by Jon Hamm.
Fans looking to catch up on “Mad Men” can watch the fourth season On Demand, beginning Monday, January 23, or set their DVR every Sunday morning at 6:00am ET/PT when AMC continues to air episodes from seasons one through four (in order) leading up to the season five premiere.
Created by Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate, “Mad Men” made history last September as the first basic cable series ever to win the Emmy® for Outstanding Drama Series in four consecutive years. “Mad Men” stars Golden Globe® winner Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones, John Slattery, Christina Hendricks, Jared Harris and Kiernan Shipka.
SUNDAY, APRIL 1
AMC’s hit series “The Killing” returns for its second season with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, April 1 at 8pm ET/PT. Following the premiere, on Sunday, April 8, “The Killing” is back to its regular timeslot at 9pm ET/PT.
For those looking to catch up on the series, all 13 episodes from the Emmy® nominated first season will be available On Demand beginning Monday, March 5.
Based on the Danish television series “Forbrydelson,” “The Killing” follows the police investigation of a young girl’s murder in Seattle and the hunt for her killer. Written and executive produced by Veena Sud, “The Killing” stars Mireille Enos, who garnered Emmy® and Golden Globe® Best Actress nominations for her portrayal of detective Sarah Linden, Joel Kinnaman, Billy Campbell, Michelle Forbes and Brent Sexton.
AMC ANNOUNCES Q1 & Q2 2012 PREMIERE DATES FOR NEW AND RETURNING ORIGINAL SERIES
“Mad Men” Season 5 Debuts with Two-Hour Premiere on Sunday, March 25
“The Killing” Returns with Two-Hour Premiere on Sunday, April 1
Unscripted Series “Comic Book Men,” New Episodes of “The Walking Dead,” Along with Return of Live After Show “Talking Dead,”
Debut February 12
Pasadena, CA – January 14, 2012 – AMC announced today, from the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, California, premiere dates for new and returning original series in Q1 and Q2 2012, including the critically acclaimed dramas “Mad Men,” “The Killing” and “The Walking Dead,” as well as its unscripted series “Talking Dead” and “Comic Book Men.”
Following are additional details on AMC’s early 2012 premieres:
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12
The critically acclaimed second season of “The Walking Dead” returns at 9pm ET/PT with the new episode, “Nebraska.” February 12 also marks the return of AMC’s live after show, “Talking Dead,” at midnight ET.
Also, for the first time, “The Walking Dead” fans can participate in a live, interactive experience online while watching new season two episodes on AMC. “The Walking Dead” StorySync on amctv.com invites viewers to vote in polls, answer trivia questions and relive tense moments via video clips – all timed to coincide with the premiere broadcast of the series’ latest episode. Think Shane should have stayed away from the barn? Vote in StorySync’s “Judgment” poll and see if fellow fans agree. See a particularly gruesome walker kill? Rank it on the “Gore Gauge.” And, as always, a live “Watch & Chat” for each episode lets visitors join the ongoing commentary fueled by fellow rabid fans. (StorySync is optimized for both Internet browsers and tablet devices.)
“The Walking Dead” season two continues to deliver the strongest telecasts for any drama in basic cable history against Adults 18-49. The series’ international premieres delivered equally impressive results in all major international TV markets, and broke pay-TV ratings’ records across the world. The series is led by a cast that includes Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Jeffrey DeMunn, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs and Norman Reedus.
Immediately following “The Walking Dead” is the premiere of AMC’s newest unscripted series, “Comic Book Men,”at 10pm ET/PT. Executive produced by Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy), Charlie Corwin’s Original Media (“LA Ink,” “Storm Chasers”) and Elyse Seiden (Red State), the series (formerly titled “Secret Stash”) is set in Smith’s iconic comic shop Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, and captures the world of the neighborhood comic book store and fanboy culture. The season consists of 6 one-hour episodes.
SUNDAY, MARCH 25
As one of the most highly anticipated season premieres of the year, the Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning drama “Mad Men” is back with a two-hour season 5 premiere on Sunday, March 25 at 9pm ET/PT. Written by Matthew Weiner and directed by Jennifer Getzinger, the season premiere episode will also be available onamctv.com the Monday after air.
Following the premiere, on Sunday, April 1, “Mad Men” will return to its regular timeslot at 10pm ET/PT with an episode written by Erin Levy and Matthew Weiner and directed by Jon Hamm.
Fans looking to catch up on “Mad Men” can watch the fourth season On Demand, beginning Monday, January 23, or set their DVR every Sunday morning at 6:00am ET/PT when AMC continues to air episodes from seasons one through four (in order) leading up to the season five premiere.
Created by Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate, “Mad Men” made history last September as the first basic cable series ever to win the Emmy® for Outstanding Drama Series in four consecutive years. “Mad Men” stars Golden Globe® winner Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones, John Slattery, Christina Hendricks, Jared Harris and Kiernan Shipka.
SUNDAY, APRIL 1
AMC’s hit series “The Killing” returns for its second season with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, April 1 at 8pm ET/PT. Following the premiere, on Sunday, April 8, “The Killing” is back to its regular timeslot at 9pm ET/PT.
For those looking to catch up on the series, all 13 episodes from the Emmy® nominated first season will be available On Demand beginning Monday, March 5.
Based on the Danish television series “Forbrydelson,” “The Killing” follows the police investigation of a young girl’s murder in Seattle and the hunt for her killer. Written and executive produced by Veena Sud, “The Killing” stars Mireille Enos, who garnered Emmy® and Golden Globe® Best Actress nominations for her portrayal of detective Sarah Linden, Joel Kinnaman, Billy Campbell, Michelle Forbes and Brent Sexton.
Via Press Release:
AMC ANNOUNCES 16 EPISODE ORDER FOR
“THE Walking Dead” SEASON 3
Second Season of the Global Hit Series Continues to Deliver More Adults 18-49
Than Any Other Basic Cable Drama in Television History
Pasadena, CA – January 14, 2012 – AMC announced today from the Television Critics Association (TCA) Press Tour in Pasadena, CA that the third season of “The Walking Dead” will consist of 16 episodes. Previous season orders were for 13 episodes. AMC’s international broadcast partner FOX International Channels (FIC) will follow the 16 episode order and structure a similar schedule worldwide. Season two of the critically acclaimed global hit series continues to deliver the strongest telecasts for any drama in basic cable history against Adults 18-49, as well as, top international pay-TV ratings on Fox International Channels’ (FIC) major markets. “The Walking Dead” is based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics. Glen Mazzara serves as series’ showrunner and executive producer. Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert and Frank Darabont are executive producers with Greg Nicotero as co-executive producer.
“The Walking Dead” has received rave reviews from countless critics, both domestic and international, who heralded the series as “above all else, ‘The Walking Dead’ hasn’t lost the most important ingredient in its strangely successful recipe: it’s thrilling” (The Hollywood Reporter), “…with Dead’s riveting cast of characters, the personal dynamics are almost as potent as the gory thrills” (Us Weekly), “‘The Walking Dead’ is a feast. Dig in.” (The Guardian, UK), “It doesn’t even take three minutes to realize that this series is setting standards” (Der Tagesspiegel, Germany).
“The Walking Dead” secured a 2010 Golden Globe®nomination for Best Television Series – Drama and won the 2011 Emmy® Award for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup. The series tells the story of the months and years that follow after a zombie apocalypse. It follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home.
About AMC
AMC reigns as the only cable network in history to ever win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row, as well as the Golden Globe® Award for Best Television Series – Drama for three consecutive years. Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade or creating acclaimed original programming, the AMC experience is an uncompromising celebration of great stories. AMC’s original stories include “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead,” “The Killing” and “Hell On Wheels.” AMC further demonstrates its commitment to the art of storytelling with its slate of unscripted original series, as well as curated movie franchises like AMC’s Can’t Get Enough and AMC’s Crazy About. Available in more than 97 million homes (Source: Nielsen Media Research), AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. AMC: Story Matters HereSM.
About FOX International Channels
FOX International Channels (FIC) is News Corporation’s international multi-media business. We develop, produce and distribute 300+ wholly- and majority-owned entertainment, factual, sports and movie channels across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, in 35 languages. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high-definition extensions, reach over 400 million subscribing households (1 billion cumulative) worldwide. We also operate a global online advertising unit, .FOX (pronounced “dot-fox”) specialized in online video and display, and four TV production houses. In operation since: August 14, 1993.
In the interest of continuing to be relevant and to give you news when you actually need it and not a month in advance, we decided not to publish the complete midseason schedules for all the networks when they came out last month and instead, just give you the highlights now so you can set your DVR’s accordingly or make sure that you avoid a crappy show. The upside is that most of the shows this midseason look even better than what we got in the Fall.
Tuesday January 3rd
ABC 8:30 p.m. Work It NO!
The Tastic says: As we noted in our preview, this looks like it could possibly be one of the worst shows in television history. Save your soul, do no watch this.
ABC 9:00 p.m. Celebrity Wife Swap YES!
The Tastic says: OK… honesty time. We have to admit that we have our guilty pleasures and most of them revolve around reality shows on VH1, E! and ABC. We actually like the dopey Wife Swap and throwing Gary Busey into the mix can only be a good thing. Here’s a corny music video promoting the series. Like we said… guilty pleasure.
Friday January 6th
SyFy 10:00 p.m. Merlin YES!
The Tastic says: We love Science Fiction but Fantasy has never really been our bag. That being said, we have seen a few episodes of Merlin over the years and it’s good to see it’s back for the fans of the series.
Sunday January 8th
NBC 9:00 p.m. The Firm YES!
The Tastic says: As skeptical as we are about reboots especially when the source material is 20 years-old, we have to admit, this looks pretty good and it’s also nice to see Battlestar Galactica‘s Tricia Helfer getting work. From what we can tell, John Grisham appears to have complete control over this so that’s got to be a good thing. NOTE: This is a two-hour premiere on this night only. The Firm‘s regular timeslot will be on Thursdays at 10:00 p.m. beginning on January 12th.
Wednesday January 11th
NBC 8:30 p.m. Are You There, Chelsea? NO!
The Tastic says: Originally titled, Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea… based on the best-selling book by Chelsea Handler of the same name, we originally kinda-sorta recommended this thinking that it could go either way. Upon further review, it really looks like a complete piece of sh*t.
SyFy 10:00 p.m. Face Off YES!
The Tastic says: Part guilty pleasure, partly just a love for the craft, we can’t wait for new episodes of the SyFy reality series, Face Off to return. Good stuff, indeed.
Thursday January 12th
CBS 8:30 p.m. ¡Rob! NO!
The Tastic says: F*cking seriously???
FOX 9:00 p.m. The Finder YES!
The Tastic says: A spinoff of Bones that looks a lot more interesting than Bones ever has been.
Sunday January 15th
FOX 8:30 p.m. Napoleon Dynamite NO!
The Tastic says: As we’ve noted before, Napoleon Dynamite was only mildly entertaining when it first came out in 2004 and now it’s just completely dated and irrelevant. Again, there’s a reason FOX only ordered six episodes of this.
Monday January 16th
FOX 8:00 p.m. Alcatraz YES! – STAFF PICK
The Tastic says: The highly anticipated new series from J.J. Abrams looks like it’s finally going to give us our Lost fix that we’ve been jonesing for for so long. Seriously, does anyone think that this doesn’t look absolutely fantastic? NOTE: This is a two-hour premiere episode. The show’s normal timeslot will be on Mondays at 9:00 p.m.
SyFy 9:00 p.m. Being Human YES!
The Tastic says: We loved the first season despite all of the critics who continued to have to compare it to its BBC counterpart and took a dump on it. We can’t wait for season two.
SyFy 10:00 p.m. Lost Girl YES!
The Tastic says: This popular Canadian import makes its debut on SyFy and we have to say, it looks pretty damned good.
Tuesday January 17th
F/X 10:00 p.m. Justified YES! – STAFF PICK
The Tastic says: One of the best shows on television, Justified, returns for its third season.
Wednesday January 18th
F/X 10:00 p.m. Archer YES! – STAFF PICK
The Tastic says: The funniest show on television, animated or otherwise, is back for a third season. The first season is available on Netflix streaming and we highly recommend that you check it out if you’ve never seen it before.
F/X 10:30 p.m. Unsupervised YES!
The Tastic says: OK, so the trailer doesn’t look that great but it’s from the producers of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Archer so we’re willing to give it a shot.
Wednesday January 25th
FOX 9:00 p.m. Touch YES! – STAFF PICK
The Tastic says: Kiefer Sutherland returns to television with Danny Glover in this fantastic looking, high-concept, Science Fiction drama from Tim Kring, the creator of Heroes. We are so looking forward to this. NOTE: This is a special “preview event” broadcast date for Touch. It will air in its regular timeslot beginning on Monday, March 19th.
Friday January 27th
Starz 10:00 p.m. Spartacus: Vengeance YES!
The Tastic says: We haven’t had a chance to really get into this series but from we’ve seen of it, we’ve liked it. We also like when a series gives its season a name instead of a number (this is Spartacus’ third season, by the way.).
Sunday January 29th
HBO 9:00 p.m. Luck YES!
The Tastic says: So, we got to see the pilot of Luck when they gave a sneak preview of it back at the end of November and it annoyed the piss out of us as it was confusing as Hell if you don’t know anything about horse racing/betting. Despite that, it was still really well-done and it has an all-star cast that includes Dustin Hoffmann, Nick Nolte and Dennis Farina.
Monday February 6th
NBC 10:00 p.m. Smash YES!
The Tastic says: NBC gets their Glee, albeit a lot more dramatical. Here’s the thing about Smash: it looks good but it’s going to wind up in the bottom of our viewing list and probably sit there until the summer because there is just too much for us to keep with considering all of the other shows that either look a lot better or that we already know are a lot better.
Tuesday February 7th
ABC 9:00 p.m. The River YES! – STAFF PICK
The Tastic says: This is by far the best looking show of this entire television season. Talk about getting our Lost-freak on, this show looks like it does that and then some. CAN. NOT. WAIT.
Sunday February 12th
AMC 9:00 p.m. The Walking Dead YES! – STAFF PICK
For those who didn’t already know, this will begin the second half of the second season. We also have some more news for TWD fans, right here, as well as news for Mad Men and The Killing.
Sunday February 19th
HBO 10:00 p.m. Eastbound and Down YES!
The Tastic says: This show is absolutely hilarious and it has been under the radar for two straight seasons. We’re looking forward to more hijinks in season three.
Sunday March 4th
ABC 10:00 p.m. GCB NO!
FKA, Good Christian Bitches, FKA Good Christian Belles, all we can say is way-to-go in “let’s-alienate-78%-of-our-audience-before-a-single-episode-has-aired-with-the-title alone” department, ABC. Despite this, however, just watch the trailer to figure out on your own what a total sh*tfest this is going to be. That combined with the fact that it’s an idiotic soap that’s trying to clone Desperate Housewives in order to pick up the mantle after it ends this Spring, provides a compelling enough reason for us to never watch it. That being said, we’re sure it’s going to be massive hit for that crowd.
Thursday March 15th
ABC 8:00 p.m. Missing YES!
Mixed emotions on this. Spies, non-stop action, Ashley Judd… what’s not to love, right? We thought so, too, but then we noticed the timeslot and we’re slightly concerned over the description of the plot and it’s very clichéd nature. The timeslot is an issue because at 8:00 p.m., you can expect a very watered-down show. Still looks great, though.
Based on one of the most successful and popular comic books of all time, written by Robert Kirkman, AMC’s The Walking Dead captures the ongoing human drama following a zombie apocalypse. The series follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually, Teachers, Strike Back), who are traveling in search of a safe and secure home. However, instead of the zombies, it is the living who remain that truly become the walking dead. Jon Bernthal (The Pacific, The Ghost Writer) plays Shane Walsh, Rick’s sheriff’s department partner before the apocalypse, and Sarah Wayne Callies (Prison Break), is Rick’s wife, Lori Grimes. – AMC
90 out 100
Season one focuses on Deputy Rick Grimes played so earnestly and believably by Andrew Lincoln who was shot and ends up in a coma for an undetermined amount of time. He wakes up à la 28 Days Later utterly alone in an abandoned hospital, and it to make matters worse, the world is overrun with zombies. Grimes leaves the hospital only to discovers that his wife and son are missing. Rick goes back to police headquarters and arms himself. After hearing a rumor from Morgan (another survivor) and his son that the CDC is said to have set up a quarantined safe-zone in the Atalnta, he starts a journey to the city to search for his family, as he believes they may be hiding there. During his quest, Rick comes upon all the devastation left by the the walking dead and their victims. Upon reaching Atlanta, he soon discovers that the city is overrun and is no longer safe.
A few miles outside Atlanta, Rick’s wife Lori and his son Carl have been hiding away from the walkers with Shane Walsh, Rick’s former colleague and best friend. They have established a camp with a diverse group of survivors from around the country. After being rescued from Atlanta by Glen, who gets Rick out of a tank surrounded by walkers is reunited with Lori and Carl. Rick then assumes a command position with Shane and must take responsibility not only for his family but also for the survival of the entire group. Some of the group members go back into Atlanta to recover weapons, where they come into conflict with some other survivors (The “Vatos”), but Rick soon diplomatically eases all the tension. However, upon their return to their camp, they find it has been nearly overrun by walkers. Hoping to find medical treatment for an injured member, the remainder decide to return to Atlanta and seek aid from the CDC.
Meanwhile back at the CDC, all but one staff member (the sympathetic Dr. Edwin Jenner) have fled or been killed themselves. Dr. Jenner explains his research into the cause of the plague which even involves his late wife as a test subject who has been infected by the infection. But unfortunately the CDC building is not the safe haven the group believed. The next day, during all the hangovers and an attempted rape, the lack of fuel for the generators causes certain safety protocols to be initiated, which will result in the destruction of the CDC. Dr. Jenner explains that the French may have found a cure, as they were the only nation whose scientists stayed in their labs. Dr. Jenner and one of the group members select to stay in the CDC even though the damaged protocols mean an impending explosion. Before the group flees, Dr. Jenner whispers something unknown into Rick’s ear. The group escapes just as Jenner and one other survivor is killed by the building’s self-destruct sequence. It is a gripping and intense ending to the season.
Well paced, shot and acted, The Walking Dead is full of dynamic interplay by cast and crew just like the comics which never cease to amaze. It is an excellent commentary on humanity and how we have the ability to destroy ourselves but at the same time are capable of incredible compassion and self-sacrifice. Don’t miss this incredible drama!
EDITOR’S NOTE: Below is a link to one of our favorite sites, VuReel.com, and all of the currently available episodes. Normally we’d hook you up with the Hulu or AMC link but for some reason, AMC is not putting episodes up on their site or anywhere else. VuReel is a nifty little site that will probably be shut down by the studios eventually but until then, you can enjoy a lot of good television shows streaming in flash, with no risk of viruses or your broadband provider threatening you on behalf of the content providers.
The Walking Dead on VuReel.com
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