‘The Walking Dead’ Experiences Ratings Slump
The Walking Dead is AMC’s flagship show and one of the most talked about series of television in recent memory. Despite an ever-changing cast and a plot which follows the same formula every two seasons (find safe haven, destroy safe haven, rinse and repeat), viewers still turn their televisions on expectantly on a weekly basis to watch Rick, Daryl, and a set of interchangeable heroes face-off against an exaggeratedly evil villain.
However, Season 8’s episode entitled The Big Scary U proves that some audience members may not be quite as enamoured by the series as they previously were.
Yesterday, Deadline reported that Sunday night’s episode drew the series’ lowest rating in its key 18-49 demographic (3.4) since the 20th November 2011, with the episode Secrets receiving a 3.1 in the same demographic on that date. This was all the way back in Season 2, meaning that Sunday’s episode marked a six-year ratings low for The Walking Dead.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that the series is on the decline – after all, Deadline also explained that competition from Sunday Night Football and The American Music Awards likely played a part in the ratings drop – but a dreary and meandering start to Season 8 can’t have helped matters.
There’s plenty of time for AMC’s prize possession to pick up the pace before its mid-season finale on December 10th, but for now viewers need a reason to tune in if ratings are to improve. Hopefully we see a drastic increase in focus and excitement in the coming weeks to ensure that The Walking Dead is still regarded as must-watch television.
What did you think of The Big Scary U and Season 8 so far? Let us know in the comments!