‘The Walking Dead’: Season 4 premiere ratings shatter records, lead zombie TV takeover

For the first time, we may actually have some sympathy for the likes of “Revenge” and “The Good Wife,” whose fans complain incessantly this time of year that “The Walking Dead” eats a chunk of them like a relentless zombie wandering outside the walls of a prison. This show, just when you think that it is about to reach a peak viewership, finds a way to somehow go another step further.

The ratings for last night’s season premiere are beyond astounding, and the largest for any drama series (excluding post-Super Bowl shows) in an extremely long time. We’re having to open up the history books to figure out when was the last time a show grabbed an 8.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic in just one airing. We’ll try to have an answer for that soon, but what we can say for now is equally impressive: That is a higher rating than the preliminary numbers for the NFL football game featuring the Dallas Cowboys and Washington. We cannot sit here and tell you that we remember any time that a scripted show fared better than an NFL game with these sort of teams playing in it.

Obviously, what these ratings mean is that AMC was basically justified for making every move that they have when it comes to the show; we can sit here and say that they were wrong for dismissing Frank Darabont or Glen Mazzara, but the numbers don’t lie. This is the biggest show on television now by a mile, blowing even “The Big Bang Theory” away in the measure that matters most. It took Sheldon Cooper and company a week’s worth of DVR viewing to even get close to this number.

At the end of the day, what these numbers show once again to us is that quality always wins out. While we did not really find the premiere to be amazing on all fronts (wouldn’t you drink the booze if you were in a zombie apocalypse?), viewers will flock to you if you have a great original product and you continue to support it in every way possible. Just take a look at AMC President Charlie Collier, who has taken a moment off from sleeping on his piles ofmoney in order to say the following:

“Sincere thanks to the fans, who have welcomed The Walking Dead back for its fourth season with the highest-rated episode in the show’s history. We could not be more proud of this show and everyone on both sides of the camera who work so hard to give life to this story of character, leadership and survival. It starts with series creator, writer and executive producer Robert Kirkman, show runner and executive producer Scott Gimple and the director of last night’s episode (and the man behind the make-up) executive producer Greg Nicotero, their fellow executive producers and an extraordinary cast and crew who are giving their all every day. So clearly, thanks to them, the dead have never been more alive.”

We are crazy excited about this season of “The Walking Dead” especially now that they are bringing in an element that was teased all the way back in season 1… everyone is already infected. Looking for more Walking Dead scoop? Just click here where you can learn more about what is coming up this season.

Photo: AMC