‘The Walking Dead’ season 4 debate: Why the biggest challenge may be history

More often than not, it is hard to argue against the notion that a successful show needs to watch out for anything. After all, who are we to say what a show like “The Walking Dead” really needs, especially when it drew consistently over 10 million viewers? The truth here is that sometimes, you need a kick in the pants before you even realize that one is necessarily.

The ratings for season 3 of the AMC drama were astronomical, and the pattern from this show alone would tend to make you believe one thing: there is nowhere for the show to go but up from here. However, there is a major problem with this mindset: the pattern established by most other shows that become ratings sensations so early on in their run. Take, for example, the slow decline with “True Blood” that happened when it entered season 4, or how this was the time when “The Office” and “The Good Wife” started to lose their labels as “cool” or “edgy.” “Glee,” “Community,” and “The Vampire Diaries” have struggled mightily when it comes to creatives, and this was really the last golden age of “Mad Men” before it started to lose its prize as Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys.

Are there exceptions to this rule? Sure, but they are typically series that did not start out as major success stories. “Breaking Bad” and “Dexter” were not ratings beasts when they premiered, and season 4 was really when the two of them started to become something more than just fringe shows that Emmy voters knew about. For many other programs, including those that are highly rated, this comes to be the point where the “hip” label starts to come off, and viewers begin migrate to the next big or better thing. Having a season 3 finale that featured predictable deaths (see Milton and Andrea) surely did not help the “Walking Dead” case.

If there is one thing that can be done for this AMC show to avoid this 4th-year curse (which to us is the most-dangerous thing next to a sophomore slump), it is to do this: make a big change, something that will keep people talking about the show and force them to keep watching. In not moving the setting, we’re not sure that the producers really created any buzz; however, keeping The Governor alive was a bold and surprising move, and we know already that there are new characters entering the fray … including one named “Roy Stark” who is in many ways similar to Abraham. These, if promoted correctly, could be what keeps people talking.

For those wanting some new production scoop, season 4 of “The Walking Dead” will kick off production in just a few weeks, and the goal from there is just for the cast and crew to stay hungry … but for creativity rather than human flesh. While having a new showrunner in Scott M. Glimple may be a risk, it could also be a unique blessing in that, like with Glen Mazzara, we have someone desperate to prove himself and take the show to another level.

What do you think can be done to freshen up “The Walking Dead,” especially at a time when many shows start to decline? If you want to see what’s going on with some of the show’s stars, be sure to head on over to the link here.

Photo: AMC