by Thinus Ferreira
The Walking Dead on FOX (DStv 125 /StarSat 131) has been cancelled after 11 seasons with the AMC-produced zombie drama series that will end with an extended season.
The Walking Dead will end with an 11th season that will play out over an extended 24-episode season, with 12 episodes set to be broadcast in 2021, and the final 12 episodes in 2022.
The 11th season of The Walking Dead was supposed to broadcast this year but was delayed because of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic that shut down film and television production globally.
Besides the end of The Walking Dead, AMC will also produce another two Walking Dead spinoff series - one revolving around Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) that will debut in 2023; as well as an anthology zombie-series currently entitled Tales of The Walking Dead, bringing the number of new spinoffs to 4 series.
Meanwhile the 10th season of The Walking Dead will start on 4 October, followed by 6 bonus episodes before the 11th season's first half starts later in 2021.
"It’s been 10 years 'gone bye', what lies ahead are 2 more to come and stories to tell beyond that" says Scott M. Gimple, former The Walking Dead showrunner and chief content officer of the franchise, in a statement.
"What’s clear is that this show has been about the living, made by a passionate cast, team of writer/producers, producers, and crew, bringing to life the vision put forth by Robert Kirkman in his brilliant comic - and supported by the best fans in the world."
"We have a lot of thrilling story left to tell on The Walking Dead and then, this end will be a beginning of more Walking Dead - brand new stories and characters, familiar faces and places, new voices, and new mythologies."
"This will be a grand finale that will lead to new premieres. Evolution is upon us. The Walking Dead lives."
Angela Kang, The Walking Dead showrunner, says "I look forward to digging in with our brilliant writers, producers, directors, cast and crew to bring this epic final chapter of Robert Kirkman’s story to life for our fans over the next two years."
"The Walking Dead flagship series has been my creative home for a decade and so it’s bittersweet to bring it to an end, but I could not be more excited to be working with Scott Gimple and AMC to develop a new series for Daryl and Carol."
"Working with Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride has been a highlight of my career and I'm thrilled that we get to keep telling stories together."
Ed Carroll, chief operating officer at AMC Networks, says "The Walking Dead made television history, and is one of those rare creative works that has given life to an entire content universe that is still in the early stages of growing and entertaining both new and established fans".
"We can’t wait to bring viewers this expanded final season of The Walking Dead over the next two years, and launch the fourth series in the history of the franchise, focused on the beloved Daryl and Carol characters, with the incredibly talented Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Angela Kang and Scott M. Gimple."
"There really is so much 'walking' ahead, in a number of very exciting directions, for this extraordinary creative universe we call The Walking Dead."
The 6th season of the spinoff series Fear the Walking Dead will start in October.
The other spinoff series, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, following the "first generation" to grow up during the zombie apocalypse, will start on the dame day in the United States. A South African TV channel and date for The Walking Dead: World Beyond has not yet been announced.