Walking Dead premiere loses half its audience

lmt · ‎05-19-2010

I thought the premiere episode was really good. The last two seasons were mostly bad - they dragged out the Negan storyline until it became soooo boring. But the season nine premiere looked promising.

The Walking Dead returned for its ninth season on Sunday, but many of its former fans have apparently checked out.

The premiere episode was seen by 6.1 million viewers — down 47 percent from last fall’s season 8 return, which was seen by more than 11 million people. Among adults 18-49, the show was down 51 percent.

That’s the smallest Nielsen audience for TWD since the show’s first six-episode season back in 2010 before the series grew into a pop culture phenomenon and runaway hit.

The slide was despite pre-season buzz about the fate of Rick Grimes and Maggie Greene, as stars Andrew Lincoln and Lauren Cohan have confirmed they’re departing the show this year.

AMC points out that Sunday was particularly competitive with sports programming and they also made the season 9 premiere available on its AMC Premiere commercial-free option 24 hours before its linear airing. The move drove the single highest day of new sign-ups in the history of the service (those views are not counted by Nielsen, but also aren’t released by AMC).

Still, The Walking Dead‘s ratings peaked in season 5 (with a season premiere of more than 17 million viewers) and have ebbed each year since. This year’s drop looks particularly steep, however, and follows a lengthy time jump in the show’s storyline and an unusually conclusive-feeling season finale earlier this year that perhaps left fans on the fence feeling like this was as good as time as any to bow out.

Yet the zombie drama remains the top show on cable in adults 18-49 and is the No. 2 entertainment series on all of TV this season behind NBC’s This is Us.

Shogirl · ‎12-06-2010

My husband was surprised by the numbers and said he felt like this Season 9 opener was alot better overall than the past couple of seasons. I hope that some of those who decided to leave come back and give it another chance.

I still believe that Rick leaving is going to be the downfall of the series - I don't think it's long for this world.

lmt · ‎05-19-2010

@Shogirl wrote:
My husband was surprised by the numbers and said he felt like this Season 9 opener was alot better overall than the past couple of seasons. I hope that some of those who decided to leave come back and give it another chance.

I still believe that Rick leaving is going to be the downfall of the series - I don't think it's long for this world.

@Shogirl I agree with your husband, I also thought the premiere episode was very good, certainly better than alot of the episodes over the past two years.

I think people were just fed up with how long they dragged out the 'all out war' with Negan and stopped watching.

I always thought The Walking Dead was Rick Grimes' story. It'll be interesting to see whether viewers will tune in after he leaves the show.

deeva · ‎03-09-2010

I’ve been a big fan since the beginning, but the whole Negan storyline has been over the top for me.

I’m recording this season but I’m not in any hurry to watch.

And after nine seasons, it may be time to pull the plug on TWD.

Shogirl · ‎12-06-2010

I'm invested in this TV show and will see it through to the bitter end! :-)

lmt · ‎05-19-2010

@deeva wrote:
I’ve been a big fan since the beginning, but the whole Negan storyline has been over the top for me.
I’m recording this season but I’m not in any hurry to watch.
And after nine seasons, it may be time to pull the plug on TWD.

@deeva Two seasons of Negan was a season too much. The all out war turned out to be so boring. Negan with his speeches and bending over backwards. <insert eyeroll>

And I always thought that Simon was way scarier than Negan ever was.

I read an interview a few months ago with one of the showrunners and they said that they could see the show lasting for several more years. Ratings may be down, but as long as they're decent it looks like the show will go on.

It remains to be seen what will happen when Andrew Lincoln leaves. The only two original cast members left will be Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride.

lmt · ‎05-19-2010

@Shogirl wrote:
I'm invested in this TV show and will see it through to the bitter end! :-)

@Shogirl Me too! No matter how bad it may get, I'll watch it to the very end.

I just hope that when the day comes and they finally cancel it they'll give the show some type of closure. No cliffhangers!

Lindsays Grandma · ‎03-10-2010

I enjoyed the premiere, it looks promising. I almost was not going to bother but since I have watched it from day one I was not about to give up. I'll stay with it until a time comes when I positively lose interest. I just feel bad that both Maggie and Rick are leaving but perhaps this will turn the show around and we will see a whole new world of The Walking Dead.

The moving finger writes; And having writ, Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line Nor all your Tears Wash out a Word of it. Omar Khayam