Just like the zombie apocalypse, The Walking Dead won’t end any time soon

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

When your television show becomes hugely popular, you're usually left with two options; bring the series to a natural conclusion while it's still at the top of its game, or milk that bastard until the well runs dry. AMC's The Walking Dead has enjoyed enormous popularity over the years and according to a recent interview AMC network chief Charlie Collier and programming boss Joel Stillerman had with Vulture, they'll be going with option two.

What’s so fascinating about The Walking Dead is that Robert Kirkman set out to do something that proved to be remarkably brilliant in a couple of very fundamental ways. One is he wanted to use the world of the zombie apocalypse as a way to get at social commentary. That was always the killer app for the show. But if you ask Robert what his motivations were for writing The Walking Dead, he would say, “I loved zombie movies, but I just felt like the worst part of them was always the ending. You always had to manufacture some ending.” So he set out to write this totally open-ended story, and the proof of that is in how vibrant the comics are.

The answer to how long the show will go on in some way is directly correlated with the health of the storytelling in the comics. Those comics are firing on all cylinders. He still writes every line of dialogue in those books, and is as engaged as he was when I think he was sitting around in Kentucky writing the first issue. That is very much part of the DNA of the show. He sort of felt like, in real life, this goes on for a very long time. We’re along for that ride.

So basically, as long as Robert Kirkman continues churning out The Walking Dead comic and the television series continues to dominate in the ratings department, there's no end in sight for The Walking Dead; AMC network chief Charlie Collier has the same opinion:

I will tell you we are not actively talking about the end of The Walking Dead. We’re talking about how to keep this No. 1 show on television feeling as fresh as it does in season six. As a brand, we’re very sensitive to making sure that every aspect of it feels fresh and original, and that it’s not treated in any way that’s derivative or taken for granted. Our planning is current and future-focused, and it is not focused on the end at this time.

So long as The Walking Dead continues to offer up some entertaining hours of television, I suppose there's no harm in letting the series continue on without an end-game in sight, especially as we know that there are several large story-lines in store, but I'd much rather see the show go out on top instead of churning out a sub-par series finale in its twentieth season. Speaking of seasons, the second half of The Walking Dead's sixth season will debut on February 14, 2016.

Are you happy to see The Walking Dead continue on for years to come, or would you prefer that AMC begin wrapping everything up?