AMC’s The Walking Dead is well into its tenth season, the show is still going strong but it’s no secret that viewership for each season has gradually been declining each year. Why is this happening? Well we just may have the answers…
1.) Change In Style
The Walking Dead first began in 2010, the style back then felt very ‘Hollywood’, the first season fitted the mould of your typical American-style Zombie flick. The action, characters and humour all felt very, dare we say it: mainstream. As the show continued, the style dramatically changed. Different directors have had a crack at several episodes and The Walking Dead developed it’s own style with grainy cinematography, metaphoric moments and an old-western type feel. Viewers who watched in 2010 were watching a very different show to what they watch now in 2019.
2.) More Loyal Viewers
Because of the change in style, The Walking Dead eventually lost it’s mainstream audiences which were used to that americanised zombie-killing action. This left the so called ‘die-hard’ fans as the main viewers. These are people who have their hearts invested into the comics, characters and their stories. While the general viewership may be reducing over seasons, the community/fandom surrounding The Walking Dead has only got bigger/stronger.
3.) Death of Rick and Carl
The comic-books have always made it clear that Rick (along with Carl) is the heart and soul of the story, it was meant to follow Rick’s experience during the apocalypse. Andrew Lincoln leaving the show was a huge blow for the TV series. Carl would have been the natural successor to carry on that story yet they killed him off too? Don’t get us started on that. With both Rick and Carl out of the show, in many ways The Walking Dead lost its main essence. However, new show runner Angela Kang has done an amazing job at picking up the pieces and breathing new life into the show. We love you Angela.
4.) Dragged Out Story-lines
Storylines are dragged out way too much. The show is following the comic-book series now more than ever which is great, the only issue is these stories are dragged out way too much. With 16 episodes in each season, comic storylines are spread way too thin, leaving us with gap-filler episodes and the introduction of not so important/less interesting story-lines. This leads to less action and less interest.
5.) Lack of Interest
The Walking Dead has been running for 9 years, produced a total of 10 seasons all with 16 episodes. It only makes sense that views would decrease after such a long time. PLUS we also have the introduction of new streaming services all producing countless amounts of ‘fresh’ binge-worthy shows to choose from. No matter how good a show is, 10 seasons is a lot.
The Future Is Bright:
It’s important for us to mention that we LOVE The Walking Dead. The show has developed into something truly special, sure bad decisions were made along the way *cough* Carl *cough* but the show still has an amazing fanbase and community surrounding it. Season 10 was the best rated series of all time and it’s only showing signs of getting better. While there’s still a lot of life left in The Walking Dead franchise, it’s fair to say that views are only going to continue to decrease. The fans still love it though, and that’s all that matters, right?
0 comments on “5 Reasons The Walking Dead Is Losing Viewers”