The zombie apocalypse shows no signs of slowing down, at least on the small screen.
The new Syfy series “Z Nation” premiered to robust numbers on Friday, drawing 1.6 million total viewers and making the series — which hails from “Sharknado” producers The Asylum — the channel’s highest-rated acquired scripted series since the 2006 premiere of “Doctor Who.”
See video: DJ Qualls and Harold Perrineau Are the Nation’s Only Hope in ‘Z Nation’ Teaser
In the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic, the “Z Nation” premiere drew 695,000 viewers.
The series, which stars Harold Perrineau (“Oz”), Tom Everett Scott (“Southland”) and DJ Qualls (“Supernatural”), takes place three years after a zombie virus has gutted the country, and centers around a team of everyday heroes who must transport the only known survivor of the plague from New York to California, where the last functioning viral lab waits for his blood. Although the antibodies he carries are the world’s last, best hope for a vaccine, he hides a dark secret that threatens them all.
Also read: Syfy Exec by Day, Playwright by Night: From ‘Sharknado’ to an Ayn Rand Orgy
On the social media front, “Z Nation” ranked No. 4 for entertainment programs in tweets for the evening.