AMC Operating Chief: Third ‘Walking Dead’ Series in ‘Active Development,’ No Premiere Plans Yet

“We have hired creative people that have pitched story outlines,” Ed Carroll says

The Walking Dead Season 8
Gene Page/AMC

AMC executives gave us a very slight update Thursday on the latest “Walking Dead” spinoff, which should become the third series in Scott M. Gimple’s TV universe. Still, it’s one that may satiate rabid fans of the franchise.

“That is in active development,” Ed Carroll, chief operating officer, AMC Networks said. “We’re not yet at a stage where we’ll be announcing its plans to premiere. But we have hired creative people that have pitched story outlines. We feel very good about the development of that series.”

Carroll’s comments came during his company’s fourth-quarter 2018 conference call with media analysts and reporters.

Much of Carroll’s and CEO Josh Sapan’s remarks on the call were intended to add some perspective to dwindling Nielsen ratings for Season 9 of “The Walking Dead.” Though the series is way down from its heyday and recently hit an all-time low in both the key adults 18-49 demographic and in total viewers, executives there are quick to point out that it’s still cable’s top drama and No. 2 on all of TV this season to NBC’s “This Is Us.”

Find AMC’s actual Q4 financial results here. Of some interest, U.S. advertising revenue grew a bit as higher prices helped offset lower ratings, including at flagship series “The Walking Dead.”

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