THE WALKING DEAD - THE HUNTERS AND THE HUNTED - COMPLETE BASE SET - 100 CARDS - TOPPS 2018

The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic horror television series developed by Frank Darabont for AMC that is based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. Andrew Lincoln plays the show's lead character, sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma discovering a world overrun by zombies, commonly referred to as "walkers". Grimes reunites with his family and becomes the leader of a group he forms with other survivors. Together they struggle to survive and adapt in a post-apocalyptic world filled with walkers and opposing groups of survivors, who are often more dangerous than the walkers themselves. Much of the series' fiction takes place in and around Atlanta, Georgia, and later to Alexandria, Virginia.

The Walking Dead premiered in the United States on October 31, 2010, exclusively shown on cable television channel AMC and internationally on Fox International Channels. As a result of very favorable Nielsen ratings that rank the show unprecedentedly high for a cable series, AMC has renewed the series each year. Beginning with its third season, The Walking Dead has attracted the most 18- to 49-year-old viewers of any cable or broadcast television series. Its eighth season debuted on October 22, 2017. The series has been well received by critics and nominated for several awards, including the Writers Guild of America Award for New Series and the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama. An AMC spin-off series, Fear the Walking Dead, debuted on August 23, 2015.

Series overview

The Walking Dead takes place after the onset of a worldwide zombie apocalypse. The zombies, colloquially referred to as "walkers", shamble towards living humans and other creatures to eat them; they are attracted to noise, such as gunshots, and to different scents, e.g. humans. Humans that they bite or scratch become infected and slowly turn into walkers as well. It is revealed early in the series that all living humans carry this pathogen, so that if they die from any other cause, they will also turn into walkers. The only way to permanently kill a walker is to damage its brain or otherwise fully destroy the body, such as by cremating it.

The series centers on sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes, who wakes up from a coma to discover this apocalypse. He becomes the leader of a group of survivors from the Atlanta, Georgia region as they attempt to sustain themselves and protect themselves not only against attacks by walkers but by other groups of survivors willing to assure their longevity by any means necessary.

Season 1 (2010)

Sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes wakes from a coma discovering a world overrun by zombies. After befriending Morgan Jones, whom he becomes separated from, Rick travels to Atlanta to find his wife Lori, his son, Carl, and his police partner, Shane Walsh, encountering other survivors. The group travels to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), but find from the sole remaining CDC member that no cure exists for the epidemic.

Season 2 (2011–12)

Traveling from Atlanta, Rick's group takes shelter at Hershel Greene's farm while they search for Carol's missing daughter, Sophia. Tensions between Rick's group and Hershel's family worsen after it is discovered that Hershel has kept friends and family turned into zombies, including Sophia, in his barn. Shane and Rick's friendship becomes increasingly unhinged when Lori reveals that she is pregnant, and Rick is forced to kill Shane in self-defense. Carl then shoots Shane in the head after he reanimates. The noise draws zombies, forcing Rick's group and Hershel's surviving family to evacuate the farm.

Season 3 (2012–13)

Eight months after fleeing Hershel's farm, Rick's group finds a prison, which they clear of zombies to make their new home. Lori dies in childbirth, and Rick becomes withdrawn. Meanwhile, Andrea is rescued by Michonne and the two discover Woodbury, a fortified town led by a man known as the Governor. He learns of Rick's group at the prison, leading to conflict between the groups. Rick's group eventually raids and destroys Woodbury, but the Governor has Andrea ultimately killed and escapes. Woodbury's citizens live with Rick’s group at the prison.

Season 4 (2013–14)

Several months after the Governor's attack, a deadly flu kills many of the population at the prison. The Governor finds his former right-hand men and kills them, taking over their group and destroys the prison. Rick's group are forced to separate and flee, but not before Hershel and the Governor are killed. The survivors divide, face their own trials and meet new faces before finding signs pointing to a safe haven called Terminus. One by one, they reunite at Terminus, but all the group are captured for some unknown purpose.

Season 5 (2014–15)

Rick discovers the residents of Terminus engage in cannibalism, but the group manage to destroy Terminus and reunite. Some are injured and kidnapped to Grady, a hospital run by corrupt cops and doctors. When everybody regroups, they are approached by Aaron, inviting them to join a fortified community called Alexandria. The group are initially welcomed, but as the residents have not faced the zombie threat directly, Rick's group starts to take charge. Morgan, who has been searching for Rick, arrives and is shocked to see Rick killing an Alexandrian, who has been abusing his wife, in anger.

Season 6 (2015–16)

The residents of Alexandria put more trust in Rick's group to protect the town better. A group known as the Wolves use a zombie horde to attack Alexandria, and many lives are lost before the living regain control. While recovering, they learn of a community called the Hilltop, who offer to help trade supplies if they can end the threat of the extortionist Saviors led by a man named Negan. Although Rick's group decimate one Savior outpost, they are later caught by Negan, and forced to swear loyalty to him.

Season 7 (2016–17)

Negan murders Glenn and Abraham to coerce Rick's loyalty. Rick initially submits, but Michonne persuades him to fight back, and recruits a community called the Scavengers for help. Meanwhile, Rosita and Eugene make a bullet to kill Negan. When this fails, Negan forcibly recruits Eugene as a Savior. Separately, Carol and Morgan befriend Ezekiel of the Kingdom, another community, while Maggie and Rosita rally the Hilltop. Alexandria is attacked by the Saviors, aided by the turncoat Scavengers, but the Kingdom and Hilltop defend Alexandria. The three communities declare war on the Saviors.

Season 8 (2017)

The season is based on the events of the All Out War arc in Volumes 20 and 21 in the original comic series, where Rick's and Negan's allies go to war against each other.

Future

Executive producer David Alpert said in 2014 that the original comics have given them enough ideas for Rick Grimes and company over the next seven years. "I happen to love working from source material, specifically because we have a pretty good idea of what Season 10 is gonna be", Alpert said. "We know where seasons 11 and 12 [will be]... we have benchmarks and milestones for those seasons if we're lucky enough to get there."

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Darabont connections

The series features several actors whom Walking Dead developer Frank Darabont has worked with previously, including Laurie Holden (Andrea), Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale Horvath), Melissa McBride (Carol Peletier), Sam Witwer (the dead soldier in the tank where Rick hides in "Days Gone Bye"), and Juan Gabriel Pareja (Morales). All five appeared in his 2007 film The Mist, along with Thomas Jane, who originally was set to star in the series when it was pitched to HBO. Jane was later in talks with Darabont to possibly guest star on the series as of fall 2010, but with Darabont's departure, it is unknown whether the guest spot will happen or not. Laurie Holden also appeared in the 2001 film The Majestic (as Adele Stanton, Jim Carrey's character's love interest), which Darabont directed. DeMunn has also appeared in several of Darabont's films; in addition to The Mist and The Majestic, he appeared in The Shawshank Redemption (1994)}} and The Green Mile (1999). It was planned that Witwer (Private Jessup in Darabont's The Mist) would reprise his "Days Gone Bye" role in the original conception of The Walking Dead's season two premiere and in a webisode, but both plans were discarded.

Production

Development

On January 20, 2010, AMC officially announced that it had ordered a pilot for a possible series adapted from The Walking Dead comic book series, with Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd acting as executive producers and Darabont writing and directing. The entire series was pre-ordered based just on the strength of the source material, the television scripts, and Darabont's involvement. In January 2010 a review of the pilot episode's script attracted further attention. The pilot began filming in Atlanta, Georgia on May 15, 2010 after AMC had officially ordered a six episode first season. The series' remaining episodes began filming on June 2, 2010 with Darabont serving as showrunner. On August 31, 2010, Darabont reported that The Walking Dead had been picked up for a second season, with production to begin in February 2011. On November 8, 2010, AMC confirmed that there would be a second season consisting of 13 episodes. He would also like to include some of the "environmental elements" that take place during Volume 2 of Kirkman's book.

Crew

The first season writing staff consisted of series developer and executive producer Frank Darabont (who wrote/co-wrote four of the six episodes), executive producer Charles H. Eglee, executive producer and creator of the comic book Robert Kirkman, co-executive producer Jack LoGiudice, consulting producer Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara, all of whom contributed to one episode each. Along with Darabont, who directed the pilot episode, the remaining five were directed by Michelle MacLaren, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Johan Renck, Ernest Dickerson and Guy Ferland.

On December 1, 2010, Deadline.com reported that Darabont had fired his writing staff, including executive producer Charles "Chic" Eglee, and planned to use freelance writers for the second season. Kirkman called the announcement "premature" and clarified that Eglee left to pursue other projects when Darabont decided to stay on as showrunner, and no definitive plans had been made regarding the writing staff for season two.

[Chic Eglee] was brought onto The Walking Dead with the idea that Frank was going to work on the first season and then go off and do movies [...] Chic didn't want to be second-in-command on a show when he's used to being a top dog, and so he decided to go off and do something else, which is something that happens and is not a big deal.
— Robert Kirkman, TV Guide

On December 3, 2010, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, executive producer Gale Anne Hurd commented: "It's completely inaccurate. [In] the writers' room, there are people that have set up other projects that will be their first priority if their own series is picked up as a pilot or if it's a series. I think [Eglee] just decided that he wants to run his own show." She revealed that it would be likely for the show to return in October 2011, as Darabont and Kirkman planned on mapping out the next season early in 2011. She also confirmed that, "every one of the principal cast is signed up for multiple seasons." In July 2011, series developer and showrunner Frank Darabont stepped down from his position as showrunner for the series, over unclear circumstances (see Lawsuit below).

Executive producer Glen Mazzara was appointed the new showrunner in Darabont's place. New writers joined the writing staff in the second season, including co-executive producer Evan Reilly, producer Scott M. Gimple, story editor Angela Kang, and David Leslie Johnson. New writers in the third season included producers Nichole Beattie and Sang Kyu Kim, with Frank Renzulli contributing a freelance script.

After the conclusion of the third season, Glen Mazzara stepped down from his position as showrunner and executive producer for the series, per a mutual agreement between Mazzara and AMC. The press release read, "Both parties acknowledge that there is a difference of opinion about where the show should go moving forward, and conclude that it is best to part ways." Scott M. Gimple succeeded Mazzara as showrunner for season four, with new writers joining the writing staff, such as Curtis Gwinn, Channing Powell, and Matt Negrete.

Writing

The television series generally tends to follow Kirkman's comic series across major characters and plots; for instance, events of the premiere episode of season 7 correlate to events in issue #100 of the comics. The show does not attempt to go step-by-step with the comics, and has leeway in the narrative. In particular, the show's writers, along with Kirkman, often "transfer" how a character has died in the comics to a different character in the show. For example, in season 4, where Hershel Greene is beheaded by The Governor in the standoff with Rick's group at the prison; in the comic, Tyreese is the one who receives this fate. Some of the television characters, like Carol, have far outlived their comic counterpart, while others that have already been killed off, like Sophia and Andrea, remained alive for some time in the ongoing comic series. In addition, the writes have included characters wholly novel to the series such as Daryl Dixon, which producer Gale Anne Hurd says helps to create a new dynamic for the show, and keeps the audience guessing from what had already been established in the comic series.

Music

Bear McCreary was hired to compose the score for the series. McCreary stated that the main theme was based on his viewing of production designs for the opening title sequence. Instead of doing a full theme song as with his earlier works, McCreary chose to use a simple, repeating motif from the strings section.

It repeats over and over, and in fact in the pilot episode, you start hearing it before the main title begins, and this is something that continues episode to episode. You hear the main title music before the main title begins, so you know it's coming. That, to me, was the little hook – that little thing that, whenever you hear it, it takes you to the series.
— Bear McCreary

Soundtracks

Four soundtracks for The Walking Dead have been released to date. The Walking Dead: AMC Original Soundtrack, Vol. 1 was released on March 17, 2013. The second volume was released on March 25, 2014. Songs of Survival is a soundtrack for the third season and it was released on August 27, 2013, by Republic Records as a Walmart exclusive for the special edition release of the third season. Songs of Survival, Vol. 2 is a soundtrack for the fourth season and it was released on August 26, 2014, by Republic Records as a Walmart exclusive of the fourth season release.

Makeup

Greg Nicotero is an executive producer and the key special effects makeup artist on the series. Each walker is put through "zombie school" and is taught how to move like zombies. There are three levels of zombie makeup: Hero, Midground, and Deep Background. Hero zombies are featured walkers and are completely made over from head to toe. Midground zombies get highlights and shadows on the face, but do not get close enough to the camera to require full makeup. Deep background zombies often wear masks and are only meant to be used as a backdrop.

Filming

The Walking Dead is mostly filmed in Georgia. Since 2002, the state has offered a tax incentive for large film productions to drive producers to the state and bolster its economy.

The first season was filmed primary in Atlanta, though required a great deal of coordination with the city to shut down streets and parks for film. Production for subsequent seasons moved mainly to Riverwood Studios (doing business as Raleigh Studios Atlanta), a plot of land approximately 120 acres (0.49 km2) outside of Senoia, Georgia. Some existing buildings were used here, such as a subdivision that is used by several families that serves as the Alexandria Safe-Zone, while other buildings are constructed as sets, such as the exterior shots of the main Hilltop mansion, the trash heaps used by the Scavengers, or Father Gabriel's church. Sets are torn down when no longer needed; the church, after its use in Season 5, was removed and its spot used for the iconic setting for the first meeting between Rick's group and Negan in Season 7. The property includes sound stages constructed for interior shots, which then may be reused; the interior sets for the prison during Season 3 were reused to serve as the buildings and sets for the Savior's Sanctuary in Season 7. In July 2017, AMC purchased the studio lot from Riverwood for $8.25 million.

Some scenes are shot outside of the studio. Woodbury, during Season 3, was filmed in downtown Senoia. Other exceptions include the Kingdom, which is filmed at the former military base Fort McPherson, now converted to studios for Tyler Perry.

The series is completely shot on 16 mm film. David Tattersall was the director of photography for the pilot episode with David Boyd as the director of photography on the remainder of the episodes. Production design is done by Greg Melton and Alex Hajdu. The effects team includes veteran special effects makeup designers Greg Nicotero and Toby Sells, special effects coordinator Darrell Pritchett, and visual effects supervisors Sam Nicholson and Jason Sperling.