The Walking Deadproducer Gale Anne Hurd made a decision that saved the series and helped it become a phenomenon. Before working as a producer on the television adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s popularThe Walking Deadcomics, the veteran producer already had a prolific career in entertainment.Hurd produced several iconic science-fiction movies, includingThe Terminator,Terminator 2: Judgment Day, andAliens,along with the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s second movie,The Incredible Hulk.
After helping these science-fiction and superhero stories become a reality, she got involved in helpingThe Walking Deadtelevision series take shape, which included finding the right network for it.Hurd was determined to do justice to Kirkman’s comics and his creative visionand was not willing to compromise on this, regardless of what network executives offered. Two major television networks were interested in makingThe Walking Dead, but Hurd turned them down both. The series instead ended up on AMC, where it aired for 11 seasons, along with the numerousWalking Deadspinoffsthat Hurd has helped produce.
AMC Did Not Have The Same Condition
As shared by Greg Nicotero viaThe Huffington Post,both NBC and HBO presented offers to makeThe Walking Dead. However, one of their conditions was that the television adaptation’s production team would need to significantly decrease the amount of graphic violence and gore featured in Kirkman’s comics. Hurd knew that this compromise would not be faithful to the source material and to Kirkman’s creative vision, leading her to tell NBC and HBO,“No, thank you.”
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She then proceeded to continue searching for the network that would best fitThe Walking Dead, which led to working with AMC.14 years afterThe Walking Dead’s pilot episode debuted,the partnership between AMC and the The Walking Dead franchise’s creative teams continues to be mutually beneficial. As Nicotero explained,“Thank goodness we wound up at AMC. They totally get this show. Right from the beginning, they’ve been completely trusting and supportive of what we’ve been trying to do with this series.“This included the series not shying away from the comics' violence and gore.
Gale Anne Hurd Saved The Show
Much ofThe Walking Dead’s popularity came from the show’s entertainingly brutal exploration of a post-apocalyptic worldand the sense that no character was safe from dying. These elements would not have been possible if the show had significantly toned down its violence. While there were inevitably many changes from the comics, AMC ensured that the series could remain true to its initial premise of Rick Grimes waking up from his coma months after the zombie outbreak, and would work with other survivors to navigate a lawless world.
Such violent moments would not have been possible if the series had been made by NBC or HBO, which would have fundamentally changedThe Walking Dead’s story.
From attacking the Terminus residents in season 5, episode 1, “No Sanctuary” to the beloved characters' heads revealed on pikes in season 9, episode 15, “The Calm Before,” many ofThe Walking Dead’s best episodesfeatured memorable violence. These moments existed not only for spectacle but for important character development and narrative progression in the AMC series. Such violent moments would not have been possible if the series had been made by NBC or HBO, which would have fundamentally changedThe Walking Dead’s story.
This Is The Same Network That Made Game Of Thrones
NBC wanting less violence inThe Walking Deadis not surprising given the tone and ratings of most of the network’s programming. It is much more surprising that HBO passed onThe Walking Deadfor the same reason.Less than a year afterThe Walking Deaddebuted on AMC, HBO released the first episode ofGame of Thrones, a series known for its shocking violence, which arguably surpassedThe Walking Deadin this area.Game of Thronesbecame even bigger thanThe Walking Dead, partly because of the boundaries it pushed, even though HBO previously wanted those boundaries.
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SinceGame of Thrones, HBO has continued to make series featuring a great deal of violence, including its spinoffHouse of the Dragon, as well asWestworld, andThe Last of Us. BeforeThe Walking Dead, HBO already had its fair share of violent series, fromThe WiretoOz. HBO’s decision seems strange now, but forThe Walking Dead, it worked out for the best, as the series found a fitting home on AMC that continues to service the franchise well with multiple spinoffs featuring the ongoing stories of beloved characters.
The Walking Dead
Cast
The Walking Dead is a television series that premiered on July 21, 2025. It follows Sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. He embarks on a journey to locate his family, encountering various survivors amidst the chaos.
