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Fanatic wrote:Just read where the show has been picked up next year for 13 more episodes.

The ratings for "The Walking Dead's" just-ended first season have been such that perhaps AMC is wishing that it had lasted more than just six weeks.

The anticipation for the season finale garnered six million viewers, according to the network, and it received the highest ratings of any basic cable show, ever, in the all-important 18-49 demographic.

To put those numbers into perspective, October's season finale of "Mad Men" had an audience of 2.44 million, according to TVbytheNumbers.com.


(On the other hand, that 18-49 number is very important, because the New York Post reported in 2007 that a post-"High School Musical 2" episode of "Hannah Montana," with much of its audience under 18, averaged 10.7 million viewers.)

As hot as "The Walking Dead" is, it's not quite to the level of some episodes of "The Sopranos" final season, which on two occasions had around 13 million viewers.

Still, the network says that "The Walking Dead's" average 18-49 viewership of 3.5 million for this season makes it the most watched drama series in basic cable history in the demographic.

The big question is, now that the show has grown beyond its core fanbase, will the "Dead-heads" tune in once again next Halloween (the likely start date for season two), despite the long wait? What do you think? Share your comments below.