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10m viewers -Fear the Walking Dead becomes biggest launch in US cable history

With 10.1m bloodthirsty viewers, Walking Dead prequel becomes the biggest series launch on US cable.

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Zombie prequel Fear the Walking Dead has shattered US cable records drawing 10.1 million viewers, as the biggest-ever launch for a cable series.

It imploded the previous 6.88m for Breaking Bad spin-off, Better Call Saul in February.

Fear the Walking Dead also skewed young with 6.3 million among adults 18-49 for a 4.9 rating.

The bumper numbers were not unexpected. TWD remains a formidable brand in the US, with its last season debuting to 17.3m viewers.

FX fast-tracked the series to Australian viewers yesterday with two screenings attracting 58,000 and 56,000 viewers respectively. While that’s down on Walking Dead averages (usually above 80,000) no doubt many fans are still to sample the new series. Subscription TV also offers multiple opportunities to view its content, meaning overnight numbers are not as crucial as they are to Free to Air.

Source: Deadline

 

19 Responses

  1. Pertinax did you not see him take out a prepaid mobile from it’s box he purchased from the convienence store with the money that was in the jacket of the guy in the bed next to hi

  2. I never watched TWD but did watch this one, will now catch up on the original. I agree it was a little slow at the start but a nice pay off in the 2nd half and the last scenes. I do however wonder ho long before FTWD bumps into the time line of TWD, not that it matters as they are in different parts of the US.

    1. The first episode is about 6 weeks before the first TWD episode in the timeline so I would imagine it won’t take that long. But as you’ve said, it won’t really matter as they are geographically so far apart and communications will be down. They’ve said there won’t be any crossover episodes (thank goodness!) but there will be a few Easter eggs that TWD fans will notice.

  3. Really enjoyed it, I like that it is so different to TWD and it’s creepy watching these people struggling with their ‘normal’ world challenges and having no idea how trivial they are soon going to seem. It’s sad that we know these characters’ hopes and dreams are for naught. Thought Nick was awesome and it’s a clever idea to use an addict as the first to sight a feeding zombie given it was so easy to attribute the image to hallucinations or insanity.

      1. Robert Kirkman has always maintained that the origin of the virus won’t be explored in the TWD universe as his interest lies in the survivor aspects of the story. I agree with this as I don’t think it would add anything to the storyline, if the survivors know how it started, what difference is it going to make to them? They are already infected and the chances of a cure are slim to none with civilisation decimated. 30+ years on and there’s still not a cure for HIV and that’s without an apocalyptic event! I’m so fatalistic when it comes to TWD, I don’t think there’ll ever be a cure, they just have to work out if they can build a life in this brave new world.

        1. But if they aren’t going to explain the origin, they at least have to create a believable story about what happened when it broke out in a major city. The backstory of the characters’ experience recounted in The Walking Dead has done a much better job of that.

          It has to be more than just a dreadfully written soap with Walkers designed to keep WD fans subscribing to AMC for a few more extra months.

          Why did two progressive middle class urban teachers suddenly turn up in a beaten up F150 pickup ideal for running over Walkers? Did the bums clothes he stole have an iPhone sewn in the lining? Did he walk 5km through industrial LA to a pay phone before heading back to meet up at the murder scene? Or did he call them on the drug dealers unlocked! phone making them accessories to Murder?

          Is Nick a smart junkie skilled at manipulating the police and his family, killing armed drug…

          1. If you read World War Z it shows how quickly a ZA can take civilisation down & it would be faster in TWD as everyone is already infected. The only backstory in TWD re the outbreak was Shane saying there were a few strange stories on the news & everything collapsed within a matter of weeks. LA is an expensive city, teachers don’t get paid well, the school was rough, their house was tiny & in a bad neighbourhood & Travis would be paying child support & maybe alimony & rehab is expensive – they don’t have a lot of money. So I can buy him owning an old beater. Nick stole the old man who died clothes, he bought a burner phone (which we saw) and yes, most likely did call them on that as he’s not thinking straight as he’s in withdrawal, his friend just tried to kill him & then he killed his friend. Nick does seem smart, being an addict doesn’t preclude that but his brain would certainly…

          2. Just remembered – Jenner at the CDC also said how fast it all happened and they couldn’t keep up

    1. Very much so – really good actor as well, was impressed, he was MVP last night.

      FYI – the actor (Frank Dillane) is GOT’s Stannis Baratheon’s (Stephen Dillane) son. The gene pool is working well there!

  4. My IQ3 was stuffing up yesterday (what’s new there) but I noticed in my recordings was Fear of the Walking Dead, and I didn’t even set to record it as I had no interest. Did anyone else have it recorded for them?

      1. My most recent big issue is lack of remote response, mainly when I fast forward through commercial break and it wont stop when I press play and then goes to the end of the recording, so I start all over again. I’m on box number two after the first one died in less than 4 days of install, even after a forced software download.

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