The Walking Dead Season 2 Premiere Posts Record-Setting Ratings; Season 3 Likely

I'm expecting the announcement of a renewal for season three any day now.

AMC's zombie drama The Walking Dead returned for its third season on Sunday to record ratings. 7.3 million viewers tuned in to the ninety-minute episode "What Lies Ahead," a number way up from last season's finale "TS-19," which had posted 5.97 million. Clearly, the ten-month hiatus between seasons did nothing to slow down the show's popularity.

The show posted a 3.8 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic. For those of you who don't speak Nielson, let me put it to you this way: these ratings are the best for any cable drama, ever.

While AMC has critical hits with Breaking Bad and Mad Men (both of which I love), The Walking Dead is the network's first big runaway hit. That bodes well for the show's future. Despite some behind-the-scenes mix-ups that happened over the summer, the series will almost certainly be renewed for a third season in the coming weeks.

Will next week's episode hang on to the viewership of its predecessor? We'll just have to wait and see. The second episode of the season, "Bloodletting," will air on Sunday, October 23, at 9/8c on AMC. I don't think I have to tell any of you to tune in.