AMC Orders “Walking Dead” Anthology Series

AMC’s The Walking Dead is one of the biggest and influential franchises on television. While the main title series might not be the ratings juggernaut it once was, it is still incredibly successful. So far there has been a well-received spin-off, Fear the Walking Dead, as well as the in-the-works Rick Grimes film trilogy. However, one of the most exciting new entries in the franchise is the anthology show, aptly titled Tales of the Walking Dead, and AMC has officially greenlit the production.

The series it set to consist of six self-contained, hourlong episodes. Each entry will focus on a different set of characters and feature a different character perspective for each episode. And while the anthology will introduce a lot of new faces, there will be some crossover from established characters. The point will be to expand the narrative beyond the established lines and look at how the rest of the world is functioning with the zombie apocalypse, much like the upcoming limited series Walking Dead: World Beyond.

One thing not for certain is what the timeframe for this show will be, but given the nature of an anthology, is possible for some episodes to exist as a prequel. In this respect, it’s entirely possible that characters from the show’s past, especially those that were killed off too soon, such as Tyreese or Jesus, could pop-up.

This news comes on the heels of a proposed Norman Reedus-Melissa MCBride spin-off, which will follow their fan favorite characters after the conclusion of the eleventh season of the mainline series. Angela Kang is set to be the showrunner, with that series tentatively penciled in to release sometime in 2023.

And with the Reedus/McBride series likely taking precedence, when Tales of the Walking Dead, will arrive, then, is up in the air. Production is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2022 with Channing Powell in charge, alongside franchise content chief Scott Gimple.