The document provides an analysis of the television series "The Walking Dead". It summarizes the plot, which follows sheriff Rick Grimes waking from a coma to find a zombie apocalypse. Over six seasons, Rick meets other survivors like Michonne and travels across rural America, facing threats from zombies and other hostile groups. The analysis discusses how the series blends genres like horror, thriller and drama and focuses more on the relationships between survivors than typical zombie tropes. It also provides information on production details, target audiences and themes like family presented in the long-running series.

1. Analysis
Aidan Chesters

2. purpose
The series is a thrilling escapade through a zombie infested
America which has sub plots dealing with the problems of being
in a group with other people you meet while also defending
yourselves from the zombies.
The audience can feel scared, happy or sad depending on the
events seen on screen. The writers have redefined the zombie
genre to be more about the drama of the group and surviving
the zombie hoards rather than the standard zombie film tropes.

3. Content outline
The walking dead is a AMC series about a sheriff who
wakes up from a coma to a zombie apocalypse.
After being shot on the job rick wakes up some time
later in an empty hospital where large numbers of
body bags are stored. He soon finds that the dead has
risen and he must find his wife and son. Over six
seasons he meets a variety of characters such as
michonne a woman who has survived unnoticed by
having arm and toothless zombies at her side.
The series began in Atlanta but has gone all over rural
America to escape the zombies and groups of
mentally unstable people such as cannibals and the
governor who set up a thriving village but was
ultimately a villain.

4. characters
This page will only show characters who have
managed to stay alive for the entire series as many
characters were introduced and subsequently killed
Rick Grimes- late 30s male who was a sheriffs
deputy before the apocalypse. He has become the
groups leader and often takes care of other people
in his group
Carl Grimes-Ricks teenage son who rick has been
protecting since season 1
Glenn

5. Form and style
Although it can fluctuate the episodes tend to be and hour
long with adverts. The opening title for the series shows
the theme of the show in a relatively short amount of time
compared to series such as true detective which runs for
1.30 where as the walking dead title only runs for 37
seconds. Although the title is very short it hints at many
elements in the series and uses very iconic imagery such
as the empty and full highway out of Atlanta.
The series has a very dirty look and represents the
zombies as no longer people which gives a contrast to a
later villain called the governor who keeps the zombie of
his daughter around.
The series has a very distinct themes of family and
friendship while also having the suspense of a zombie
hoard which may ambush the characters at any time.

6. genre
The series can fall into a number of different
genres such as horror, thriller and drama. The
series may be about zombies but the zombies
are only a vehicle for a very good series about
people trying to get along in a terrible event in
order to survive which is a big change from
other zombie media as zombies in a television
series is a very little used idea.

7. Target Audience
• The first season has an age rating of 15 while
all subsequent series have an age rating of 18
• Although the age rating for the series is fit for
mid to late teens, people of other ages are
also a large audience as many themes of trust
and fatherhood. This can be shown in the first
episode as it is shown that the main character
has a family which he has to find.

8. Meaning
• The walking dead is the story of one mans recovery from wounds both
physical and psychological.
• Before his accident he was a careful sheriffs deputy but there was an
incident which left him shot and he fell into a coma
• When he wakes from his coma his physical wounds have healed but he
has deep physiological trauma.
• When he wakes he is deeply reliant on others taken in by a father and
son who have to save him from walkers.
• He then leaves them with guns he retrieved and finds a horse at a
farm. He rides into the town but is surprised by the zombies and his
horse is eaten and he becomes trapped in a nearby tank. He relies on
Glenn to get him out.
• As the series progresses he becomes much more of a leader and the
person he was before his accident
• The series is also about how people confront their problems as a group
only in this series the problem is the walkers

9. frequency
The walking dead has been running since
Halloween 2010 and is currently on its sixth
series. Each series is split in half and the
episodes come out weekly. Although watching
the entire series would be ideal, it is possible to
start watching mid way through

10. • Idea – the walking dead is based on a comic book of the same name
• Development – AMC ordered a pilot for the series but after the scripts were made
they pre ordered a six episode series . The writer from the comics, Robert Kirkman
came back to write the scripts. The rough cost of each episode is in between two
and three million dollars.
• Pre production – Andrew Lincoln , a British actor was cast as the title character
Rick Grimes. The main location for filming is in Georgia, America in the Atlanta
area. Hundreds of extras were employed to be the zombies , or walkers.
• Production –The filming has used hundreds of extras dressed as walkers. Some had
full makeup on neck hands and face , others had only face and the walkers in the
far background only had masks for minor detail.
The Atlanta area has been the location filming since season 1.
• Post production – The score for the series was done by Bear Mcreary ,who has also
done the score for other television series such as batlestar galactica and the Sarah
Connor chronicles.
• Distribution- The series premiered Halloween 2010 and has been going strong
since on season 6. The series is no where close to catching up with the comic at
issue 150 with currently enough stories for four more series.