Is 'Walking Dead' Over?
by EG
The Walking Dead can still claim to be the "highest rated" scripted series on TV, but only counting its audience of younger viewers, the most coveted demographic group for advertisers. If you count total viewership, however, TWD is no longer in the stratosphere in terms of ratings. Even more concerning, the series is in the middle of a prolonged ratings slide, and even its young viewership is eroding.
The series' ratings slide began in season six, picked up speed through season seven, and has become dramatic so far in season eight. This season's premiere episode was the lowest-rated since season three in 2012 and each episode of the current season except one has posted further ratings drops. This week's episode was the lowest rated, both in total viewership and among young viewers, since the middle of season two in 2011.
Via Variety.
“The Walking Dead” saw another drop off in the Nielsen ratings for this Sunday’s episode.
Episode 5 of Season 8 drew a 3.4 rating in adults 18-49 and 7.8 million viewers. That is a drop off approximately 10 percent in both measures from Episode 4.The last time “The Walking Dead” drew a 3.4 rating was Episode 4 of Season 2. The most comparable episode in terms of total viewers is also in Season 2, in which Episode 8 drew 8.1 million viewers. The drop comes despite the fact that this week’s episode was one of the better-reviewed of the season thus far, currently holding an 83 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
This is the latest instance this season of the number one show on television drawing Season 2 numbers.
The Season 8 premiere–also the show’s 100th episode–pulled in the show’s lowest numbers for a season premiere since Season 3.
Episode 2 saw a drop off of approximately 20 percent in both measures from the premiere, falling to a 4.0 and 8.9 million viewers. Episode 3 then dropped to a 3.8 and 8.5 million, with Episode 4 improving slightly to a 3.9 and 8.7 million.
Read the rest of the story at Variety.
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