| The Walking Dead | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
 Promotional poster and home media cover art featuring Rick Grimes arriving to an abandoned Atlanta | |
| Showrunner | Frank Darabont |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Release | |
| Original network | AMC |
| Original release | October 31 – December 5, 2010 |
| Season chronology | |
The first season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 31, 2010, and concluded on December 5, 2010, consisting of 6 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, who wrote or co-wrote four of the season's six episodes and directed the pilot episode, "Days Gone Bye", the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard.[1] It was executive produced by Darabont, Kirkman, David Alpert, Charles H. Eglee, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Darabont assuming the role of showrunner.
The season received very positive reviews by critics. It was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama at the 68th Golden Globe Awards[2] and received nominations for the 63rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in several categories, winning Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie, or Special.[3] The pilot episode received 5.35 million viewers, and the finale garnered six million viewers, including four million viewers among adults ages 18–49, making it the most viewed basic cable drama series at that time.[4] Based on its reception, AMC renewed the series for a second season consisting of 13 episodes, which premiered on October 16, 2011.[5]
This season adapts material from issues #1–6 of the comic book series and introduces notable comic character Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), who awakens from a coma, after being shot, in a post-apocalyptic world filled with flesh-eating zombies, dubbed "walkers". After befriending Morgan Jones (Lennie James), Rick sets out to find his family and discover the origins of the walker virus.
- ^ "The Walking Dead - AMC Series". AMC. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
- ^ "List of Golden Globe Nominees and Winners". The New York Times. December 14, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
- ^ "Emmy Winners and Nominees 2011: Complete List". The Hollywood Reporter. July 14, 2011. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
- ^ Gorman, Bill (December 6, 2010). ""The Walking Dead" Finale Draws Series High 6 Million Viewers, 3.0 Adults 18-49 Rating". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
- ^ "AMC Resurrects "The Walking Dead" for a Second Season" (Press release). AMC. November 8, 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2010.