AMC launched its companion series to The Walking Dead on Friday night, with Fear the Walking Dead enjoying a hugely-successful start as its debut episode set a new record for the highest-rated cable premiere.
The first episode of the show pulled in 10.1 million viewers according to Nielsen estimates, which shatters the previous record set by TNT’s Raising the Bar (7.7 million viewers) back in 2008. Fear also pulled in 6.3 million viewers in the 18-49 demo, beating Better Call Saul’s record of 4.4 million.
SEE ALSO: Read our review of the Fear the Walking Dead premiere here
Living in the same universe as The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead is a gritty drama that explores the onset of the undead apocalypse through the lens of a fractured family. Set in a city where people come to escape, shield secrets, and bury their pasts, a mysterious outbreak threatens to disrupt what little stability high school guidance counselor Madison Clark and English teacher Travis Manawa have managed to assemble. The everyday pressure of blending two families while dealing with resentful, escapist, and strung out children takes a back seat when society begins to break down. A forced evolution, a necessary survival of the fittest takes hold, and our dysfunctional family must either reinvent themselves or embrace their darker histories.
Fear the Walking Dead airs on AMC on Sunday nights. Follow all of our coverage here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=8k_v0cVxqEY
Originally published August 25, 2015. Updated November 29, 2022.
