Opinion: When Zombies Ruled The World
Written by dariandudrick on October 30, 2020
Zombies always have been a part of the Halloween tradition – from movies, to costumes and decorations.
But during the last 10 years, one TV series has brought these reanimated, flesh-eating cannibals to new heights.
“The Walking Dead” made its debut on AMC on Oct. 31, 2010. The TV show is based on the comic book series of the same name, which debuted in 2003.
The series follows a group of people during a zombie apocalypse and their fight to survive, whether it’s facing threats from zombies, or other survivors, who live by their own rules.
The show started becoming a ratings’ juggernaut on Sunday nights during its third season. In fact, it became one of the most watched series in cable TV history.
But whether it was planned or not, the show’s creators rolled the dice by killing off most of the main characters. As a result, starting with season eight, many angry fans left, and viewership declined.
Now, the series will end after its 11th season – which will begin sometime in 2021 and conclude in 2022.
But for a show that never uses the word “zombie” (“walkers” is the most common description), zombies arguably have been more popular in the last 10 years than ever before.
“Zombie walks,” for example, are now more common and attract more people, and how often have you heard or seen, “how to survive a zombie apocalypse”?
In honor of “The Walking Dead” TV series 10th anniversary, here are three other big ways zombies have made their mark on pop culture:
George A. Romero
The filmmaker put zombies on the map with the influential “Night of the Living Dead” in 1968. He followed that classic up with other films that included “Dawn of the Dead” in 1979 and “Day of the Dead” in 1985.
The Zombies
The British rock band is perhaps best known for its 1969 hit “Time of the Season.” The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group’s earlier hits include “She’s Not There” and “Tell Her No.”
“Thriller”
Michael Jackson’s music video, that’s filled with dancing zombies, became a massive hit on MTV in 1983-84. It also helped the King of Pop’s “Thriller” LP become the best-selling album all-time worldwide.
Listen to Darian Dudrick’s segment: here
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