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S1.E1 ∙ Days Gone Bye. Sun, Oct 31, 2010. Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes awakens from a coma, and searches for his family in a world ravaged by the undead. 9.2/10 (31K) Rate. Watch options. S1.E2 ∙ Guts. Sun, Nov 7, 2010.
During the course of the series, 177 episodes of The Walking Dead aired over eleven seasons, between October 31, 2010, and November 20, 2022. Series overview Season
No. OverallNo. In SeasonTitleDirected By13211332Greg Nicotero13431354The 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.
- Overview
- Plot
- Deaths
- Production
- Promotion
- Reception
Season 1 of AMC's The Walking Dead 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. It was executive produced by Darabont, Kirkman, David Alpert, Charles H. Eglee, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Darabont assuming the role of showrunner.
This season adapts material from issues #1-6 of the Comic Series. It 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.
"Days Gone Bye"
Wounded in the line of duty, King County sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes wakes from a coma to find the world infested by zombies. Alone and disoriented, he sets off in search of his wife and son. Rick soon encounters two other survivors -- Morgan Jones and his son, Duane. Morgan gives Rick additional information about the situation, explaining that the undead are driven to eat the living. "One thing I do know, don't you get bit," Morgan says. "Bites kill, then you become one of them." Duane then speaks: "I saw it happen." Morgan saw the transformation first-hand. His wife Jenny was bitten, and then turned into a "Walker." Now she haunts him and his son, frequently returning to the house where she died. Rick takes Morgan and Duane to the King County Sheriff's Department, where they stock up on guns and ammunition. Rick is headed for Atlanta, where a refugee center has formed and the CDC is supposedly working on a cure. Along with a rifle, Rick gives Morgan a walkie-talkie, with instructions to check in daily at dawn so the two men can reunite later. En route to Atlanta, Rick runs out of gas near a farmhouse, where he finds a horse to ride the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Lori and Carl are living in a camp outside Atlanta, with Shane Walsh, Rick's high school friend and partner. There are many other survivors present, including Amy, Dale Horvath, Jim, and the Morales and Peletier families. Believing Rick to be dead, Lori has begun a romantic relationship with Shane, who is the group's de-facto leader.
"Guts"
In a deserted Atlanta, Rick is overwhelmed by hordes of Walkers. They topple his horse and force him to retreat inside a tank. Guided by Glenn, an adventurous young man who instructs him via radio, Rick grabs a gun and grenade and flees for his life. Glenn then leads Rick to a department store, where they meet up with other survivors: Andrea, Morales, Jacqui, T-Dog, and Merle Dixon — a redneck ex-con. After the volatile and racist Merle attacks T-Dog, Rick handcuffs Merle to the store rooftop. Rick then hatches an escape plan, which involves Rick and Glenn smearing themselves with Walker guts as camouflage. Having navigated through the crowd of Walkers, Rick drives off in a cube van to evacuate the survivors. Glenn helps to lure the undead with the sound of a car alarm in a hot-wired Dodge Challenger. Back on the rooftop, T-Dog accidentally drops the handcuff key down a ventilation pipe, then chains the access door shut so the stranded and furious Merle will be relatively safe from hungry Walkers.
"Tell It to the Frogs"
Driving back to camp, Morales warns Rick about Merle's brother, Daryl, who will be angry that his brother was abandoned. Glenn arrives at camp first, and Shane and Dale chastise him about drawing Walkers with the car alarm. Jim disconnects the alarm just as the cube van approaches. Andrea tearfully reunites with Amy, her younger sister, as does Morales with his family. Rick then emerges from the van and is shocked to discover Lori and Carl living at the camp. Later that night, Lori tells Rick she was told he would be Medevaced to Atlanta. But it never happened. "Mom said you died," Carl says. "She had every reason to believe that," Rick replies, before thanking Shane for saving them. That night, Rick and Lori have sex in their tent, vowing to each other that this is a new beginning in their marriage. The next morning, Rick and the others find a Walker feasting on a freshly-hunted deer in the woods. Jim theorizes the undead are running out of food in the city. Daryl returns from an overnight hunt. After being informed of his brother's whereabouts, Daryl attacks Rick and Shane, who subdue him. Daryl vows to retrieve his older brother, horrified at the idea that they left Merle bound and unable to fend for himself. Rick volunteers to go with him, as do Glenn and T-Dog. "You're putting every single one of us at risk," Shane says, arguing they need everybody to protect the camp. Rick contends that they really need the guns that he dropped when the geeks attacked. Lori is against it, but Rick tells her he has to get the walkie-talkie back. Otherwise Morgan and Duane could walk into the same trap he did. After Rick departs, Lori tells Shane to keep away from her family. "You are the one that told me that he died," Lori seethes. Nearby, an altercation breaks out between Ed Peletier and his meek wife, Carol. After Ed slaps Carol, Shane intervenes and beats the man mercilessly. In Atlanta, Rick and company head to the department store where Merle was left. Reaching the door they had barricaded, they see the chains have been broken. They then find the rooftop deserted, save for a severed hand lying, bloodied, beside a hacksaw. Daryl screams, as the screen cuts to black.
•Summer •Criminal 1
•Criminal 2
•Criminal 3
•Jenny Jones •Leon Basset •Hannah •Mrs. Siggard •Mr. Siggard •Siggard's Horse
•Wayne Dunlap •Jim's Wife •Jim's Two Sons •Ed Peletier
•Amy Harrison •Irma Horvath •Jim •Candace Jenner •Edwin Jenner
Conception
Robert Kirkman, who created the comic book series in 2003, says he had considered the idea of a Walking Dead television series, but never actively pursued it. "I certainly wanted it to happen, just because I knew it would be good for the book... I'm certainly not against adaptations, like some creators." When Frank Darabont became interested in adapting the comic books for television, Kirkman said it was "extremely flattering" and went on to say that, "He definitely cares about the original source material, and you can tell that in the way he's adapting it. It's an extreme validation of the work... Never in a million years could I have thought that if Walking Dead were to ever be adapted that everything would be going this well. I think that that's all because of Frank." Darabont himself had been a fan of the zombie genre since seeing George A. Romero's 1968 film Night of the Living Dead when he was fourteen years old. ""Night of the Living Dead" had this weird vibe that was almost - it was like pornography... It had this marvelously attractive, disreputable draw... I loved it immediately." Darabont recalls walking into a comic book store in Burbank, California and seeing The Walking Dead on the shelf in 2005. "Being that I've always had "the love of zombies genre," I of course grabbed it, took it home and read it, and immediately started pursuing the rights to it. I thought it would make a great TV show... I loved the idea of an extended, ongoing, serialized dramatic presentation set in the zombie apocalypse." He described the process of developing the series and getting it set up at a network as "four years of frustration," and credits executive producer Gale Anne Hurd with finally getting the series on AMC. "I can't remember what the hell prompted her to read it [the script], but she said, "Wow, I really love this pilot you wrote. What are you doing with it?" I said I'd been trying to set it up forever... She said "I think AMC might be the place to take this." She did, and then bam! They were immediately interested. I had to credit Gale, her insight into marrying the material and the buyer."
Writing
Darabont's original pilot script was split in half and embellished, making the first two episodes instead of one, "...just to slow the narrative down and dig into the characters more deeply, so it's not just plot-driven, event-driven stuff. You really want to drag these characters into the equation." To write the remaining episodes of the season, Darabont recruited Charles H. Eglee, Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara, all of whom he had worked with while directing an episode of The Shield. Jack LoGiudice also joined the writing team, along with Robert Kirkman, also an executive producer. "I have the best of both worlds," says Kirkman. "It was a lot of fun writing Episode 104, and I'm hoping if it continues into Season 2, I'll be able to write more episodes."
Filming
Principal photography for the pilot episode, "Days Gone Bye", began on May 15, 2010 with the subsequent five episodes beginning filming a few weeks later on June 2. The first season was filmed in and around Atlanta, Georgia where the episodes were primarily set.
The show's official website released a motion comic based on the first issue of the original comic and voiced by Phil LaMarr. The site also posted a making-of documentary primarily about the first episode, as well as a number of other behind-the-scenes videos and interviews. In the documentary, comic series creator and show executive producer Robert Kirkman as well as artist Charlie Adlard expressed that they were pleased with how faithful the show is to the comic and remark on the similarities between the actors and the comic's original character drawings. Several scenes from "Days Gone Bye" were screened July 23, 2010 as part of the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International. Hurd asserted that "[they] really are doing six one-hour movie", and Darabont insisted that the series would closely reflect the development in the comics. "The path is a very strong template. But we're going to take every interesting detour we feel like taking. As long as were staying on the path of what Robert has done, I don't see any reason not to. If they have patience we'll eventually catch up to what Robert is doing."
debuted during the same week in 120 countries. "Days Gone Bye" premiered in Hong Kong on TVB Pearl on August 30, 2011, while it expanded in international markets during the first week of November. Two weeks prior to its official premiere in the United States, the contents of the episode leaked online. As part of an expansive campaign to advertise and heighten anticipation for the premiere, international broadcasting affiliates of AMC and Fox coordinated a worldwide zombie invasion event proceeding days prior to premiere of the episode in the United States. The event occurred in twenty six cities worldwide, and were hosted in select locations including the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., Palace of Westminster in London, Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Acropolis of Athens in Athens, and the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The campaign events commenced in Hong Kong and Taipei, and culminated in Los Angeles.
Critical Response
The first season of The Walking Dead received generally positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the season holds a score of 82 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 25 critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds an 87% with an average rating of 7.35 out of 10, based on 31 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "Blood-spattered, emotionally resonant, and white-knuckle intense, The Walking Dead puts an intelligent spin on the overcrowded zombie subgenre." Following the second episode, Simon Abrams from Slant Magazine awarded the show three and a half stars out of a possible four; "To say that Darabont has kicked his series off with a bang would be a serious understatement ... [he] has fashioned a fully realized alternate reality and it's a thrilling thing to experience." The pilot episode, "Days Gone Bye", was well received. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 100% with an average rating of 8.10 out of 10, based on 12 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "The debut delivers intense horror set apart by its focus on tragedy and the human condition -- not to mention awesome zombie kills." Following the episode's debut, Matt Roush of TV Guide called the series "a stark and harrowing survival parable ... visually stunning ... and daring in its artful use of silence". Following the second episode, Simon Abrams of Slant Magazine awarded the series three and a half stars out of four, writing: "To say that [Frank] Darabont has kicked his series off with a bang would be a serious understatement ... [he] has fashioned a fully realized alternate reality and it's a thrilling thing to experience." In response to the season finale, James Poniewozik of Time magazine gave the first season a glowing review, writing: "The show has an urgency and bravery that make it something special." Josh Jackson of Paste magazine rated the episode an 8.0 out of 10 and also praised the season by writing "the characters are worth caring about" despite "occasional stilted monologues, quick tempers and unfortunate stereotypes". However, some reviews were mixed, including Kofi Outlaw of Screen Rant who concluded the series "still hasn't really defined itself as anything more than a vague survival story about the human condition" but added that he is "one of those Dead-heads already chomping at the bit for season 2". Sean McKenna of TV Fanatic also offered mixed criticism, writing the freshmen show "had its ups and downs" noting that the second season should focus on "a more specific story arc and strengthening of the character development". Logan Hill of Vulture magazine was more critical, claiming the episodes contained "atrocious dialogue" and "a lot of plot machinery that has been contrived to create action suspense but ... hasn't really moved the story itself anywhere in particular", though he admitted the fifth episode showed "flashes of promise".
Accolades
The first season of The Walking Dead was named one of the Top 10 Television Programs in 2010 by the American Film Institute, stating: "The Walking Dead feeds our hunger for a new take on a classic genre. Zombies have long breathed life into the horror of human nature in an extreme state, but here writer/director/executive producer Frank Darabont smashes the boundaries of terror on television. The Walking Dead also understands the power of silence, as a slowly turning doorknob may reveal our deepest fear — the loss of our own humanity." The season was also nominated for Best Television Series – Drama at the 68th Golden Globe Awards and Best Drama Series at the 1st Critics' Choice Television Awards. It was also nominated for Outstanding New Program at the 27th TCA Awards and New Series at the 63rd Writers Guild of America Awards. In addition, the pilot episode, "Days Gone Bye", won Best Edited One-Hour Series for Commercial Television at the 61st American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards; the second episode, "Guts", won Best Sound Editing – Short Form Dialogue and ADR in Television at the 58th Golden Reel Awards. For the 37th Saturn Awards, the season received the most nominations on the television side with six, winning one—Best Television Presentation. The nominations were for Best Actor on Television (Andrew Lincoln), Best Actress on Television (Sarah Wayne Callies), Best Supporting Actor on Television (Steven Yeun), Best Supporting Actress on Television (Laurie Holden), and Best Guest Starring Role on Television (Noah Emmerich). At the 63rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, "Days Gone Bye" won Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie, or Special, and was nominated for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding Special Visual Effects. Additionally, Frank Darabont was also nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for his work on "Days Gone Bye".
Ratings
The pilot received 5.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched series premiere episode of any AMC television series. The first-season finale received 6 million viewers, a season high; with 4 million viewers in the 18-49 demographic, making it the most watched basic cable series for the demographic. The first season had an average of 5.24 million viewers and a rating of 2.7 in the 18-49 demographic. In the United Kingdom, it premiered one week after it did in the United States, on November 5, 2010 on digital channel, FX. The premiere had 579,000 viewers, almost double for any other show on FX that week. The viewership dipped during the season then rose to 522,000 viewers for the final episode. The terrestrial premiere on Channel 5 on April 10, 2011, averaged 1.46 million viewers. Based on its ratings, the series was renewed for a second season on November 8, 2010.
Oct 31, 2010 · Season 1 (2010) ← Back to season list. Specials Season 2. Episodes 6. Sort. 1. Days Gone Bye. 78 % October 31, 2010 • 1h 8m. Rick searches for his family after emerging from a coma into a world terrorized by the walking dead. Morgan and Duane, whom he meets along the way, help teach Rick the new rules for survival. Expand. 2. Guts. 84 %
The Walking Dead: Created by Frank Darabont. With Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, Christian Serratos. Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to learn the world is in ruins and must lead a group of survivors to stay alive.
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