Zombie nation

The premiere of the fourth series of The Walking Dead received over 16 million viewers.  To put that in perspective, the finale of Breaking Bad received a paltry 10.3 million. So, what makes a series about a man in a sheriff’s uniform fighting zombies so compelling?

The zombie genre has been done to death. I’ve encountered zombies, funny zombies, Nazi zombies, stripper zombies, and chicken zombies (seriously). It isn’t easy to bring anything fresh to a genre which is already scraping the bottom of the barrel, but TWD has a unique appeal. Audiences are no longer looking for shows which reflect a glossy ideal. They want sex, violence and immorality. And then more sex. There’s no room for sentimentality.

If the zombie apocalypse really happened, we wouldn’t hold hands with the undead and skip around a sunny meadow. People will die, including people we love, and you have to suck it up. From the first episode of TWD, no one was safe. The fact that a particular character is your favourite doesn’t mean a damn. Beloved heroes are just as likely to die as hated villains. That hard hitting approach allows for more shocks and emotional twists than your average show. It may be soul destroying to see your favourite have their innards torn out by a corpse (hope you’re not eating) but it’s refreshing not to be patronised.

The show rests on the shoulders of Rick. He begins his journey as deputy sheriff and resident goody two shoes. Fast forward a few seasons and Rick has gone from a wimp in a costume to a hardened bad ass who blasts zombies without blinking. The dirtier his precious uniform gets, the blacker his soul gets. Although there are a host of other intriguing characters, watching the slow destruction of Rick’s optimism and hope is fascinating in a worryingly sadistic way.

Zombies are an easy sell to men. Throw in blood and boobs and many guys will be hooked. Making this genre appealing to women is harder. Luckily for us, 2013 was the year that TV execs finally realised that- wait for it- women can be interesting characters too! I know, I didn’t see it coming either.

In the last series of TWD, the girls came in to their own. Every facet of femininity is represented. From young Beth who helps to feed and care for the group, to Michonne who uses zombies as pets and wields a massive samurai sword like she’s auditioning for Kill Bill. These women appeal to audiences because they’re strong, realistic and more than just big breasted arm candy for the hunky hero.

The world is messed up. From terrorism to global warming to economic meltdown, the future doesn’t look great. TWD taps in to that sense of panic in a frightening, yet fascinating, way. The characters are raw, the situations are brutal and the writers cater for every market. Forget about stripper Nazi zombies; The Walking Dead is the way forward.