In an exciting update for fans of the ‘The Walking Dead’ on-screen franchise, the makers are going ahead with a new spin-off series titled ‘Isle of the Dead’ starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan in the lead roles. The six-part series would showcase the journey of their characters Negan and Maggie and their survival adventures in post-apocalyptic Manhattan that is replete with the titular antagonists.
The news has come at a time when the eleventh and final season of AMC’s long-standing show ‘The Walking Dead’ is being aired. Besides its eleven-season run, ‘The Walking Dead’ franchise has two spin-offs ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ and ‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’ under its belt, and two more spin-offs ‘Tales of the Walking Dead’ and the Daryl and Carol spin-off in the works.
So, the question is: Is ‘The Walking Dead’ franchise on the verge of reaching its saturation point? Let’s delve into it from the perspective of critics and audience feedback data from reviews aggregation portal Rotten Tomatoes on the main show and its spin-offs.
The opening season of ‘The Walking Dead’ series aired back in the year 2010 and it was an instant hit amongst audiences worldwide owing to its comic books source material supported by crisp execution with first-rate production values. Have a look at the table below now.
| The Walking Dead | RT Critics Score | RT Audience Score |
| Season 1 | 87% | 92% |
| Season 2 | 80% | 82% |
| Season 3 | 88% | 87% |
| Season 4 | 81% | 87% |
| Season 5 | 90% | 88% |
| Season 6 | 76% | 79% |
| Season 7 | 66% | 60% |
| Season 8 | 65% | 52% |
| Season 9 | 89% | 78% |
| Season 10 | 77% | 79% |
| Season 11 | 83% | 82% |
From the above table, it is evident that ‘The Walking Dead’ audience score was at its peak in the first season. While the best critics score was received by the fifth season. The response from audiences and critics was consistently above the 80% range until the show’s fifth season. Thereafter, it saw a declining trend for the next three seasons. The ninth season rating again improved while the ongoing eleventh season too is performing well until now.
Now, coming to the two spin-off series that have been released until now. ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ currently holds a 75% critics score and a 64% audience score. While ‘The Walking Dead: The World Beyond’ currently holds a below-average 46% critics score and even worse 36% audience score.
This implies that the main show ‘The Walking Dead’ has been consistently appreciated by the audiences and critics alike barring the seventh and eighth seasons. However, its two spin-off shows were not equally admired by viewers.
Does that mean the ‘The Walking Dead’ universe might be reaching its saturation point? Especially considering that besides ‘Isle of the Dead’, two spin-off shows namely ‘Tales of the Walking Dead’ and the Daryl and Carol are already in the works. Is there even a need for another spin-off show ‘Isle of the Dead’?
Well, that would largely depend on whether the new show would have something new and different to offer in terms of its execution. The good thing is the presence of the immensely talented duo Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan. Yet only time will tell whether the show will get the kind of response that the opening season of ‘The Walking Dead’ series had garnered. It’s a waiting game until then. ‘Isle of the Dead’ will premiere in the year 2023.