The Walking Dead - TV series

As a bit of a comic nerd I picked up the first hardcover collection of the Walking Dead comic a few years back. For some obscure reason I actually have two copies. I thought it was OK but not amazing and I prefer some of the other comics that Robert Kirkman has written.

I had been wanting to see the TV version of the Walking Dead from the moment that I became aware of it's existence. Unfortunately I only have council telly (no cable or satellite) and it has not yet been broadcast on a terrestrial channel. Luckily I was able to take advantage of my parents hospitality and satellite television over New Year and a Walking Dead marathon was being broadcast last night. I made the sensible decision and stayed up till 3:30AM to watch the whole season.

It was worth the effort. The Walking Dead has the high quality production values that we have become used to after a decade of The Sopranos, Battlestar Galactica, The Wire and countless others. The episodic nature of the comic book works well as an episodic television show. The actors are well-cast and every possible drop of pathos and angst is wrung out of the story.

The series revolves around an American police deputy who is shot in the line of duty and wakes up in a deserted hospital, over-run with zombies. The opening clearly echoes the beginning of John Wyndham's Day of the triffids. The hero then sets off to find his wife and child, slaughtering zombies left, right and centre.

It's good, especially if you like zombies. Don't become too attached to any characters though. Nobody is safe from the Walking Dead.