AMC Sniffs Out Zombie Series The Walking Dead

That doesn’t sound especially original, but with the words “AMC” and “zombie” in the same sentence, who cares? Fans of the graphic novels, written by Robert Kirkman, cite their intense, unforgiving bleakness as what sets them apart. 

Proposed showrunner Darabont is best known as the writer-director of The Shawshank Redemption and for his film adaptations of other Stephen King stories. Variety suggests that AMC’s interest in the series isn’t as strange as it sounds, since the network’s annual Halloween programming block is among its most popular. (AMC's current series are the Emmy-bait dramas Mad Men and Breaking Bad.) Plus, the breakout success of HBO's escapist horror series True Blood surely doesn't hurt.