I am very excited for Sunday. Not only is it Halloween, but it is also the premiere of The Walking Dead on AMC. To help you understand the level of my geek-out over this show, I devoted nearly six hours of my Comic-Con weekend either in the booths, waiting in line, or attending panels just […]

I am very excited for Sunday. Not only is it Halloween, but it is also the premiere of The Walking Dead on AMC. To help you understand the level of my geek-out over this show, I devoted nearly six hours of my Comic-Con weekend either in the booths, waiting in line, or attending panels just related to this zombie story. I’m so pumped up, I’ve been camped out in front of my television for the past two weeks, just so I could be first in line to see it.

OK, the last part may be a bit silly, but my enthusiasm for Sunday night’s premiere is off the charts. I’ve been reading the comic book since issue 12 and have been anticipating this weekend since the first hints of the show’s production, years ago. And it’s not just me, The Walking Dead is receiving tons of hype. It is easily one of fall’s most anticipated programs.

Yet, I would guess there’s probably more than a few of you who don’t know anything about this series or haven’t heard of it before. So let’s take a quick look at what the show’s about and why you should (or shouldn’t) watch.

Give me the 30,000 foot view – what’s this show about?

The comic was created by Robert Kirkman, who once said that he loved zombie movies, but hated that they ended after 90 minutes. He wanted to know what happened to people once they left the mall – when they were forced to figure out how to survive in the new world. And that’s primarily what The Walking Dead is about – people surviving in the new world. In the comic book, pages can fly by where zombies play a very minimal role – if they are seen at all (because live people can oftentimes be more frightening than the undead).

Who’s involved with the project?

For starters, Robert Kirkman, who also writes the book, is an executive producer and has been involved since the beginning. He also wrote the fourth episode in season one. During the Comic-Con panel, Kirkman said the production was staying true to the comic book and that fans would be pleased.

Also on board, as series developer and director of episode one, is Frank Darabont. The Academy Award nominee has a long history with horror, having written screenplays to several scary movies. Darabont is also a director and created The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and The Mist (all Stephen King stories). He also has plans to bring King’s The Long Walk to the big screen (über-yay!).

Rounding out the heavy hitters is Gale Anne Hurd, a longtime Hollwood producer. Hurd has a long list of succcesses, but most notably is responsible for Aliens, The Terminator and The Abyss.

The cast is extensive, but share a unique trait: they all possess an uncanny resemblance to the characters in Charlie Adlard’s uniquely black-and-white comic book artwork (see image below for comparison). The main character, for season one, at least, is Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln, the son-in-law of Jethro Tull frontman, Ian Anderson.

What’s the background on the story?

The show is obviously based on the comic book, which is written by Kirkman. The main character is Rick Grimes, a small town sheriff, who (small spoiler here, this has been revealed in the preview) has an accident and loses consciousness for a time. When he wakes up, he learns the dead have returned to life and his family is missing. This is how Grimes’ epic quest and the ever-winding storyline for The Walking Dead begins. Along the way, Rick will meet lots of new people, lose some of them and kill others – the new world is a vicious, dog-eat-dog place. One of the appealing traits of the comic is that Kirkman isn’t afraid to kill off important characters. But rest easily, at issue #80, Grimes is still alive … for now.

If you’d like to begin reading this great story, you can read on your iPhone/iPad, catch up via an upcoming weekly re-release or by one of several print compilations.

Why is there so much buzz surrounding this show?

First of all, it’s more than just a zombie tale. Because let’s face it, the comic book is seven years old now – you can’t do seven years of zombies chasing people, people fighting back, that would get old. Outside Adlard’s art and Kirkman’s writing, one of the biggest reasons the story continues to be interesting is that The Walking Dead is really – at heart – a character study. It’s all about the humans and how they react.

Then there’s the talented group of people involved. When you look at the names and the budget and ambition involved, this is really like a blockbuster movie on a small screen. Also, AMC has a tremendous track record for doing series the right way. Their slogan is “Story matters here” and there’s plenty of story in The Walking Dead. Plus, when you look what they have done with Mad Men, Breaking Bad and Rubicon, you know that The Walking Dead is going to be great.

So, can my kids watch it?

Ultimately, you’re the parent, you make your decision. But you should know that this show will deal with some pretty mature themes and contain some graphic violence. Greg Nicotero and KNB EFX have come up with some nightmare-inducing make-up and special effects that would likely scar little minds for a very long time. What’s more, Darabont has said they won’t be pulling the camera away. There will be headshots. That said, the show has received a TV-14 rating.