Once upon a time, The Walking Dead was pitched to the premium television network HBO as an adaptation of the comic books of the same name written by Robert Kirkman. It’s hard to imagine what could’ve been if HBO hadn’t passed, in part because producer Gale Ann Hurd refused to tone down the gore and violence that recreated Kirkman’s vision of the comics. Had the show succeeded on HBO, the network could’ve either drastically destroyed or improved what makes the zombie apocalypse so enthralling.

Back in 2012, director and make-up artist, Greg Nicotero said that both NBC and HBO passed on the series when Hurd approached them, which led to AMC picking it up. NBC giving a hard “no” to the concept is understandable, as the network is known for its minimalist dramas such as This Is Us and Law and Order: SVU, and live shows like Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show, and The Voice. The Walking Dead would’ve been a clear outlier. But after The Walking Dead‘s premiere in 2010, HBO itself soon picked up the revolutionary, yet ironically gruesome Game of Thrones and recently greenlit The Last of Us, which contradicts their reasons for passing on TWD. Is HBO making up for what could’ve possibly been one of their biggest mistakes?

The graphic novels have a certain strangeness and realism to them that exceeds zombie narrative expectations. One such example is Carol’s character, one of the last living survivors of the first season, but a character who actually committed suicide by a walker bite early in the comics. Additional storylines of the series are the cannibalistic Hunters (adapted to the Terminus location), and Michonne’s horrifying torture at the hands of the Governor, making him an even worse character than he originally was.

What these storylines (and many more) have in common is that they’re very graphic. The Walking Dead is no stranger to violence, and scenes such as Glenn’s death were criticized for their explicit nature, but Hurd and the rest of the producers still had to aim for a more conservative aesthetic than the graphic novels provide. Speaking of cable television regulations, The Walking Dead is also extremely limited when it comes to swearing in their television show.

If produced by HBO, the character of Negan would probably be more faithful to his comic persona, with more middle fingers and F-bombs than cable would allow. Undeniably, HBO wouldn’t have been afraid to include weirder and more explicit storylines. With that kind of freedom, The Walking Dead could’ve been a television show with darker themes, and even nudity.

One of the most acclaimed aspects of TWD is its willingness to cut storylines from the graphic novels and rework them into something fresh for fans of the series. More specifically, the characters of the television show are almost nothing like their comic counterparts. As mentioned before, Carol has become one of the longest lasting characters in the series, alongside Daryl, who was originally created for the show.

As seen with Game of Thrones, HBO tends to keep their adaptations more faithful to their original source material. If that were the case with TWD, Daryl and Sasha may not have been part of the show at all, erasing almost half of their fanbase and merchandise revenue. Lori would still be dead, but only because she died in the prison battle and accidentally killed baby Judith alongside her. Sophia would also still be alive, and the entirety of Season 2 would’ve drastically changed because of it.

There may be some hardcore TWD fans who would’ve appreciated a series  more devoted to the graphic novels, but AMC has proved that allowing the creators of a television series free rein is what’s best. Changing the entire narrative made the show more exciting and thought-provoking, rather than just waiting to see how known storylines would look on screen. And The Walking Dead does look to its source material for inspiration. Season 9 details the Whisperer fallout which led to the famously known pike scene, but changes the victims  to keep it from being predictable. The most iconic locations come directly from the mind of Robert Kirkman, and they’ve all transitioned seamlessly into television.

One thing that might have been better on HBO is the show’s pacing — and legacy because of it. Yes, the series is ending on its own accord after Season 11, but even that may have been too late for some of the fans. Season 7 saw the show dropping significantly in ratings and viewership after the Season 6 finale left fans on a horrible cliffhanger. The show saw a resurgence in Season 9, but viewers began tuning out once again after the disappointing “All Out War” storyline.

HBO has been a hit or miss with ending television shows at the right time. Game of Thrones infamously concluded its show on a six-episode season that rushed through an important storyline that was meant to flesh out Daenerys’ downfall. Georgia Pritchett, writer and executive producer of the current black comedy hit Succession believes the show will end around Season 5, or more realistically Season 4. With Succession at the height of its run, knowing when and where the story will end keeps the show on track and more compact in narrative. AMC did the same with Breaking Bad, which ran for five seasons and is considered one of the best shows of all time.

Although there is years worth of material for TWD to work from, HBO could’ve opted to cut down what killed the show, which was “All Out War.” Two seasons proved to be too much for the arc, as filler episodes begrudgingly held fans against their will as they waited for the show to improve. Additionally, HBO could’ve cut the number of episodes per season, which used to be 16 and now  stands at 24 for its final seasons. This would’ve prevented filler episodes that bring the narrative at a halt.

There is no definitive verdict on which network would have been better for The Walking Dead. HBO could’ve provided a bigger budget to achieve more than pathetic CGI deer and indolent camera work, but AMC did get the gritty, raw tone of the series down. And then again, AMC’s accessibility as a cable network rather than a paid service allowed more fans to watch the show. For better or worse, The Walking Dead was lucky to find a home at AMC.