Are we ready for Talk TV?

Chris Hardwick

In the last season of AMC’s “The Walking Dead (TWD)” we saw how Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Daryl (Norman Reedus) and their group fought and overcame the supposed “Governor” (David Morrissey) of a small town called Woodbury. With their leader banished, most of the town’s “citizens” were welcomed into Rick’s fortified prison dwelling.

Just as the two groups are beginning to live harmoniously, the action-packed season 4 opener sees nerdy kid Patrick (Vincent Martella) become very sick (cause still not revealed) one night. He collapses in the shower room and dies, turning into a zombie (even without getting bitten by one). All hell breaks loose in the morning, and the terrifying violence within the prison, supposedly the group’s stronghold, underscores just how tenuous their existence has become!

In the US, the TV series has spawned a live talk show called “The Talking Dead,” whose host Chris Hardwick discusses episodes of the highly rated drama with guests like fans, cast members and other celebrities. The talk show premiered after the “TWD” second season kicked off, and by mid-season 3 of the zombie series, the talk show had become hour-long and directly followed each episode’s broadcast.

Last Sunday’s episode of “The Talking Dead” averaged 4.5 million viewers in the US, an increase of its weekly average of 3 million viewers. Analysts point out how this talk show capitalizes on the power of social media.

This so-called “companion show,” which AMC is now just exploiting – it also had the “Talking Bad” companion show for their other hit series “Breaking Bad” – could just be the next big thing in the Philippines. What do you think?

Are we ready for Talk TV?

Source: Mb.com.ph (October 25, 2013 at 10:00PM)

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