‘The Walking Dead’ Drops to All-Time Low in Ratings and Viewers
But yes, it’s still the No. 1 show on cable
Tony Maglio and Reid Nakamura | February 20, 2019 @ 3:46 PM
Last Updated: February 20, 2019 @ 3:55 PM
Gene Page/AMC
“The Walking Dead” definitely isn’t dead, but it is at an all-time low.
Sunday’s episode, titled “Omega,” averaged a 1.7 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, down 15 percent from the prior week’s midseason premiere and slightly below its previous all-time demo low of 1.8 last fall.
This week also marked the show’s worst-ever performance in total viewers with 4.54 million people tuned in for Sunday’s episode. That’s down 12 percent from last week and less than the previous low of 4.71 million for the show’s second episode in 2010.
The episode aired against the NBC All-Star Game on TNT and TBS, likely accounting for the week-over-week declines.
The aging series has seen steep ratings declines across the past few years, with viewership numbers for Season 9 coming in well below the previous season. And moving forward, the show will also have to contend with the loss of several key on-screen players, including series stars Andrew Lincoln and Maggie Cohen, both of whom exited earlier this season. Longtime series regular Danai Gurira is set to follow suit next year.
However, despite the downward trend — which is more or less in line with across-the-board cable ratings declines in recent years — the once-massively popular zombie drama remains the most-watched non-sports program on cable and has already been picked up for a 10th season to air in the fall.
'The Walking Dead': The Most Shocking and Disturbing Deaths So Far
SPOILERS AHEAD. "The Walking Dead" has never been shy about showing lots of gore and death, but some characters' demises hit harder than others. Look back on some of the most gut-wrenching kills from the hit AMC series.
When Andrea's sister Amy ( Emma Bell) died in season 1, it proved that no one was safe.
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The death of Jim (Andrew Rothenberg) in season 1 showed the characters how to treat a bitten person for the first time.
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Sophia (Madison Lintz) was beloved by all, but Rick did not hesitate when it came time to pull the trigger when she became a walker.
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Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn) was the moral compass of the group, but died in the midst of the discussion around executing their prisoner, Randall.
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Shane (Jon Bernthal) was ready to kill Rick, but Rick acted first, proving himself to be a fearless leader.
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T-Dog (IronE Singleton) gave his life to save Carol from walkers when the group tried to take the prison.
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Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) died during childbirth, prompting Carl to shoot her in the head to prevent her reanimation.
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Merle (Michael Rooker) proved he was a good man by giving his life in an attempt to stop The Governor.
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Andrea (Laurie Holden) failed to see The Governor for what he was and paid the ultimate price.
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Hershel (Scott Wilson) wanted peace, but The Governor took his head to prove a point to Rick.
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Tyrese (Chad Coleman) let his guard down for a just a moment, but long enough to get bitten by a walker.
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Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) killed her sister Mika (Kyla Kenedy) before Carol shot Lizzie in the back of the head.
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Beth (Emily Kinney) died protecting Noah from Dawn (Christine Woods), forcing Daryl to shoot Dawn in the head.
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Noah (Tyler James Williams) endured one of the most gruesome deaths in "Walking Dead" history thanks to Nicholas.
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Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), Ron (Austin Abrams) and Sam (Major Dodson) all died within seconds of each other. Sam got eaten when the horde invaded Alexandria. Jessie died as she tried to save him. Ron then attempted to kill Rick, but got stabbed by Michonne and was subsequently eaten.
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Abraham (Michael Cuditz) was the one we had to wait six months to see murdered by Negan. He, of course, got his head beaten in with Negan's barbwire-wrapped baseball bat, Lucille.
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But Abraham wasn't Negan's only victim that night. After Daryl punched Negan, Negan decided he had to make another example out of someone in the group -- and he chose Glenn.
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Spencer (Austin Nichols) thought he could use Negan to kill Rick in order to assume control of Alexandria. But Negan had other plans, gutting Spencer in full view of everyone in the community
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Olivia (Ann Mahoney) suffered plenty of indignities at Negan's hands, and he eventually repaid her by having her shot
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Ole Dr. Carson made a critical error by saying mean things about Sherry to Dwight over and over again. So Dwight framed the good doctor for helping Daryl escape from the Saviors -- and Negan threw him into the furnace for it.
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When King Ezekiel's crew was short one cantaloupe in its tribute for Negan's Saviors, Benjamin was shot in the leg as punishment. Unfortunately, the shot hit an artery, and young Ben bled out.
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It turned out that Richard had tossed one of the cantaloupes because he wanted to start a war between the Kingdom and Saviors -- and he thought they would kill him for being short. They shot Ben instead, but Morgan strangled Richard the next day after Richard confessed.
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Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) used Eugene's suicide pills to kill herself while she was theatrically locked in a casket because of some ridiculous thing Negan was doing. When Negan opened the casket she popped out as a walker and saved Rick and the residents of Alexandria in a clutch moment.
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Morales (Juan Gabriel Pareja) returned in season 8 after having been gone since season 1, but that return was short-lived. About ten minutes in show time after Morales, his family dead and now a member of the Saviors, showed up he got shot my Daryl.
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Eric (Jordan Woods-Robinson) got shot during the Alexandrians' battle against the Saviors, and then bled out and turned into a walker after a tearful goodbye scene with his boyfriend Aaron (Ross Marquand).
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Shiva the tiger bit the dust while saving Ezekiel, Carol and Jerry from a bunch of walkers in Season 8. There were just too many and they swarmed and ate her.
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Carl died in the season 8 mid-season premiere after suffering a zombie bite in the first half of the season.
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Gregory got his long overdue death when he was executed by hanging for trying to murder Maggie in the season 9 premiere.
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Jesus was killed when he tried to decapitate a zombie only to discover that zombie was actually a living man disguised as one -- this was Alexandria and Hilltop's first real contact with the Whisperers.
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TheWrap looks back at those who have fallen victim to the zombie scourge–and other humans–over nine seasons
SPOILERS AHEAD. "The Walking Dead" has never been shy about showing lots of gore and death, but some characters' demises hit harder than others. Look back on some of the most gut-wrenching kills from the hit AMC series.