The Walking Dead will end with season 11, but fans are getting more spin-offs

AMC confirmed that The Walking Dead will end with an extended season 11, but there will be two new spin-off series set in the same universe.

It’s a tough but exciting day for fans of The Walking Dead. AMC has revealed that season 11 will be the final season for the flagship show. The upcoming season will be an extended one, with 24 episodes instead of the usual 16, so that AMC will be able to wrap up the existing storylines and presumably create some new connections between the flagship show and other parts of The Walking Dead universe.

And speaking of TWD universe, a surprise announcement that accompanied news of the show’s ending was that a new anthology series will be launching. This will allow fans to see limited-run stories featuring new characters and some of their older fan favorites. Tales of The Walking Dead will make it possible to revisit stories from the comics, bringing to life some of the beloved source material that didn’t make it into the original show. Perhaps there will be a Negan origin story or stories of fan-favorite characters showing what happens to them in the future. The possibilities are endless, and Tales of The Walking Dead opens the door to keep the franchise around for many years to come.

Regarding the huge announcements, Scott Gimple said:

"“It’s been 10 years gone by; what lies ahead are two more to come and stories and stories to tell beyond that. What’s clear is that this show has been about the living, made by a passionate cast, team of writer/producers, producers, and crew, bringing to life the vision put forth by Robert Kirkman in his brilliant comic — and supported by the best fans in the world. We have a lot of thrilling story left to tell on The Walking Dead, and then, this end will be a beginning of more Walking Dead — brand new stories and characters, familiar faces and places, new voices, and new mythologies. This will be a grand finale that will lead to new premieres. Evolution is upon us. The Walking Dead lives.”"

The season 10 finale is set to air in a few weeks just before The Walking Dead: World Beyond premieres and Fear the Walking Dead returns for season six. There’s no word yet on what, if anything, this means for a seventh season of FearTWD. World Beyond is a limited series and was already planned to end after two seasons.

Carol and Daryl Get a Spinoff

Another surprise was the announcement that a new spin-off featuring Carol and Daryl is a go. These two fan favorites have always had a close relationship, and it makes sense that they would continue this journey together. Speaking about the spin-off, Angela Kang said:

"“I look forward to digging in with our brilliant writers, producers, directors, cast and crew to bring this epic final chapter of Robert Kirkman’s story to life for our fans over the next two years. The Walking Dead flagship series has been my creative home for a decade and so it’s bittersweet to bring it to an end, but I could not be more excited to be working with Scott Gimple and AMC to develop a new series for Daryl and Carol. Working with Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride has been a highlight of my career and I’m thrilled that we get to keep telling stories together.”"

Melissa McBride reflected on what it’s been like to play Carol for so many seasons, stating she’s excited and curious to see where her character’s story goes after The Walking Dead:

"“Of course, I’ve always enjoyed working so closely with Norman throughout these many seasons. In playing Carol, and as a viewer of the show, I’ve also long been intrigued with ‘Daryl and Carol,’ and by what so early on between them, even then, felt somehow bound. Their shared history is long, and each’s own personal fight to survive, even longer – the more obvious aspect of what has kept them close and loyal. But there is also a rather mysterious aspect to their fondness for one another that I enjoy, and their playfulness when the world permits. I’m very curious! Angela has a way of shaking things up in great and unexpected ways. She’s like a kid playing with the dimmer switch! I’m very excited!”"

And Norman Reedus added his own thoughts on the series, describing why he’s loved working on it for so long:

"I feel incredibly honored to be a part of The Walking Dead. This show changed my life and career and everyone involved has truly been a family for me over the last decade. I’m thankful for AMC’s love and support and know there’s so much more story to tell and so much more to bring the best fans in the world. Daryl’s relationship with Carol has always been my favorite relationship on the show (sorry Rick). I love the way these characters interact and relate to each other on so many levels and can’t wait to see where their ride goes from here.”"

TWD Universe Will Go On

The Walking Dead has dominated the ratings for genre TV from the beginning and built up a strong fanbase around the world. It also launched an entire universe for AMC that encompasses two spin-off shows currently — Fear the Walking Dead and World Beyond — as well three feature-length films that are in the works. Now with Tales of The Walking Dead and this Daryl and Carol spin-off, there will be even more stories set in the world that fans love.

So while one era of The Walking Dead saga will end with the original show, there are still plenty of other apocalypse stories to tell — and fans won’t have to leave the grim but lush world that AMC has created for TWD. Even though losing the flagship show will be tough on fans TWD universe is only getting bigger and better.

The COO of AMC Networks, Ed Carroll, renewed AMC’s commitment to TWD universe by saying:

"“The Walking Dead made television history, and is one of those rare creative works that has given life to an entire content universe that is still in the early stages of growing and entertaining both new and established fans. We can’t wait to bring viewers this expanded final season of The Walking Dead over the next two years, and launch the fourth series in the history of the franchise, focused on the beloved Daryl and Carol characters, with the incredibly talented Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Angela Kang, and Scott M. Gimple. There really is so much ‘walking’ ahead, in a number of very exciting directions, for this extraordinary creative universe we call The Walking Dead.”"

What are your reactions to AMC’s announcement TWDFamily? Tweet us @SonyaIryna and @CulturessFS with your thoughts about the ending of TWD and the spinoff.