Turns Out the Bat is Mightier Than the Sword

Grand Central Station

(Oct 25, 2016 UPDATE: 7.57 million viewers watched Talking Dead this weekend.  Congratulations to the team and thank you all for tuning in!)

Y’all ok?  Do you need a hug? That was rough.  I’ve known what was going to happen since our trip to Atlanta this summer, but it was still hard to watch.  The good news is that this season will introduce our pals to new characters and communities. I can hardly wait.

Chris Hardwick wins “Hardest Working Host” in television for his performance.  A “very special” Talking Dead aired last night in Hollywood Forever cemetery with the entire cast available to talk about the season 7 premiere of The Walking Dead.  What they didn’t count on was the pouring rain.  What started out as a light sprinkle got progressively worse causing Hardwick’s mic to short out, but I have to hand it to him, he never once lost his cheer.  What a night!

Tune in for more exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews with cast and crew of Season 7 of The Walking Dead.

¡Vivan Los Muertos Vivientes!

Fear the Walking Dead, Episode 208 “Grotesque.” AMC. 2016.

Who watched Talking Dead following the Season 2 mid-season premiere of Fear the Walking Dead last night?  An awful lot of you, that’s who!  Thank you for continuing to make Talking Dead the number one talk show on television among adults ages 18-49.  Last night Talking Dead featured exclusive on-set interviews with Cliff Curtis, Colman Domingo, and Paul Calderon.  In June, I went down to Baja Studios in Rosarito, Mexico and met with the cast and crew.  The local Mexican crew that worked with us were fantastic and knew what I wanted even before I knew myself.  Gracias a todos.

Meat Ponchos

Walking Dead Mid-Season Premiere

The Walking Dead, Season 6: “Start to Finish” AMC, 2015.

Greetings, y’all!  The Walking Dead returns this weekend!  Will we find out what happens to our heroes we left covered in walker guts?

Once again, I traveled to Georgia to film behind-the-scenes interviews with some of our favorite characters for the second half of Season 6.  We shared the crew’s craft service where I learned that it’s a special thrill to sit next to a picnic table full of walkers during lunch.

Stay tuned to Talking Dead with Chris Hardwick on Sundays following The Walking Dead to learn more!

Make a date this Valentine’s Day on AMC 10/9C.

There’s No Place Like Home

The Walking Dead in Alexandria

Season 5 cast members of The Walking Dead – photo source: thetellybible.co.uk

The Walking Dead returned this month to AMC with new cast members and a new location.  And that means, new behind-the-scenes footage from yours truly!  This trip to Georgia in November was so top-secret that I didn’t even know what we were filming until I got there.  I love this job!

Stay tuned to Talking Dead with Chris Hardwick on Sundays following The Walking Dead to learn more.

In the meantime, please enjoy these promos from AMC’s Dead, White, and Blue Weekend special this summer.

AMC’s Dead White and Blue Weekend

 

Chris Hardwick and Steven Yeun on location in Georgia, TWD Season 5. AMC 2014.

Last month I found myself traipsing around Georgia on location with Chris Hardwick and cast members of The Walking Dead.  I directed a series of promos and vignettes for AMC’s Dead White and Blue Weekend, a full series marathon of The Walking Dead.  Jenn Nelson did an incredible job with her camera in really hot and muggy conditions.  As before, the cast and crew of TWD were so welcoming and generous with their time.  Our local BTS crew were pros and made it look easy.  Needless-to-say, we had a blast being on set, and I discovered that I like fried pickles.  Who knew?

Zombies Among Us: 4.1 million viewers tune into The Talking Dead!

The mid-season premiere of the Talking Dead reached an audience of 4.1 million viewers a few weeks ago, scoring a higher rating with the 18-49 demographic than anything on NBC that same week.

Back in November, I had the great pleasure of visiting the set of the Walking Dead outside of Atlanta.   AMC asked me to direct some behind-the-scenes field pieces for the fan show.  As a huge zombie fan, of course I was thrilled to do it.

I wish I could tell you what I saw and did, but that will have to remain a mystery.  Suffice to say, it is always inspiring to be around talented people who love their jobs, and everyone we spoke to on the Walking Dead set, from the actors to the crew, fit the bill.  Congratulations to them all for securing a fourth season! 

Be sure to tune in to the remaining season for a chance to see more behind-the-scenes! 

April 2, 2013 UPDATE:  The AV Club just posted a glowing review of the Talking Dead finale here.  Enjoy.

Rosemary’s Baby: Of Cults and Co-ops: Review

John Cassavetes and Mia Farrow, “Rosemary’s Baby” Paramount Pictures, 1968

I’ve written before that zombie films are metaphors for the times in which we live, and that can be expanded to include all classic horror pictures.  In honor of Halloween, I wanted to spotlight one of my favorite horror pictures, Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby (1968).

Zombie Fever!

Behind the scenes with Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and a walker. "The Walking Dead," Episode 1: Days Gone Bye. 2010.

Though I make non-fiction television, I am loving scripted tv these days.  “The Walking Dead” just aired its Season 2 nail-biting, budget-busting finale on Sunday, and once again, I’m eagerly awaiting the next season.   I’ve read a lot of reviews about how uneven this season has been and how deadly (excuse the pun) the farm as been to the forward momentum of the show.  But despite its slow, zombie-shuffle to the end, I’m hooked, damn it.  The season finale contributed a new twist on the familiar theme [SPOILER ALERT] with the revelation that our heroes are already infected!  So now, the apocalyptic survival tale is even more unsettling.  It doesn’t matter if you die from a zombie bite or from falling off the roof – the body will reanimate, and it will be very hungry.  Mwaahahaa!

I just love a good zombie story.  Why, you ask?