Jon Bernthal returns to The Walking Dead

There was a time when I wouldn't miss an episode of AMC's The Walking Dead on FOX UK.

Alas, not so now. We're living in an era of so-called peak TV. From Doctor Who to Westworld, there's only so much anyone can watch and The Walking Dead, along with prequel spin-off Fear the Walking Dead, is one of several series that I no longer follow due to narrative repetition and lack of character development.

However, Jon Bernthal (The Punisher) is set to return to the ailing series in an effort to bolster ratings and rekindle fan interest. Bernthal's character Shane Walsh seemingly died (twice) in the divisive second season that witnessed original series showrunner Frank Darabont's departure.

Meanwhile, co-star Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) is leaving the series. “There needs to be an end game and that is something that is definitely being talked about,” Lincoln said. “There’s certainly an endgame in my head. Whether or not that’s the same endgame that’s in the producers’ heads or the people I work with, is another matter. That’s open for discussion.”

Bernthal is expected to appear alongside fellow cast members at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) this July.

The Walking Dead Season 8 first look trailer at SDCC

The Walking Dead returns to television screens this October only on Fox.

A new 5-minute trailer for season 8 premiered during a panel with cast and crew at SDCC. It teases a time jump and promises more action. Season 7 lost dramatic impetus in a reprise of the second season (the first time I stopped watching the apocalyptic soap noir). So much so, I didn't bother continuing after the mid-season break. By this time, DCTV had my exclusive attention.



On the strength of this trailer, I'll resume The Walking Dead when all box sets start streaming again on NOW TV this September.

In related news. During the quieter summer months - the return of Game of Thrones notwithstanding - I'm catching up with genre series that didn't warrant immediate viewing.

Fear the Walking Dead seemingly continues to struggle to find a voice despite an impressive cast. Oftentimes the production is middling and there's a palpable lack of fear factor despite a promising start. Presumably, AMC has invested too much in the brand to mothball the prequel series for now. Fear the Walking Dead requires a soft reboot.

The Walking Dead shuffles back on 23rd October on Fox.

BT TV loses Fox channel and The Walking Dead

Yesterday BT emailed customers alerting them to the imminent removal of the Fox channel, ahead of The Walking Dead mid-season premiere, from the company's TV lineup this March.

"From 1 March 2016, you’ll no longer be able to watch FOX and FOX HD on BT TV,” BT said in their email newsletter to customers. “That’s because Fox have changed the way they offer their TV channels to TV providers.”

“We’re sorry about this but we’ll keep bringing you great TV – including loads of top channels like Comedy Central, GOLD and Universal – as well as a number of ways to watch the latest and greatest US dramas," the email continued.

This is another indicator of the increased rivalry between competing companies, escalating sports rights and first-run exclusives, drivers of subscription uptake.

BT TV has first-run rights for The Walking Dead prequel series Fear the Walking Dead, which will be available on Amazon Prime later this year, and Sky Atlantic isn't available to Virgin Media subscribers who will miss the first-run of The Twin Peaks reboot next year.

However, The Walking Dead fans can subscribe to NOW TV for £6.99 per month, contract free, and never miss an episode of the series or Talking Dead. Marvel's Agent Carter and NCIS are back on Fox too.

The Walking Dead spin-off gets two-season order

AMC has commissioned two-seasons of The Walking Dead spin-off, which serves as a prequel to the hit apocalyptic series.

“We feel empowered by this two-season commitment, a serious show of faith from our network partner AMC,” Robert Kirkman said. "I personally take it as a sign that they believe, like we do, that we've accomplished our goal of developing something original that can pay tribute to the original show and expand the world I created while at the same time having something new to say with this story. I’m very grateful that we now have the opportunity to tell this amazing story and show the fans that we really haven't scratched the surface yet when it comes to The Walking Dead.”



The new series will be shown internationally 24 hours after its US premiere. This follows what Fox does with The Walking Dead. Thus diminishing spoilers and piracy to an extent.

The Walking Dead is now in its fifth season on Fox and has taken a compelling philosophical turn since the mid-season premiere.

You can watch the latest series on NOW TV for just £6.99 a month. No contract.