When Did The Walking Dead Start? Premiere and Finale Dates

When Did The Walking Dead Start? Premiere and Finale Dates

The original premiere was Halloween 2010

The Walking Dead premiered on AMC on October 31, 2010, with 'Days Gone Bye.' The pilot introduces sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes as he wakes from a coma into an apparently collapsed world. That launch date belongs to the original TV drama. It should not be confused with the earlier publication of Robert Kirkman's comic series or with the premieres of later spin-offs.

The main-series timeline in brief

Season 1 contained six episodes; the series expanded over the following years and eventually reached 11 seasons and 177 episodes. Its long run spanned changes in cast, locations and leadership rather than a single uninterrupted storyline with the same central group. Searching for a premiere date is a history question, not a request for a current streaming calendar.

When did the original show end?

The final episode of the flagship series aired November 20, 2022. AMC confirmed that the original drama's eleventh season would be its last. The end of that series did not mean the entire franchise ended; related shows remained or subsequently entered production. Lists that describe the 2023–2027 spin-offs as later seasons of the original show are using an inaccurate numbering system.

How the story continued afterward

Fear the Walking Dead's final year was 2023, while The Ones Who Live premiered in February 2024. Dead City has followed Maggie and Negan, and Daryl Dixon has followed Daryl and Carol beyond the main-series ending. When maintaining a date guide, put the title and event together—premiere, season finale or renewal announcement—so readers do not mistake one show's date for another's.

How to interpret a re-release date

New streaming arrangements may make older seasons appear on a service for the first time in 2027, but that is not a new original broadcast premiere. Similarly, a remastered collection or TV rerun does not alter the October 31, 2010 debut. Date tables should label “original airing,” “streaming arrival” and “spin-off premiere” separately. This is especially important for international readers who may have seen each season on a different schedule from its U.S. AMC launch.

Frequently asked questions

What date did The Walking Dead premiere?

October 31, 2010, with the pilot episode “Days Gone Bye.”

What was the final episode date?

The original series finale aired on November 20, 2022.

How many episodes were produced in the flagship show?

AMC identified 177 episodes across its 11 seasons.

Is the comic older than the show?

Yes. The original comic began publication in 2003.

Did the franchise end in 2022?

No. Character spin-offs and companion series continued after the main-series finale.

Related guides in this series

The Walking Dead Universe: Series, Spin-Offs and Viewing Guide

How to Watch The Walking Dead in Order

The Walking Dead Characters: Main Cast of Survivors

Sources and verification

Editorial research cut-off: November 6, 2026. Air dates, licenses and upcoming seasons may change.

amc.com: Every season of the walking dead series will be available for the first

amcglobalmedia.com: The walking dead series finale becomes the most watched single episode o