TV Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Midseason Finale Tops Season 1 Closer
The final original episode of the year improved week-over-week in viewers and two key demographics.
Sunday's shocking midseason finale of The Walking Dead delivered for AMC.
The episode, which aired following a six-hour marathon of Season 2 episodes, drew 6.6 million total viewers and 4.5 million in the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic, pulling in 3.9 million in the adults 25-54 demo, according to Nielsen.
The numbers for the episode, in which the survivors' search for Sophia ended with heartbreaking results, marked an improvement week-over-week and topped the zombie drama's Season 1 finale stats, coming close to its record-breaking Season 2 premiere viewership.
PHOTOS: Behind-the-Scenes of 'The Walking Dead' Season 2
To date, the series based on the comic books by Robert Kirkman stands as the most-watch drama series on basic cable in the adults 18-49 demo.
October's 90-minute Season 2 premiere drew 7.3 million total viewers, becoming the strongest telecast for any drama in basic-cable history in two key demos, collecting 4.8 million in the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic and 4.2 million adults 25-54, shattering a nearly 10-year-old record for the demos.
STORY: 'The Walking Dead' Dissection: Robert Kirkman Talks Death and What's Ahead
December's Season 1 finale drew 6 million viewers, including 4 million in 18-49 and setting a then-record for the most-watched basic cable series of all time in the demo.
Season 1 averaged 3.5 million viewers in 18-49 and 5.2 million total viewers.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit
RELATED:
'The Walking Dead's' Laurie Holden: Daryl's Near-Miss Changes Everything
'The Walking Dead's' Norman Reedus: Daryl 'Has a Different Agenda Than Everyone Else'
THR's Daily Must Feeds
-
Ellen DeGeneres To Receive Mark Twain Prize for Humor
-
'Battleship' Poster Parody
-
Director Sent To Jail For Inflating Film Costs
-
Julianne Moore and Chloe Grace Moretz Star in 'Carrie' Remake
-
Britney Spears Is Headed To 'Glee' Again
-
Stars Preview New Shows At The Upfronts 2012
-
Jay-Z -- I Support Gay Marriage
-
OneRepublic Drummer Arrested for Late-Night Rampage
Follow the Feed
Social & Mobile
- MOST SHARED
- MOST POPULAR
- 1
'Community' First Look: The Study Group's 8-Bit Adventure (Exclusive Photos)
- 2
Fall TV 2012: The Full Schedule
- 3
Donna Summer Dead at 63 After Battling Cancer
- 4
First Look: Watch Clips for CW's New Series
- 5
'American Idol' Recap: Steven Tyler Crowns Jessica Sanchez the Winner
- 6
28 of Summer's Most Anticipated Movies: 'Avengers,' 'Dark Knight,' 'Prometheus'
- 7
'Grey's Anatomy': Watch the First Six Brutal Minutes of the Season Finale (Video)
- 8
Secrets of Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus': An Earthquake, Never-Seen Photos and Nightmarish Monster
- 9
'American Idol's' Jessica Sanchez Shows No Fear; Takes on Aerosmith, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson
- 10
Upfronts Winners & Losers: CBS Scores, NBC Reboots, Simon Cowell Hits (and Misses)




