TCA: 'The Walking Dead' Season 3 Expands to 16 Episodes

Bob Mahoney/AMC

"The Walking Dead"

AMC is adding more of The Walking Dead.

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The zombie series based on the comic books by Robert Kirkman will expand its third season with three additional episodes for a total of 16.

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Season 1 featured six episodes, while Season 2 has 13 episodes, with the current sophomore frame split into two parts and set to return for its back half on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 9 p.m. Season 3 will also follow the same broadcast pattern, with a fourth-quarter bow and subsequent split.

Leading up to the Season 2 return, which will find Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and his group of rag-tag survivors cope with Sophia's death, AMC has scheduled a marathon of episodes from Seasons 1 and 2.

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On Saturday, Feb. 11, starting at 8 p.m., the network will marathon all of Season 1, while on Sunday, viewers can catch up on the first seven episodes of the second frame starting at 1:30 p.m. and leading up to the show's return at 9 p.m. with an episode titled "Nebraska."  

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The Season 2 midseason finale topped the show's freshman year finale, drawing 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 zombie drama was renewed for a third season in October after the Season 2 bow shattered basic cable ratings records.

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