The mega-hit AMC zombie drama "The Walking Dead" has been renewed for Season 6, the network announced Tuesday, Oct. 7, exactly five days before the Season 5 of the series premieres, E! News reported.
"We could not be more excited for Oct. 12 as we share new episodes of 'The Walking Dead' with fans around the globe," AMC president Charlie Collier said in a statement. "In advance of Sunday's season five premiere, AMC proudly confirms a sixth season order of this extraordinary series. Thank you to Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple, the terrific executive producers, and the entire team who brings this compelling world and these rich characters to life. There's plenty more Dead ahead thanks to their impressive, collective effort."
Gimple will return as the series' showrunner and co-executive producer for Season 6. Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Greg Nicotero and Tom Luse are also coming back as executive producers, according to Variety.
AMC did not announce the number of episodes that will comprise Season 6. But since the last three seasons all have 16 episodes, it is safe to assume that its sixth installment will also have 16 episodes.
The early renewal of the series is not surprising at all, because the series is currently the highest-rated show in cable TV history, and the No. 1 show on TV in the adults 18-49 demographic.
Given the rich comic book storylines that the TV adaptation has not explored yet, there is a huge possibility that the AMC series will be renewed for several more seasons. In fact, during an April interview with Larry King, Gimple discussed how easy it would be for "The Walking Dead" to make it over a decade on television.
"As a TV show, all TV shows end," Gimple said at the time. "But I will say, I think it's possible that it could go on and on and on. I think if it went ten years, if it went longer than that, it's possible that the cast -- considering the amount of deaths on this cast and everything else -- after ten, twelve years, it could shift into a whole new cast."
"The Walking Dead" Season 5 premieres on Oct. 12 at 9:00 p.m. ET on AMC.