Everything We Know About Tales Of The Walking Dead So Far

Much like the inescapable threat of zombies themselves, "The Walking Dead" franchise isn't going anywhere anytime soon. The long-running AMC series has shown no signs of stopping whatsoever, lasting for 11 total seasons and spawning multiple spin-offs. Of course, fans know that it will finally wrapping up the main story — though according to some involved in the show, that decision came as a complete surprise — but there's a reason we refer to those hordes as the "undead." "The Walking Dead" will eventually shift from the small screen to the movies, further establishing the franchise's dominance throughout an entire decade of storytelling. Before that, however, we have another spin-off from the original series to look forward to, titled "Tales of the Walking Dead." Here's everything we know about the series to this point.

AMC officially announced not too long ago that "Tales of the Walking Dead" has been officially given the green light. Though a firm release date has not yet been settled on, fans have been told to expect the series to debut on AMC and the AMC+ streaming service in the summer of 2022. This would have the spin-off series roughly lined up to pick up the torch from the original series, which will come to an end late next year after the second half of its eleventh season airs. Unlike the lengthy seasons of the main series, "Tales of the Walking Dead" will only run for six total episodes in its introductory season. AMC has previously described themselves looking at the spin-off as a sort of trial run of how to expand the franchise, so starting small with grand ambitions down the road makes a certain amount of sense. Plus, the very first season of the original "The Walking Dead" only consisted of 6 episodes as well, adding a neat parallel to the two.

In a stark departure from the heavily serialized original series, "Tales of the Walking Dead" has been conceived as an episodic anthology series. The spin-off show will predominantly focus on new storylines, though it will also feature both new and returning characters. Speaking about the potential this series holds, Dan McDermott of AMC Networks and AMC Studios said:

"'The Walking Dead' is a show that made television history and attracted an army of passionate and highly engaged fans. We see so much potential for a wide range of rich and compelling storytelling in this world, and the episodic anthology format of 'Tales of the Walking Dead' will give us the flexibility to entertain existing fans and also offer an entry point for new viewers, especially on streaming platforms. We have seen the appeal of this format in television classics like 'The Twilight Zone' and, more recently, 'Black Mirror,' and are excited to engage with fans in this new way, against the backdrop of this very unique and engrossing world."

Scott Gimple, chief content officer for "The Walking Dead," added that this new spin-off will be best suited to provide "new voices, perspectives, and ideas" out of any other series in the franchise.

No specific cast members have been revealed for "Tales of the Walking Dead" to this point, but there will at least be continuity behind the scenes among the creative team. Channing Powell has served as both a writer and producer on the original series and its earlier spin-off, "Fear the Walking Dead," and has been promoted to showrunner for "Tales." Gimple, as he has done for the rest of the franchise, will also be involved with this latest series. The idea of the series is for well-received episodes to possibly lead to yet more spin-offs of their own, further establishing "The Walking Dead" as a franchise that is here to stay.