Home TV News The Walking Dead Smashes Launch Records on FOX UK

The Walking Dead Smashes Launch Records on FOX UK

by Dave Elliott
1.43 Million Tune In For The Return Of The Walking Dead on FOX UK

1.43 Million Tune In For The Return Of The Walking Dead on FOX UK

*WARNING, THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE WALKING DEAD PREMIERE* (Although if you haven’t watched it by now, what the heck are you doing with your life!) ;)

The Season 7 Premiere of The Walking Dead has given FOX UK it’s biggest ever series launch and is on track to become the highest rated show since the channel began as FX in 2004.

1.43 million tuned in to watch the premiere episode of Robert Kirkman’s smash hit series, via the simulcast at 2:30am or the show’s traditional Monday night slots, at 9pm and 11:25pm. This made FOX UK the number 1 paid TV channel in 9pm slot, also beating Channel 5 and the other FTA multichannels.

“Since its launch, this global phenomenon has continued to increase its audience year on year, however for last night’s episode to deliver the highest ratings of any series launch in the channels history is testament to The Walking Dead’s status as the number 1 TV show in the world,” said Jeff Ford, UK MD, Fox Networks Group Europe & Africa. “Along with the new season of American Horror Story, American Dad and the debut of the highly anticipated new X-Men spin off Legion in the new year, fans know that FOX UK is the home for the best entertainment, first,” continued Ford.

The premiere was not without it controversies both for the storyline, and some bizarre editing by Fox UK. As had been heavily rumoured, the show saw two beloved characters being ‘Lucilled’ by Negan (Jeffery Dean Morgan), as Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) and Glenn (Steven Yeun) were beaten to death by the ‘vampire bat’.

Whilst the simulcast episode ran uncut, the 9pm showing removed Glenn’s heart-wrenching “I’ll find you” comment to wife Maggie (Lauren Cohen), and a lot of the graphic detail of the bludgeoning. According to Fox, the decision to make the edit was not taken lightly, but due to the extreme violence, and the fact it was so close to the watershed, it was deemed necessary by Fox’s legal team to stay within the Ofcom guidelines. Although it is past 9pm, they can still get fined for graphic content airing near the watershed, and that scene is arguably the definition of graphic content! However, if you download the version that aired at 2.30am from your catch up service, that is the full, unedited version.

You can continue to catch The Walking Dead on FOX UK, Monday nights at 9pm, followed by Talking Dead at 10pm, and The Walking Dead repeat at 11pm.

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