The Walking Dead (2010)
Kernel Score: 91% · 17,569 ratings
Genres: Action & Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
First aired: 2010-10-31
Seasons: 11 · 177 episodes
Is The Walking Dead worth watching?
Depends on your taste. The Walking Dead starts as a bleak survival drama about a man waking into a zombie world, and its early seasons are its strongest. It runs very long, and quality varies, so it suits viewers who like gore and long commitments.
Watch it if you
- like zombie survival drama
- enjoy long serialised stories
- want gory, grim television
Skip it if you
- dislike graphic gore
- don't want a show that runs for many seasons
Best for: Binge weekend
Fresh Kernels verdict, AI-assisted from our scores, audience reviews and the official rating.
Where to watch The Walking Dead
- Stream: Netflix, Philo, YouTube TV
- Free with ads: Pluto TV
- Buy: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Fandango At Home
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
Sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world dominated by flesh-eating zombies. He sets out to find his family and encounters many other survivors along the way.
The Walking Dead parents' guide: ages 15+
Parents need to know that this TV-MA horror drama features graphic zombie gore and intense survival violence in a post-apocalyptic world.
- Violence & scariness: Intense — Keywords flag gore and horror, and reviews describe scary scenes of zombies eating and award-winning gore effects.
- Language: Moderate — Strong language consistent with a TV-MA survival drama.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official TV-MA rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Shows like The Walking Dead
If you liked The Walking Dead, these are the shows we'd watch next.
- The Last of Us (2023) — 91%: Prestige survival drama set after a fungal outbreak
- FROM (2022) — 91%: Mysterious, tense small-town survival horror
- All of Us Are Dead (2022) — 92%: Fast, violent Korean zombie outbreak
- Kingdom (2019) — 91%: Zombie plague in historical Korea
- Fallout (2024) — 88%: Post-apocalyptic world with dark humour
- Fear the Walking Dead (2015) — 87%: Companion series set in the same outbreak
Cast
- Lauren Cohan as Maggie Greene
- Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon
- Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan Smith
- Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier
- Christian Serratos as Rosita Espinosa
- Seth Gilliam as Gabriel Stokes
- Ross Marquand as Aaron
- Josh McDermitt as Eugene Porter
- Khary Payton as Ezekiel Sutton
- Cooper Andrews as Jerry
The Walking Dead FAQ
Is The Walking Dead worth watching?
Depends on your taste. The Walking Dead starts as a bleak survival drama about a man waking into a zombie world, and its early seasons are its strongest. It runs very long, and quality varies, so it suits viewers who like gore and long commitments.
Where can I watch The Walking Dead?
In the US you can stream The Walking Dead on Netflix, Philo and YouTube TV, watch it free with ads on Pluto TV and buy it from Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and Fandango At Home.
Is The Walking Dead OK for kids?
The Walking Dead is rated TV-MA. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 15+. Parents need to know that this TV-MA horror drama features graphic zombie gore and intense survival violence in a post-apocalyptic world.
What shows are like The Walking Dead?
If you liked The Walking Dead, try The Last of Us, FROM, All of Us Are Dead and Kingdom.