The Walking Dead - Complete Season One

The prospect of a television show all about zombies-and one not from the CW filled with glammed up "high-school students zombies"-isn't something that was expected for this medium. But somehow, AMC nailed it with their adaptation of Robert Kirkman's graphic novel brought to life by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) and producer Gale Anne Hurd (Terminator). At a mere six episodes, The Walking Dead has a quick first season, which seems not really long enough for audiences to get invested in. And while the opening two episodes are riveting, the middle few episodes lag a bit, until the final two episodes where it finds its footing again and goes out like gangbusters.

Love Actually hottie Andrew Lincoln plays it cool as police officer Rick Grimes who wakes up after an accident only to find the world has been overrun by a disease that has turned most of the human race into flesh-eating zombies. Obsessed with finding his wife and son, he journeys through the outskirts of Atlanta looking for them and picking up a few stragglers along the way.

While the zombie-killing action does get to the point where it feels like we're watching a video game (which is no fun unless you're playing it), the series eventually does a nice job of connecting us to the characters and making us care. These six chapters feel like set-up for something greater and that's not a bad thing. It just sucks that audiences have to wait a while for the return of the show next Fall.

Bonus Features and Extra Footage are copious:

Featurettes on the Making Of, Inside the Episodes, A Sneak Peek with Robert Kirkman, Behind the Scenes Zombie Make-up Tips, Convention Panel with the Producers, the Trailer, Zombie School, Bicycle Girl, On Set with Robert Kirkman, Hanging with Steven Yeun, Inside Dale's RV, and an On Set with actor Andrew Lincoln.

The Walking Dead - Complete Season One
DVD
AMC