🍿 10 curiosities about the series "THE WALKING DEAD" that you didn't know!
“The Walking Dead” is one of the most beloved and acclaimed series on TV. When it premiered in 2010, it already won over many fans for its first episode being violent, different and with a charismatic and mysterious protagonist, Rick Grimes.
It is based on the comic of the same name, which has sold thousands of copies.
But did you know that there are many differences from the series to the comics? The biggest one is certainly a fact of the protagonist himself. In the comics he lost one of his hands, but in the series the producers chose not to have Rick suffer the same fate, as the special effects costs would be enormous. One of The Walking Dead's producers said he regretted his protagonist losing one of his hands in the comics, as it limited his character so much, where he couldn't even open a can by himself.
Let's get to know 10 more curiosities of this super successful series:
1 – THE “DINNERS OF DEATH”
As a show that kills off its main characters very regularly, The Walking Dead started its own tradition of holding “Death Dinners” for those who are about to kick their asses.
“It gives everyone a chance to say, 'We're going to miss you,'” said Sarah Wayne Callies (who played Rick's wife, Lori Grimes).
As the show grew in popularity, they started pretending these dates were cast birthday parties (so the waiters wouldn't find out and spoiling who was next).
2 – SCHOOL OF “WALKERS”
Actors who will play the "walkers" must attend a seminar where they receive tips on the show's specific undead style, followed by auditions where executive producer Greg Nicotero picks the best.
This includes staying loose and avoiding stretching your arms like Frankenstein's monster.
3 – THE WORD “ZOMBIE” HAS NEVER BEEN USED
The Walking Dead's discreet slogan is, "Don't say the Z word." According to the producers, no one in the universe of the series would understand the word because films on the subject do not exist.
Robert Kirkman, creator of Graphic Novels, breaks his own rule in comic books occasionally, but the series has limited itself to calling them "walkers", undead, lost, dead, rotten and dozens of other names to avoid saying the that we all know they are.
4 – INITIAL CREDITS ARE DETERIORATING
Everything spoils when you live in a world with a zombie apocalypse.
This includes the show's opening credits logo, which has been deteriorating with each season.
In recent seasons there is vegetation in the logo, a sense of reconstruction and the return of nature.
5 – ZOMBIES' BREATH ARE CLEARED WITH CGI
As amazing as the performance of the "walkers" is, it's impossible to hide your breath or not breathe during the entire scene, especially when it's cold and smoke appears in their mouths.
In order for everything to be as realistic as possible, the producers have to remove the steam from the undead figures that wouldn't be breathing.
6 – NORMAN REEDUS (DARYL) HAS BEEN BITED BY A FAN
Even though he's been on the show since season one, Reedus was unable to stop an attack in real life when a fan bit him in the chest.
The actor took this as a joke and did not press charges, but the fan was banned from the convention for life.
7 – HOW THE MEAT THAT “WALKERS” EAT IS MADE
Instead of eating human flesh, the actors who play the “walkers” wrap their lips in pieces of ham. They used to get barbecue sauce to help it go down, but the sauce messes up the makeup, so now it's just fake blood ham.
Actor Vincent Martella said it was a challenge to eat a person on the show, not because of the ham, but because of the absurdity of the situation.
“When you eat someone, you have to look like an animal devouring prey. You can't look like you're going to take a bite out of a hamburger, for example."
8 – A SWAT TEAM WAS CALLED TO SET
Remember that amazing scene in The Walking Dead when Merle was shooting off a roof in season one? Believe it or not, nearby citizens called the police thinking it was a real shooter!
They had no idea that a TV show was being filmed. A team from SWAT soon arrived, but luckily no one was arrested.
9 – FOOD AREAS FOR THE LIVING AND ANOTHER FOR THE DEAD
There are separate eating areas for the living and the dead to eat and rest.
Apparently, the producers of The Walking Dead want the "walkers" and humans to maintain the sense of awkwardness even off-camera.
10 – SAME BREAKING BAD UNIVERSE
Did you know there's a really cool theory that The Walking Dead takes place in the same universe as Breaking Bad?
As both series are made by the same network, AMC, it was easy to put some really cool references in the zombie series.
Let's take a look at two really cool ones:
The first reference is the Dodge Challenger, a car that Walt bought for his son, Junior: An identical car was seen in the first season of The Walking Dead, right in the second episode. Many swear it's the same car.
We know that Walter, in Breaking Bad, bought this car but ended up setting it on fire in a parking lot. But first, Skyler negotiated its return to the dealership, for a fee of $800. In the scene seen in episode 4x07, Skyler tells Walter that he would have to look for the store manager, named... Glenn, after the character who drove the same car in The Walking Dead. Remembering that in episode 5x04 of Breaking Bad, Walter buys the same car for Walter Junior, as a gift.
The second reference is the famous Blue Crystal, the most famous drug in the world of series, creation of Heisenberg: A very similar product was seen in the second episode of the second season of The Walking Dead. The character Daryl takes from his brother's things a bag that contains supposed medicines.
And the Blue Crystal didn't stop there. In episode 4x12 of The Walking Dead, Daryl talks to the character Beth and describes a methamphetamine dealer, a friend of her brother, who has similarities to Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad.
“The Walking Dead” is one of the biggest TV phenomena and deserves all its recognition, with unforgettable characters.
And you? Do you also enjoy the most famous zombie series in the world?
