TWD Season 3 will be how many episodes long? - This many...

[MinionZombie]

http://blogs.amctv.com/the-walking-dead/2012/01/tca-season-3-episode-announcement.php

Season 3 will be 16 episodes long. :cool:

Surely they'll bump up the budget now! :sneaky: I wonder if they're looking at splitting the season into two doses of 8 episodes too - just a theory.

[Tricky]

Awesome news! My only hope is that there arent any frustratingly long storylines spread across the whole season like the Sophia thing. It wasnt a bad storyline at all, but I just felt it could have moved along a little quicker than it did, although its conclusion was nothing short of heartbreaking & brilliant TV!

[MinionZombie]

Awesome news! My only hope is that there arent any frustratingly long storylines spread across the whole season like the Sophia thing. It wasnt a bad storyline at all, but I just felt it could have moved along a little quicker than it did, although its conclusion was nothing short of heartbreaking & brilliant TV!

Totally agree with you there. It felt like the Sophia thing could have been concluded two episodes earlier - however, the conclusion coming in episode 7 still had an incredibly memorable punch (and what a way to leave the first half of the season for the break, eh?!)

Perhaps we'll get more of them 'being on the road' in season three? There's a lot of them being on the road in Volume 2 of the comics, but in the show there's not been an awful lot of that thus far ... unless we get some more in the rest of season two, but who knows? Surely we'll be coming across a certain location that many of us will already know about (but not all, if they're not into the comics) in season 3, so perhaps that's one of the reasons season 3 is going to be longer still?

[bassman]

16 episodes long and probably half the budget of the current season...

[joeharley666]

Totally agree with you there. It felt like the Sophia thing could have been concluded two episodes earlier - however, the conclusion coming in episode 7 still had an incredibly memorable punch (and what a way to leave the first half of the season for the break, eh?!)

Perhaps we'll get more of them 'being on the road' in season three? There's a lot of them being on the road in Volume 2 of the comics, but in the show there's not been an awful lot of that thus far ... unless we get some more in the rest of season two, but who knows? Surely we'll be coming across a certain location that many of us will already know about (but not all, if they're not into the comics) in season 3, so perhaps that's one of the reasons season 3 is going to be longer still?

I disagree, I enjoy the long story lines because it's more realistic. With that being said, they could of had some other stuff going on while the search continued to make sure it doesn't seem so slow. There are too many shows where there is a single story line every week, save that crap for the three big networks. Case in point, I just started watching the Sopranos and the first three quarters of the first season had a different story line in every episode, to me I was thinking to myself why is this show so regarded as a great show? Now being into the second season I see them establishing long story lines which I'm really starting to see the magic of this show.

[Thorn]

I disagree, I enjoy the long story lines because it's more realistic. With that being said, they could of had some other stuff going on while the search continued to make sure it doesn't seem so slow. There are too many shows where there is a single story line every week, save that crap for the three big networks. Case in point, I just started watching the Sopranos and the first three quarters of the first season had a different story line in every episode, to me I was thinking to myself why is this show so regarded as a great show? Now being into the second season I see them establishing long story lines which I'm really starting to see the magic of this show.

I love the longer seasons, and I love story arcs. I like say 3 episodes dedicated to a story with smaller issues that resolve in one, and larger ones that build over the course of the season. What I hate more than anything is A team/dukes of hazard style stories that are the same over and over. Formulaic one episode stories. They are predictable, and loathsome.

Oz did a good job of mixing that kind of stuff in with longer story arcs but still fell victim to being predictable after a while, and fell into a rut they should have avoided by either calling it sooner or innovating.

[kidgloves]

Yaaaaay. 16 episodes. Break them into 2 parts and we dobn't have to wait so long betweem seasons. Win win situation. I suspect the budget is probably being upped for season 3 now they know they have a huge hit on their hands but budgets do not necessarily make a good show so try not to focus on that too much.

[Sammich]

16 episodes long and probably half the budget of the current season...

Yup and lots, LOTS more commercials with only 30-35 minutes of actual show.

[AcesandEights]

Yup and lots, LOTS more commercials with only 30-35 minutes of actual show.

I can't contemplate the show having any more time devoted to commercials as things stand already :(

I can't imagine watching the show without fast forwarding past them and even then it's annoying to realize how little show they give you.

[bassman]

This reminds me of the whole "Waiting a year between seasons is TOO LONG" argument.

I don't like the commericals anymore than you guys, but they're common practice. True, AMC is known for their excessive use of commercials during films but their TV shows are 45 minutes. Unless i'm mistaken, this is normal for all cable network series'.

I too want as much out of this series as possible, but 45 minute episodes out of an hour long time slot seems pretty reasonable. As much as we're enjoying the show, it's still JUST a show. It will be filmed and aired the same as anything else...

[MinionZombie]

I disagree, I enjoy the long story lines because it's more realistic. With that being said, they could of had some other stuff going on while the search continued to make sure it doesn't seem so slow. There are too many shows where there is a single story line every week, save that crap for the three big networks. Case in point, I just started watching the Sopranos and the first three quarters of the first season had a different story line in every episode, to me I was thinking to myself why is this show so regarded as a great show? Now being into the second season I see them establishing long story lines which I'm really starting to see the magic of this show.

Don't take my comments on the Sophia storyline too literally though - I wasn't meaning I don't like long story arcs, rather I meant that that particular plot strand felt a bit stretched-thin without enough development/strong leads to really keep you going - I think it was accentuated by being spread out over 7 weeks, whereas watching the seven episodes in much faster succession I'd wager it doesn't linger around as much (indeed it seemed to be about 1 episode per 1 day in the story). :)

I'm into long story arcs (e.g. I absolutely adore HBO's Boardwalk Empire), I just think the Sophia plot line could have used some tweaking here and there at times.

Interesting you mention The Sopranos - last year they started showing it from the beginning on Sky Atlantic, and so I started to watch it for the first time. Right now I'm getting near the end of season four and I'm digging it - although I find Boardwalk Empire to be so much more involving and much more satisfying (but The Sopranos still rocks).


Yaaaaay. 16 episodes. Break them into 2 parts and we dobn't have to wait so long betweem seasons. Win win situation. I suspect the budget is probably being upped for season 3 now they know they have a huge hit on their hands but budgets do not necessarily make a good show so try not to focus on that too much.

hehe - I'm not one to focus on budgets - but it is important that they have the money they need to pull off the stories they need to tell at a suitable scale. The key creative slots like writing, direction, and acting all need to be tip-top, but they can only go so far if you've not got enough dimes to bring about the written word ... so not over-egging the point, but just mentioning it in passing. :)


This reminds me of the whole "Waiting a year between seasons is TOO LONG" argument.

I don't like the commericals anymore than you guys, but they're common practice. True, AMC is known for their excessive use of commercials during films but their TV shows are 45 minutes. Unless i'm mistaken, this is normal for all cable network series'.

I too want as much out of this series as possible, but 45 minute episodes out of an hour long time slot seems pretty reasonable. As much as we're enjoying the show, it's still JUST a show. It will be filmed and aired the same as anything else...

42 to 45 minutes is the average length of the actual show content for an hour slot and has been for a very long time. I almost always watch shows after they've been recorded and then I fast forward through the ads, so to actually wait for five damn minutes for your favourite show to come back on is a pain (as all the annoying perfume and car adverts plod by), but I do believe there are legal limits to the amount of advertising you can put into a certain amount of programming - there's a legal ratio of content to ads ... I'm fairly sure I heard/read that somewhere.

[rongravy]

Ehhhh, I use the commercial breaks to get my schmoke on.
And yay for a new longer season 3. The wait can be almost as excruciating as waiting for the next NFL season for moi.

[Neil]

http://blogs.amctv.com/the-walking-dead/2012/01/tca-season-3-episode-announcement.php

Season 3 will be 16 episodes long. :cool:

Surely they'll bump up the budget now! :sneaky: I wonder if they're looking at splitting the season into two doses of 8 episodes too - just a theory.




Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert and Frank Darabont are executive producers with Greg Nicotero as co-executive producer.
Really? Darabont is still involved?

[MinionZombie]

Really? Darabont is still involved?

Surely that must be a typo? I wonder when - or if - we'll see Darabont's name vanish entirely from the opening credits of season two? Not sure if it was the case before, but his name does fade out during the exec producer title card in the opening credits ... but maybe it always has, I just can't be arsed to double-check. :p

[bassman]

Ever since the drama started they said he would still be on the show, only in a smaller role. He'll be an executive producer, but he's no longer running the show.

Also, it's worth pointing out that AMC's other shows, Mad Men and The Killing, are getting two hour premiere episodes. Perhaps we'll see the same from TWD in October....

[Neil]

I want to see some new characters, and some really big/long/deep flash back stories. Hell, let's have almost a whole episode dedicated to some of these flashbacks. The time of the initial outbreak is ripe for some solid stories!

[kidgloves]

I want to see some new characters, and some really big/long/deep flash back stories. Hell, let's have almost a whole episode dedicated to some of these flashbacks. The time of the initial outbreak is ripe for some solid stories!

Unfortunately they have already said they will only use flashbacks precredit sequence

[Neil]

Unfortunately they have already said they will only use flashbacks precredit sequence

Big loss! There's so much potential material there :(

[MinionZombie]

Big loss! There's so much potential material there :(

Maybe they'll change their minds in due course - who knows - but I do really enjoy the flashbacks that we've had.

Today I started re-watching the first half of season two, and that flashback in 2x02 where Shane pulls up at Carl's school to tell Lori that Rick's been shot, had me in goosebumps. I know exactly how it all worked out, but just seeing it - and indeed being in on the resultant information - really made my skin crawl in the best possible way. :)

[Thorn]

Big loss! There's so much potential material there :(

Agreed, this is a loss on their part and I think they are really boxing themselves in. You should never turn your back on a potential story especially one people want to see.

[AcesandEights]

Honestly, I think flashbacks, prequels and nonlinear/in media res story lines have been so overused in recent years that they have become a predictable, gimmicky crutch and are a valueless selling point to me. Just tell a good, evocative story with good characters.

[bassman]

I have to agree with Aces. While I wouldn't mind a few flashbacks here and there, I really don't want to see them use that crutch too much. The web series worked fine, but I don't want to see them adding a flashback to the beginning of every episode. The few we've had were okay, but I hope they don't get carried away with it.

Besides....at the center of TWD is the story of Rick. We wake up with him in the first episode, so there's not any potential flashback stories to explore. Seemingly all flashbacks involving Shane, Lori, and Carl have been explored, and at the end of the day you could easily take those out. So to go further into exploring Amy/Dale/Andrea/Jim/Etc would really be wasting air time, imo.

TWD is about Rick surviving AFTER the fact. I don't care for seeing B, C, and so far non-existent characters running around in a panic.....

[Neil]

Honestly, I think flashbacks, prequels and nonlinear/in media res story lines have been so overused in recent years that they have become a predictable, gimmicky crutch and are a valueless selling point to me. Just tell a good, evocative story with good characters.

So you're saying, so in series 3, if 2-3 of the 16 episodes started with large flash backs (eg: a good few minutes), and one episode was almost an entire episode dedicated to a flashback (eg: akin to the much talked about tank zombie), that wouldn't mix it up nicely?

-- -------- Post added at 08:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:23 AM ----------


TWD is about Rick surviving AFTER the fact. I don't care for seeing B, C, and so far non-existent characters running around in a panic.....
I have to disagree. Although Rick is the/a central character, he's not really a very interesting aspect of the series IMHO - Other characters and events have proven far more interesting, and I suspect will continue to. It's like saying Picard was what Star Trek TNG was all about...

By all means let's set the majority of the story around his story arc, but there's not reason to only do that... I'm quite happy for example to see a zombie that stands out to have their swan song told in an episode. Would make a nice change IMHO.

[MinionZombie]

I don't want to see an overuse of flashbacks, but I would like to get snippets of stuff for the other characters that we didn't see before ... not to the extent you saw regularly in Lost for example, but a little bit of something to just add a little shading (pertinent to that particular episode's plot) for the other characters (e.g. Dale & Andrea, and Glenn too most definitely) ... dreams would also be another thing they could do a couple of times - have a character asleep and dreaming something from their past lives before the zombies, and then they wake up - then the opening titles.

I watched all seven episodes of season two we've so far had yesterday and I found the Sophia storyline to work much better in quicker viewing succession, rather than spread out over seven weeks.

[Neil]

I watched all seven episodes of season two we've so far had yesterday and I found the Sophia storyline to work much better in quicker viewing succession, rather than spread out over seven weeks.

My major issue with those episodes were how safe it all felt on the farm. It just seemed too cosey and no real threat existed from the walkers any more... It left you thinking why not just find another farm just like this one and go and retire there!

[Thorn]

Agreed, the farm was too safe, and there are solid stories out there about the ramp up to the story we see now. Flashbacks can be a tool used by weak minded creators or they can be valuable tools used to tell stories that matter, help build characters up, and make us understand motivation.

If it adds depth, understanding, or even the occasional amazing dramatic or action sequence I certainly have no problem with it and in truth welcome it.

[bassman]

My major issue with those episodes were how safe it all felt on the farm. It just seemed too cosey and no real threat existed from the walkers any more... It left you thinking why not just find another farm just like this one and go and retire there!

The safety of the farm makes sense for rural areas around here. You can get out into farm land where you won't see a soul for miles. Excluding that, I imagine the lack of an external threat was an intentional choice so it could all focus on the internal threat of the characters' relationships and the barn full of walkers.

As for going to another farm - the know they could do that(it was even mentioned a few times, if im not mistaken), but I believe Rick's main thing is staying with HERSCHEL. The value of a trained medic is much higher than just a safe place to live. With Herschel's farm they have both - Security and Medical care.

[MinionZombie]

Although Maggie did say in one of the episodes that any of the nearest farms are either 'burned out or over-run' - so clearly there is a zombie danger out there (perhaps we'll see it invade Herschel's farm ... indeed that could very well happen, when you think about it). Plus, with the amount of racket they made in 2x07, some zombies will probably find the place eventually - and indeed a herd could be an issue too (which was referenced in relation to this particular location in one of the volumes of the comics).

[rongravy]

I don't want to see an overuse of flashbacks, but I would like to get snippets of stuff for the other characters that we didn't see before ... not to the extent you saw regularly in Lost for example, but a little bit of something to just add a little shading (pertinent to that particular episode's plot) for the other characters (e.g. Dale & Andrea, and Glenn too most definitely) ... dreams would also be another thing they could do a couple of times - have a character asleep and dreaming something from their past lives before the zombies, and then they wake up - then the opening titles.

I watched all seven episodes of season two we've so far had yesterday and I found the Sophia storyline to work much better in quicker viewing succession, rather than spread out over seven weeks.
Agree with you on all points.



As for going to another farm - the know they could do that(it was even mentioned a few times, if im not mistaken), but I believe Rick's main thing is staying with HERSCHEL. The value of a trained medic is much higher than just a safe place to live. With Herschel's farm they have both - Security and Medical care.
Having Herschel is great, especially if you're...
Wait for it...
One sick puppy.
Where's my rimshot?!?!?


and indeed a herd could be an issue too (which was referenced in relation to this particular location in one of the volumes of the comics).
I was kind of hoping for a herd to find its way there myself...

[bassman]

Judging by the upcoming episode titles and what the actores/writers/producers have said in interviews, there has to be a herd coming soon. At least a good reason for them to leave the farm, so a herd makes sense.

[MinionZombie]

Judging by the upcoming episode titles and what the actores/writers/producers have said in interviews, there has to be a herd coming soon. At least a good reason for them to leave the farm, so a herd makes sense.

Plus they have taken elements from later volumes of the comics and brought them forward - so it's cool that they rearrange certain ideas and fit them into new places - so I think it's one of the more likely possibilities to move the collected cast on in the next six episodes.

[bassman]

Plus they have taken elements from later volumes of the comics and brought them forward - so it's cool that they rearrange certain ideas and fit them into new places - so I think it's one of the more likely possibilities to move the collected cast on in the next six episodes.

Here's a strange thought......with the recent preview of the two guys walking into the bar and surprising Rick and Herschel, perhaps they've moved the "hunters"(Volume 11, I think it was) storyline up in the TV series? That could certainly help convince them to move on and keep trying for Fort Benning.

Comic spoilers for Volume 11 and something Kirkman said in a recent interview:
The hunter storyline could also make sense because of Jeffery DeMunn(Dale). We've heard a strong rumor that a regular of the cast will be killed off because he/she wants to leave the show after Darabont's departure. Well....DeMunn makes the most sense considering he's been in ALL of Darabont's movies. Perhaps they've moved up the hunter storyline so they can kill him off like he dies in the comics?

Also, in a recent interview Kirkman said that the second half of season two will definitely visit the idea that living humans in this post apocalyptic world are much more dangerous than the zombies.

Just a thought...

[MinionZombie]

I'm glad you spoiler tagged that info there as I've only read up to Volume 10 so far. *relief smiley*

[bassman]

Well get your ass on to 11, boy! It's one of the best volumes, imo. :D

[MinionZombie]

Well get your ass on to 11, boy! It's one of the best volumes, imo. :D

Money's tight at the moment, rather annoyingly. Got a new project in the pipeline though, so that'll give a little scratch for some fun purchases (although most of it will no doubt go towards filling in the inevitable hole that opens up in my finances around this time of year as various insurances and car expenses rear their ugly heads :rolleyes:) ... so as soon as possible I'll get my hands on some more TWD volumes - mark my words. :D