Why Are ‘The Walking Dead’ Spinoffs Only Six Episodes Long Per Season?

Fear The Walking Dead‘s eighth and final season will arrive this spring on AMC, and from there, multiple other Walker-focused spinoffs shall arrive. In 2023, however, the movers and shakers behind the scenes realize that the TV landscape has changed, so they’re taking a new approach. For example, the Negan and Maggie spinoff that will bring us more terrifying Walkers will arrive in a six-episode season. This shouldn’t be too disappointing. Really, because Jeffrey Dean Morgan has used language that suggests additional seasons that could include crossovers (like maybe Rick Grimes and Michonne, or even Daryl Dixon after he’s done in France) from other spinoffs.

The six-episode format appears to be universal for the three spinoffs that we’ll see in the next year or so, which sparks some curiosity about the franchise’s overall game plan going forward. Scott Gimple, the chief architect of The Walking Dead universe, was happy to oblige with an answer when quizzed by Collider:

“We can just be straight up about that, that was more of an AMC thing. But to tell you the truth, it really is also a 2023 thing, where it’s telling stories in a different cadence. It’s telling stories to be consumed in a very different way. I think it’s actually pushed us to tell stories in a very different way, which I think is a very good thing, after 12 years. I’m a dinosaur. Considering The Walking Dead universe and The Walking Dead storytelling in a very different way has been really rewarding and really interesting, and thank goodness, it’s given us different ways to go about it.”

Considering how viewers are often working through content overload on streaming services, this seems like a wise approach for many reasons. In addition, one can also consider that these spinoffs will arrive with well-treaded characters already, some of whom have received origin stories, and all of whom don’t need more groundwork. A leaner and meaner universe sounds like the way to go, and viewers can always rewatch the original series (and all eleven seasons) on Netflix or the first spinoff’s eight seasons (seven are currently on Hulu), or The World Beyond‘s two seasons (on AMC+), and then there’s also Tales of the Walking Dead floating around out there, too.