Reception
Critical reception
The show currently scores 82 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 25 reviews, indicating Universal acclaim. Nancy deWolf Smith from The Wall Street Journal said that the "pilot episode [is] so good that it has hooked even a zombie hater like me." She said that what made the show so good was that it feels real and looks cinematic. Heather Havrilesky of included the show on their list of 9 new TV shows to not miss, giving it a grade of "A", with the author saying "A film-quality drama series about zombies? Somebody pinch me!"
Viewership
The pilot received 5.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched premiere episode of any AMC television series. The first season finale received 6 million viewers, a series high; with 4 million viewers in the 18–49 demographic, making it the most watched basic cable series for the demographic.
Awards and nominations
The Walking Dead has been nominated for Best New Series for the 2011 Writers Guild of America Awards.