The Walking Dead has shot 16 episodes for the past several years, but despite the large number of episodes, AMC’s hit drama doesn’t typically follow the pattern of many network dramas by including yearly milestones in its plotlines, like holidays or seasons, including winter, where there is snow. Recently, The Walking Dead executive producer Gale Anne Hurd was asked about the frequent lack of changes in the weather on the series by Access Hollywood, and let the outlet in on a little secret; the lack of seasons totally has to do with the drama’s production schedule.
Yeah, it's dependent on the weather when we shoot.
Case in point: in the upcoming second half of Season 5, Rick and the rest of the group are expected to encounter a pretty bad storm. The specific episode synopsis for Episode 11, “The Distance,” states the gang will have to “withstand” a pretty terrific storm, after which they will meet a seemingly friendly but possibly untrustworthy stranger. Fans caught a glimpse of the big storm during the Season 5 preview AMC released a few weeks ago.
So, there is some variation in the weather on the show. Regardless, The Walking Dead isn’t a series that is big on making sure the timeline on the series relates to specific seasons. It’s not likely we’ll get to see a winter wonderland on the show anytime soon, although Hurd also tells Access Hollywood that she would love to see snow in the cards should the show be able to finagle it.
We do shoot right up until Thanksgiving, so if there is an early snowfall in Georgia, we'll be happy to capture it.
Part of the problem with the idea of seasons is that The Walking Dead shoots in the state of Georgia, which has much more subtropical weather than many parts of the country. (Remember what happened when it did snow in Atlanta last year?) Beyond the fact that snow is unlikely in Georgia, the most recent season began production in May and finished shooting on November 22, similar to Hurd’s timeline. It’s hard to cover a ton of different seasons when the show basically shoots through the warmer months during the year and late into the fall.
While we shouldn’t expect the show to do a snow-filled “Christmas Special” next year, I guess we should never say never where the seasons are involved.
The Walking Dead Season 5 returns to AMC’s schedule tonight at 9 p.m. ET. Check out when the rest of your favorites will premiere, here.
