The Walking Dead is one of the biggest shows on television. The ratings are so fantastic that AMC pretty much relies on the show in order to remain competitive among cable networks. Unfortunately, some Walking Dead fans don't get to watch the seasons as they unfold live and need the streaming fix. The first five seasons have been on Netflix for a while, and now we know when Season 6 will be available: September 15, 2016.
For those who have been using Netflix as their outlet for The Walking Dead, the September 15 release date should come as a huge relief. Although it's still a few weeks away, it's still earlier in the year than Netflix has released the last few seasons. Season 3 hit the web on September 30, 2013. Seasons 4 and 5 became available on September 28 and 27, respectively. September 15 may not exactly be tomorrow, but it's still not as far off as it could have been.
Of course, some of the plot twists of Season 6 have been so publicized that some folks who usually wait for the Netflix release may have been spoiled already anyway. The finale cliffhanger has been making headlines ever since it aired back in April. Only those of us in the Central and Eastern time zones who get to watch live can really be guaranteed an unspoiled Walking Dead experience. Hopefully spoiler-phobic fans waiting for Season 6 on Netflix will have managed to avoid learning ahead of time about the biggest moments of the year.
Season 6's September 15 arrival could be a relief for others beyond those who don't have the chance to watch The Walking Dead live. Netflix is a great way for the curious to give the show a try, and I can vouch for the fact that it's not difficult to find yourself in The Walking Dead marathons. The mid-September date also means that Season 6 will be available to newer viewers in time for them to start watching live when Season 7 premieres in October. It may at least mean that The Walking Dead won't end up so high on the list of the year's most pirated TV shows.
The Walking Dead returns to AMC on October 23 at 9 p.m. EST, so those who are just looking to catch up before Season 7 kicks off won't have to binge-watch their way through all 16 episodes of Season 6. The show may be addictive, but all the doom and gloom can mean that even the most dedicated binge-watchers need a break or two from the zombie apocalypse. After all, it's not always the annoying characters who are chomped off to the great safe zone in the sky. Awesome characters can die heartbreaking deaths as well.
Check out our fall TV premiere schedule to see when your other favorite shows return to the airwaves, and don't forget to take a look at our breakdown of what we know so far about The Walking Dead Season 7 once you've finished Season 6. If you need even more great shows to watch on Netflix, we have a list of the best of the best to help you out.
