As another season of The Walking Dead gets into full swing, all eyes once again are drawn to fan favorites. Audience adoration for lovable redneck Daryl Dixon extends not only to the character, but also to the actor who plays him, Norman Reedus. Now it seems, AMC will capture the love in a new reality series headlined by The Walking Dead star.
AMC has just announced that the network has greenlighted a new series that is currently rolling with the title Ride with Norman Reedus (although that's a working title so far), which will follow the popular Walking Dead actor and his passion for motorcycles. Each episode of Ride will play out like a motorcycle enthusiast's dream. Reedus – accompanied by a different guest each week – will ride to various locales around the country. During the trips the duo will stop into local outlets such as shops and tattoo parlors, and get into some trouble along the way. Reedus’ expertise with motorcycles will also be highlighted, as various types of bikes will be showcased in every episode.
This is the sort of show that could only thrive under the guidance of someone with a Reedus’ cult following. Daryl Dixon has maintained fan favorite status among fans of The Walking Dead ever since the show’s first season, and AMC seems keen to capitalize on that type of audience enthusiasm. Fans love the actor and character so much that they have even at times threatened to riot of the show ever killed him off. However, premiering a show that headlines Reedus completely separate from The Walking Dead makes one wonder if the network may finally be working up the courage to take DIxon out of the equation. Having Reedus in a new series could serve to ease the blow on those who tune in weekly to specifically see his character. Then again, they could simply be trying to achieve maximum exposure for a beloved actor on their network. It's anyone's guess at this stage.
AMC already has a proven track record with this type of series – albeit one that tackled vastly different subject matter. Kevin Smith’s Comic Book Men has been a staple of the network’s Sunday night lineup over the past few years – catering to nerd culture in all its forms. If the same formula works for Drive with Norman Reedus, we could inevitably see a serious influx of culture specific reality programming from AMC.
Only time will tell if Ride makes an impression with fans. The program caters to a very niche audience, but then again everybody seems to love Norman Reedus. At this point the only other question that remains is: Could this series be AMC’s way of making up for an imminent departure of Daryl Dixon?
