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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, October 14, 2011 2 coverstory 'Dead' is alive New shows focus on dark fantasies By Kyla Brewer TV Media I t's not a new idea to feature the paranormal on TV, as in- dicated with hit series such as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" or "The X-Files," but the fad started to die off when audi- ences became more interest- ed in real cases like those in reality series "Paranormal State" and "Ghost Hunters". But now zombies, vampires, ghosts and other supernatural creatures are experiencing a revival. One of the most hotly an- ticipated series of the fall sea- son features the often-under- estimated denizens of the un- dead: zombies. Season 2 of "The Walking Dead" follows a group of survivors trying to eke out an existence in the wake of a zombie apocalypse. As leader Rick tries to take the group out of Atlanta, they en- counter trouble on the high- way in the 90-minute season premiere of the drama, airing Sunday, Oct. 16, on AMC. The second coming is good news for fans, who quickly made the show a cult hit for the cable giant when it pre- miered last Halloween. They stuck by the show gruesome week after gruesome week and are likely chomping at the bit to find out what hap- pens next. "When we last left the cast of 'The Walking Dead,' they overrun with zombies. In search of his wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) and son Carl (Chandler Riggs), he headed for Atlanta where he found his loved ones with a group of survivors led by his former partner, Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal). Jon Bernthal stars as Shane in "The Walking Dead" were in the midst of a high-in- tensity struggle to survive," said AMC executive Charlie Collier. "In Season 2, they are on the move and, suffice it to say, things have not gotten any easier. We're ecstatic to have more than twice the number of episodes for the fans as we did in Season 1." That means fans will have 13 episodes of the show, which was based on the phe- nomenally successful comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman. Oscar nominee Frank Darabont (1994's "The Shawshank Re- demption") developed the series for television and also serves as executive producer. "The Walking Dead" stars Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, a police officer who leads a group of survivors. In Season 1, the former sheriff's deputy awoke from a coma to find his small Georgia town If you can't wait for the season premiere on Oct. 16, AMC is offering a special six- part web series that explains Hannah's back story. Visit am- ctv.com for these special epi- sodes. As "The Walking Dead" starts its second season, sever- al other networks are launch- ing their own new supernatu- ral series. Perhaps AMC's suc- cess has inspired the big net- works to have high hopes for their less gruesome fare. New this fall, NBC brings viewers the story of a mod- ern-day detective who discov- ers he's a descendent of agents responsible for keep- ing mythological creatures in check in "Grimm," premier- ing Friday, Oct. 28. David Giuntoli stars as Nick Bur- khardt, the detective in ques- tion, who is suddenly thrust into a world of ancient rival- ries and alliances. Over on ABC, a magical fairy tale comes to life through the eyes of a little boy and his biological mother in "Once Upon a Time," which is a new twist on the "Snow White" story, premiering Sun- day, Oct. 23. Jennifer Morri- son, best known for her role as Dr. Cameron on Fox's A/Auto Boutique B/The Green Giraffe 2 x 2 "House," leads the cast as a tough bail bondsperson who discovers the son she gave up for adoption years ago be- lieves she's Snow White and Prince Charming's missing daughter. This season's newbies may be promising, but they'll have a lot of catching up to do to slay "The Walking Dead," which was a hit right from the start. When the series pre- miered last fall, it set a record as the most-watched drama series in basic cable history among the coveted adults 18- 49 demographic. It also earned a Golden Globe nomi- nation for Best Television Se- ries. The show may deliver that "thrill factor" television- viewing audiences have been craving, but writer and direc- tor Darabont explained that it isn't all about the zombies. "We're digging a lot deep- er than that," said Darabont, "and striving to keep the characters and their experi- ences at the forefront be- cause I think that makes for the best television." There's no question the zombies are a big draw for many, but the relationships be- tween the survivors, and the wisdom that comes with living in the moment has also earned the show much critical praise. Fans are hoping they can con- tinue that kind of television in Season 2, which reportedly changes setting to the coun- tryside as the survivors seek refuge outside Atlanta. Chirstopher's Coins 2 x 2 hollywoodQ&A By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: Is it true that "Good Times" was a spinoff? From what? A: Perhaps having aged a little more gracefully, and picked up a bit of a cult following (and certainly a better syndication deal), "Good Times" is probably more fondly re- membered than its parent series "Maude." The matriarch of the "Good Times" family, Florida Evans (played by Esther Rolle), first appeared on "Maude" as the housekeeper of Maude Findlay (played by Bea Arthur). But actually, "Good Times's" lineage goes even further back. The series was created by actor-turned-writer Mike Ev- ans, who played Lionel on the classic sitcom "All In the Fam- ily," from which "Maude" itself was a spinoff. Actually, quite a bit of the Evans family's back story was changed for "Good Times." On "Maude," which was set in New York, Florida's husband was a firefighter named Henry, whose lucrative promotion allowed her to quit her house- keeping job. However, on "Good Times," the family lived in Chicago, her husband was named James, and he was unem- ployed and had been for some time. John Amos played the variously named husband on both series. Another unknown fact about "Good Times" is that it launched the acting career of a very young Janet Jackson. At 11 years old, she debuted in the show's fifth season, playing the adopted daughter of the Evans' neighbor. A/Crazy Tom's B/Allstar Auto Wash 2 x 3 Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com.

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