It's rare for a TV show, these days, to come up with something that hasn't been done for television before, but of course there are a few exceptions of themes that seem better suited to other genres of representation, either comics, films or to remain firmly in literature. The nature of a zombie apocalypse renders it normally only suitable for films- the finite nature of an apocalypse- it's very meaning based in the end of the world, surely points towards a rapid conclusion. As such, there have really only been two television series ever, brave enough to base themselves on this unlikely eventuality. The UK's Deadset and the US's 'The Walking Dead'. The Walking Dead is now in its third series and still going incredibly strong, as are the particular brand of the undead that it features.

Series three opens some months after series 2 closes, marked particularly Lori's unmistakable change in belly size given that she is now heavily pregnant. As well as a baby, series three welcomes Michonne, played by Danai Gurira, another survivor who has a sword as her weapon of choice. According to ABC news Gurira found the role a challenge, because "[She's] always been a big scaredy-cat." Gurira said, "As a kid, I couldn't watch horror films. I always found them terrifying and terrorizing."

Evidently, it wasn't the zombies and gore that brought Gurira to the role. It was in fact the humanity that it explores that drew her in, she says “It's about people trying to navigate dire circumstances. It started to feel like a war zone. When everything shuts down, who do you become? I love how the show explores that.”

Reviews of the new series previews have been almost universally positive, being praised for still being able to maintain fresh storylines and managing to still have surprises in store for the audience. It premieres on October 14th on AMC in the US with an undisclosed release date for the UK.