'The Walking Dead' attack prime time

Review of AMC's newest series

It needs to be noted that as far as television shows go, the overall production quality of “The Walking Dead['s]” premiere episode is top notch. The sheer diversity of cinematography made the 90 minute long episode look and feel more like a movie than a series.

Based off of the comic series by Robert Kirkman, the overall plot of the show is survival in a zombie infested world.

The genre of the series itself is based so heavily on aesthetic quality, that it's a breath of fresh air to see professional work in make up design for the show’s undead actors, and is truly on par with the kind of work seen in George A. Romero films.

Written and executive produced by the same mind behind “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Green Mile,” Frank Darabont, the series carries a very dark quality that is evident very quickly.

It comes as no surprise to fans and readers of the comic series, that AMC's translation is not a frame by frame transcription of the original text found in the books. And honestly, as most comic fans will attest to, the translation isn’t often the same on screen as it is in text.

It is surprising and refreshing, however, to see how far the producers are willing to go to stick to the original gore of the series.

For those not familiar with the text, the premiere may seem a little slow at times and for those who are familiar, some scenes and situations may seem stretched.

The reason?

Consider that the series will most likely follow the basic plan of an issue, an episode. With each trade book being comprised of 6 issues, and Kirkman recently releasing trade 12, longevity won't be a concern for producers.

Dialogue was natural most of the time, but was a bit explanatory, and forced toward certain scenes. This only makes sense with the first episode of a show based around a zombie apocalypse. Most viewers are going to need some explanation.

As far as casting goes, it’s hard to judge how all the actors will perform when a majority of the figures on screen were dead, but based on the small “living” cast interactions, we can expect some emotional and moving moments from the cast.

The overall appearance of the actors as they compare to their comic counterparts is startlingly accurate, considering the size of the cast.

Expansion on particular characters and plots, that the comic doesn’t delve into, offer interesting angles and takes on an already complex story line.

Fans of Kirkman's work, might be a little taken back by the early revealing of a particular plot point not discovered until later in the comic. As much as the spoiler might upset some readers, it certainly makes for a roller coaster of a premiere episode.

For audiences who love character driven shows that take place under extenuating circumstances, such as “The Wire” and “True Blood,” a show like “The Walking Dead” ranks high.

Although it is uncertain how the rest of the season will go, one thing is for certain: “The Walking Dead” is a can't miss series, and deserves to draw in fans by the hordes.

Make sure to tune in to AMC Sunday, Oct. 31, Halloween night, at 10 EST and 9 CST, and brace yourself for the outbreak.