Does The Walking Dead have the same lasting power as Star Trek?

The people behind AMC’s The Walking Dead are hoping that the zombie survival drama has the same kind of long-term power as Star Trek.

AMC hit the jackpot when it came to obtaining the rights to The Walking Dead. Robert Kirkman’s zombie survival drama has become the most popular show on television, spawning a franchise like no other and the most loyal fan base in tv.

The bad part with successful shows is that they eventually have to end. AMC also hit pay dirt with fantastic series like Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and others, but the run of those programs have come to an end and AMC is left hoping to fill holes in their programing.

However, AMC has very high hopes for the trifecta of The Walking Dead, Fear The Walking Dead, and Talking Dead. In fact, AMC Networks President and CEO Josh Sapan believes that The Walking Dead franchise has the power to last as long as the hit television show Star Trek according to The Wrap.

"“[‘Star Trek’] came and went three times,” Sapan said. “We do think that we have a franchise [in ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘Fear the Walking Dead’] that is one of the rare franchises that you occasionally come across in what we do for a living.”"

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Those are some mighty big shoes to fill. Star Trek first aired in 1966 and has endured 7 different reincarnations and is planning another new series titled Discovery to start next year. The franchise also spawned 13 movies and doesn’t seem to be in any danger of stopping that trend any time soon.

For AMC to pull this off, they will need to be very smart about how they handle The Walking Dead. While fans of the series are very loyal, they will eventually get disinterested in the content if the programs aren’t fresh and interesting.

But Sapan already has a plan of attack for that.

"“The answer to how to do it,” he continued. “I think it is just a careful evaluation of content, and we have a pretty good infrastructure … and increasingly, the ability to command attention and market these shows.”"

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Hoping that The Walking Dead can have the same kind of long-lasting and powerful run as Star Trek might seem like a lofty goal, but AMC is definitely doing the right things to keep the popular series a hit, at least for now.