The Walking Dead showrunner says spin-off will be “road show”

Angela Kang describes The Walking Dead’s Carol and Daryl spin-off as “road show

Although The Walking Dead Carol and Daryl spin-off is still 3 years away, and we as yet don’t have a title for it, we are starting to find out more about what direction the show is going to take.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, current TWD show-runner – and future spin-off show-runner – Angela Kang gave some insight into how long the show has been in the works, before it’s recent reveal.

"“There’s been talk for a long time about a Daryl/Carol spin-off, and so that was something that we were working on well in advance of the news about the ending of the series.”"

She further explained that the new spin-off is going to feel very different from The Walking Dead, and will be telling different stories in a very different style.

"“They’re going to be off on a different journey, and that show’s going to feel hopefully a little tonally fresh. They’re just in a different stage of their lives and it’s more of a road show, which I think will be really fun.”"

The description of the spin-off as a “road show” is something that was expanded on by Norman Reedus, when he also talked to the press this week, including Den of Geek.

"“It’s a different type of a show. It’s about the two of us going to see who’s left in the world. I was a big fan of TV shows when I was a kid like Kung Fu or Billy Jack, where you have a character who’s roaming the Earth and he gets into new situations, but when they leave, they change the tone of the environment by just being themselves passing through.”"

Reedus’ description confirms the show’s format as the “walk the earth” trope – a genre I mentioned in a previous article whilst speculating which direction the show would take.

As well as Kung Fu, the format was the basis of huge shows such as The Incredible Hulk and Knightrider, and even played  a part in the massively successful X-Files – where many of the “monster of the week” episodes fit into this category.

It’s also a format that has a lot of specific benefits, as an excited Reedus continued.

"“It’s an opportunity for us to get really good actors and really good writers who don’t have to sign a seven-year contract. They come in for an episode or two. I think for a lot of actors, that’s an exciting possibility, exciting circumstance. I’m curious to have a revolving group of people.”"

Reedus also backed up Kang’s comments about the different tone of the show, in quotes he gave to Digital Spy;

"“It’ll be about hope, in a different way.”"

This hopeful tone and new format may be one of the reasons Reedus seems so stimulated and excited about the spin-off, but when he explained more about the origin of the show, the full reasons seem clearer.

"“Somebody asked me ages ago, ‘How do you see this show ending?’ I said, ‘Everybody’s dying, and I’m like, ‘Melissa, get on the bike’. We take off and we go see who’s left.”"

So while Kang confirmed the series has been in the works some time, Reedus’ words may shed light on the origins of the idea. His working relationship and friendship with Melissa McBride (Carol) obviously playing a part.

Perhaps McBride’s appearance on Reedus’ travel show Ride which saw the pair explore McBride’s roots in Scotland helped cement the idea in both the actors’ and AMC’s minds?

The spin-off’s direction certainly fits that which Reedus has expressed in the past about his feelings on his character.  And the post-apocalyptic cowboy – and cowgirl – on a bike, meeting new people, helping out and passing on their lived experience, is certainly a new way to tell the zombie tale.

This format, coupled with the new tone and lightness promised in other statements about the spin-off, ensure that the Carol/Daryl spin-off is absolutely going to carve its own niche in a world away from Alexandria and the Commonwealth.

It appears to be a well-constructed mix of the old elements of TWD that they know work with new twists and tweaks which all concerned in the production seemed excited about. It may be a new, hopeful and light corner of the TWD universe we’ll be making space for in 2023.

Now, if only we knew what it was called.