AMC renews ‘The Walking Dead’ for fifth season

In perhaps the most unsurprising announcement ever, AMC has renewed ratings-busting drama “The Walking Dead” for a fifth season. Get your flu shots!

The drama was last season’s biggest scripted show. And when it returned for its fourth season earlier this month, its premiere episode delivered a whopping 16.1 million viewers with its 9 p.m. airing, with 10.4 million of those among the advertiser-coveted demographic of viewers ages 18 to 49 — a new series record. And it continues to hold its own. So, yeah, AMC wants more zombie action.

AMC President Charlie Collier made sure to boast of the drama’s impressive achievements — and the no-brainer call to renew it — in his statement.

PHOTOS: Behind the scenes of ‘Walking Dead’

“We are very happy to make what has to be one of the most anticlimactic renewal announcements ever: ‘The Walking Dead’ is renewed for a fifth season,” Collier said. “This is a show that has erased traditional distinctions between cable and broadcast. Its expanding base of passionate fans has grown every season, most recently – and most notably – with the season four premiere earlier this month, which broke viewership records for the series and became the biggest non-sports telecast in cable history. On behalf of the incredible team on both sides of the camera, thank you to the fans and here’s to more ‘Dead.’ ”

Scott Gimple will return as the series show runner — a role the show’s long-time writer took on this season.

It’s all part of AMC’s quest to keep TV zombified. The network also recently announced it is developing a companion series to “The Walking Dead” based on a new story and new characters from “TWD” mastermind Robert Kirkman.