KCRW's THE SPIN-OFF: "The Walking Dead" Edition

Last month, a standing-room only crowd packed a room at the Las Vegas Convention Center...at 9 in the morning...for one purpose: they wanted to hear about The Walking Dead.

As a part of this year's gathering of the National Association of Broadcasters, I moderated a panel with Robert Kirkman, the creator and executive producer of The Walking Dead; actor Steven Yeun, who plays Glenn on the show; and Charlie Collier, the president of AMC.

The panel discussed a wide range of subjects, including whether Yeun is prepared to see his character die; how extensive the show's universe can become; where the show left things off at the end of the season; and what to expect from "Fear the Walking Dead," the new spinoff that will run on AMC this summer.

We turned the panel into the latest special bonus edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off; listen below!

Live from Vegas, My Chat with "The Walking Dead" Creator Robert Kirkman, Star Steven Yeun and AMC's Charlie Collier (VIDEO)

Selfie with Steven Yeun and Robert Kirkman

I spent 24 hours in Las Vegas earlier this week to moderate a panel at the National Association of Broadcasters convention with "The Walking Dead" creator Robert Kirkman, star Steven Yeun ("Glenn") and AMC president Charlie Collier. It was a wide-ranging chat covering the launch of the show, as well as where things are heading in Season 6 (more Morgan, as he and Rick reunite) and what to expect from the upcoming companion series "Fear the Walking Dead." We also chatted about the potential of a movie (none on the horizon) and the idea of a foreign companion series (never say never).



Sandra Gonzalez at Mashable attended the panel and wrote up Kirkman's latest hints about the new show, and what he's not telling us about the zombie origins story:

The forthcoming The Walking Dead companion series might be taking place in the early days of the zombie apocalypse, but executive producer Robert Kirkman has no intention of using the show to explain too many details about the zombie virus outbreak.

"[Learning the origins] is not the priority in Walking Dead; that's not the priority in Fear The Walking Dead," Kirkman told a packed panel at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. "Every other story deals with that stuff and we're concerned about the heart."

Which is not to say, of course, that Kirkman doesn't have the origin story worked out; he simply never thought it was the most interesting aspect of the series he wanted to make.

"I know the story, but I've never bothered to write it down," he said. "Let's hope I don't die."

So what will Fear The Walking Dead be?

The show, which debuts this summer and is set in Los Angeles, will take viewers "back to a timid time when the walking dead were more dangerous and more of an ever present threat," according to Kirkman.

Watch excerpts of the panel here:

KCRW's THE SPIN-OFF: "Better Call Saul" Producers and Stars Talk About Their Successful First Season (LISTEN)

On March 26, I moderated a panel for Television Academy members about AMC's new hit series "Better Call Saul." After screening the Season 1 penultimate episode "Pimento," I sat down with the show's stars and creators to discuss the successful "Breaking Bad" spin-off. (Read Deadline's recap of the panel here.

We discussed the show's origins, its timeline (including the possibility that "Better Call Saul" may eventually invade the "Breaking Bad" timeline) and got plenty of hints that Walter White and Jesse Pinkman may eventually show up.

"Better Call Saul" is, of course, the Breaking Bad spin-off about the backstory of how two-bit lawyer Jimmy McGill became Saul Goodman, played by Bob Odenkirk. There are other familiar faces from Breaking Bad in the show as well, notably Jonathan Banks who plays the memorable Mike Erhmantraut in both shows.

Recently, AMC hosted an event for Emmy voters where Michael Schneider moderated a panel discussion with Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks, as well as executive producer Vince Gilligan, co-creator Peter Gould and writer Thomas Schnauz. There were other members of the cast there too, including Michael McKean, who plays Jimmy's older brother Chuck, as well as supporting players Rhea Seehorn, Patrick Fabian and Michael Mando.

We turned the audio into a special bonus edition of KCRW's "The Spin-Off." Listen below!

KCRW's THE SPIN-OFF: HBO Now, Andy Lack's Back, Two Comedies/Two Strategies (Listen Now!)

For our first March episode of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I reunited with Cynthia Littleton for a mini Variety reunion. Here's what we chatted about:

We take a look at one number that gives us a snapshot of the current state of the TV industry. This month's number? $14.99.

Fourteen dollars and 99 cents is what it will cost you every month for HBO's new standalone streaming service, HBO Now, which will launch in April, ahead of the Game of Thrones season premiere. At least for now, the service will be exclusive to Apple devices. Then, we'll soon be saying hello -- or maybe more appropriately welcome back -- to an NBC executive who has some experience getting the Peacock's news division back on track when things have gone awry. We talk about what Andy Lack's return to NBC could mean...or not mean...to Brian Williams' career.

We also say hello to another spin-off on AMC. The network announced a two-season order for a Walking Dead prequel. Add this to Better Call Saul, a Breaking Bad spin-off, and AMC will soon have two prequels on the air.

Then we look at two new comedies that feel more like cable shows, but got their starts at Fox and NBC: The Last Man on Earth and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Both wound up taking different paths and strategies.

There's a lot more too! Listen by clicking below!

MIKE ON RADIO: Talking AMC vs. DirecTV on KROQ's "Kevin & Bean"

If you were watching "The Walking Dead" on Sunday night, the screen was interrupted throughout the evening by a message warning you that AMC might soon be yanked off your satellite service. Later, DirecTV broke into the AMC feed to give its rebuttal -- featuring a cartoon AMC zombie:



AMC Networks' position is at KeepAMCNetworks.com, while DirecTV rebuts at DirecTVPromise.com.

I appeared on Wednesday's Kevin & Bean Show on KROQ to discuss the dispute -- and how, most of the time, it's the viewers that lose in the end. Wednesday's Kevin & Bean podcast is below.

Big TV Mysteries, Answered

(from the Jan. 6 edition of TV Guide Magazine)

By Stephen Battaglio and Michael Schneider

The TV viewing experience gets more complicated all the time. That’s why we asked you to submit questions on Facebook about the intricacies and inanities of the TV industry. Here are the answers to the five most common queries.

Why can’t the broadcast networks produce cutting-edge shows like The Walking Dead?

“That’s a bit of a crock,” says one network executive. “Scandal, The Good Wife and The Blacklist could easily be great cable shows, and people would say, ‘Why doesn’t broadcast do that?’” But it’s also true that, beyond a handful of shows like AMC’s The Walking Dead and FX’s Sons of Anarchy (both of which post broadcast-size ratings), most of cable’s critical darlings still reach a niche audience much smaller than the big crowds broadcast TV requires. That’s especially the case early in a show’s run. “Breaking Bad would have been canceled for lack of audience after its first year if it was on broadcast,” the exec notes.

When does the law to bring down the volume on commercials take effect?

It already has! The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act began on December 13, 2012. The FCC rule requires TV commercials to have the same average volume level as the programs on which they appear. The FCC is relying on viewers to help enforce the rule, so if you think a broadcast or cable channel is in violation you can file a complaint electronically at fcc.gov/complaints. Click on the “Loud Commercials” button and you’ll be directed to the form.

Why does Downton Abbey air so many months later here than in the U.K.?

The delay between the U.K. airings in the fall and the American premiere in January helps generate interest in the show and proves to be a ratings boon, according to PBS president Paula Kerger. “We look at how we can get promotion and buzz around the series, and the fact that people talk about it and that word of mouth travels once it premieres in the U.K. has benefited us,” she has said. The numbers back her up. Downton Abbey is the highest-rated drama series in the history of public television, with 12.3 million viewers watching the Season 3 finale last February. In the age of binge-watching, asking viewers to keep a lid on spoilers no longer seems like a big risk.

Why can’t I just subscribe to the cable networks I watch?

Sen. John McCain has pushed legislation that would give consumers the opportunity to buy channels on an à la carte basis. But only paying for the networks you watch doesn’t mean your cable bill will be lower. When large media companies negotiate with cable operators to carry their channels, they demand that their lesser-known channels be included in a package with the popular ones. If the cable operators refuse to carry those smaller networks, the owners simply charge higher carriage fees for their more widely viewed channels—and that cost would be passed on to subscribers. An investment bank recently determined that cable subscribers would pay $20 to $30 a month for ESPN if it were offered on a stand-alone basis instead of as part of a bundle. The best way to lower your cable bill is to call your local operator and say you want to cancel your service. There’s a good chance you can cut a deal to pay less.

How is Ryan Seacrest able to work for so many networks?

Despite his stature as the last remaining original star of American Idol, which made him a household name, Ryan Seacrest isn’t beholden to Fox. Last summer, he hosted NBC’s The Million Second Quiz. He’s in Times Square every year to emcee ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest. Until recently, he anchored E!’s E! News Daily. (He’s also a producer of several shows, including Keeping Up With the Kardashians and Shahs of Sunset.) Doesn’t Fox have any exclusivity on Seacrest’s services? The network does—sort of. Under the terms of his $15 million-a-year deal, Seacrest can’t host another show that would be considered a competitor to Idol (in other words, your job on The Voice is safe, Carson Daly). But that means any other type of show is fair game. And workaholic Seacrest seems willing to test the limits of how many employers one TV star can have.

My Latest from TV Guide Magazine

In case you missed it, some of the recent stories I've worked on for TV Guide Magazine over the past month:

Exclusive: Chuck Lorre Unveils Censored Vanity Cards for His New Book
First look at Two and a Half Men exec producer Chuck Lorre's new book, a collection of his famed vanity cards. We posted one of the cards that was censored by CBS. Lorre, who combed through countless vanity cards to choose his favorites for the book, admits he was stunned by some of the ones he hadn't read in years. "I was surprised to see how seemingly open I was to sharing my thoughts and experiences," he says. "I didn't have a good censor at the time, I was just sort of spilling it all out. I probably should have used that time to see a therapist or something."

Exclusive: The Amazing Race Producers Line Up New Reality Project at A&E
Fresh off their ninth Emmy win for outstanding reality competition series, The Amazing Race executive producers Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri have set up what could be their next show, a reality series currently in the works at A&E.

Watch My Show: Last Resort's Shawn Ryan and Karl Gajdusek Answer Our Showrunner Survey
In this age of ambiguous TV heroes, it's clear in ABC's new thriller Last Resort that Submarine Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) and executive officer Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman) — forced into exile after demanding confirmation of orders to fire their weapons — are the good guys. The show's real intrigue comes from trying to figure out who the bad guys are. Co-creators and executive producers Shawn Ryan (The Shield) and Karl Gajdusek (Dead Like Me) answered our showrunner survey to explain why we should book a trip to the Last Resort.

Exclusive: Jimmy Kimmel's Head Writers Give the Backstory to This Year's Emmy Gags
Jimmy Kimmel Live! co-head writers Molly McNearney (who in her spare time is also Kimmel's fiancée) and Gary Greenberg gave us some exclusive tidbits on how this year's Emmy laughs came together, from the opening sketch to Kimmel's Tracy Morgan/Twitter stunt.

Exclusive: Garry Marshall Eyes a Return to TV with Fox Project
Three decades after Garry Marshall dominated TV with the likes of Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy, he's just sold a new TV project to Fox with his son Scott Marshall.

Network Honchos Survey the New TV Season
The next few weeks will be rough for the networks, as they parse what works — and what doesn't — among this year's crop of new shows. We asked the five broadcast network heads, plus a few key cable bosses, to give us their thoughts on what will big on the small screen -- including their picks for sleeper hit, stars to watch, the show they'd love to steal from another network, and more.

Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban Join Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson on American Idol
My take on the long road to finding a new crop of judges for American Idol.

This Year's Emmy Awards Burning Questions
Heading into this year's Emmy awards, some of the races to watch.

Network Q&A: AMC's Charlie Collier on Breaking Bad, Mad Men and His Big Year
AMC is having a moment. Breaking Bad ended the first half of its final season with some of its best ratings ever, while AMC's top-rated The Walking Dead returns on Oct. 14. With so much going on, AMC president Charlie Collier talked to TV Guide Magazine about his network's fortunes.

Exclusive: Community's Donald Glover Develops New Sitcom at NBC
It looks like Donald Glover will be engaging in some extracurricular work outside of Greendale Community College. The Community star, who plays former high school quarterback-turned-air conditioning repair annex recruit Troy Barnes, is developing a new show for NBC with 30 Rock co-executive producer Matt Hubbard.

Watch My Show: Guys With Kids' Jimmy Fallon and Charlie Grandy Answer Our Showrunner Survey
For his leap into primetime as an executive producer, late night host Jimmy Fallon partnered up with his former Saturday Night Live colleague Charlie Grandy (as well as Amy Ozols) to create the new NBC sitcom Guys With Kids. Fallon and Grandy explain why these Guys are dolls.

Exclusive: Producer Change at the Top of Fox’s Ben and Kate
Fox's new comedy Ben and Kate, which is already earning early positive buzz from critics, will move forward without two of its executive producers. Garrett Donovan and Neil Goldman, who joined the comedy in May as showrunners, have departed to focus on their own series development.

Exclusive: Animal Planet Renews Call of the Wildman for Season 2
Yi yi yi, Animal Planet's "Turtleman" has just snapped up a second season renewal. The network ordered 20 more half-hour episodes of its new hit series Call of the Wildman for air in 2013.

Fox Lands New Comedy From Bill Lawrence and Creator of $#*! My Dad Says
Cougar Town creator Bill Lawrence is partnering with Justin Halpern — the writer who turned his Twitter feed into the short-lived CBS sitcom $#*! My Dad Says — to develop a new comedy at Fox.

Man of the Year: Jimmy Kimmel on the Emmys, Oprah and Going Head-to-Head With Leno and Letterman
My big Jimmy Kimmel cover story: It's hard to believe that Kimmel has much time to sit down anyway — or eat or sleep, for that matter. The ABC late-night host is in the middle of the biggest year of his show, and, quite possibly, his life. So far in 2012, Kimmel has made nice (and become pals!) with Oprah Winfrey; hosted the White House Correspondents Dinner to great reviews (including high marks from the president); was tapped to host the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards; subsequently scored the show's first-ever Emmy nomination for variety series; and even got engaged to girlfriend Molly McNearney, the show's co-head writer, while on vacation in South Africa. "And," he quips, "I'm pregnant."

How Primetime Is Getting A Little Bit Country
Analysis: Nashville, the city, and Nashville, the country music industry, are expecting big things from Nashville, the new fall drama from ABC. The serialized drama, which stars Connie Britton as an country singer juggling her home life and struggling to remain a relevant artist, might not have made it on the air a few years ago. But just as country music is moving toward the mainstream, the mainstream is gravitating toward country music — and TV execs, hungry for audiences, are eager to tap into country's loyal fan base.

MTV Explains Why The Situation and His Jersey Shore Pals Had to Go
G-T-Later! Jersey Shore is still a ratings smash, even though audience levels have dipped from its 2011 high. But MTV programming executive vice president Chris Linn tells TV Guide Magazine that it was time for the show to retire anyway.

Robin Williams Looking to Return to TV, Teams With David E. Kelley For Comedy
Shazbot! Robin Williams could be making a return to TV, where he famously got his start 30 years ago as the lovable alien from Ork on Mork & Mindy. The actor is in talks to team up with writer David E. Kelley to develop The Crazy Ones, a comedy about an aging but brilliant advertising exec.

The Inside Story on How NBC Landed Michael J. Fox
Backstory: It's back to the future for the sitcom king, who once again feels up to the task — and is returning to TV in a big way. NBC, where Fox became a superstar in the 1980s as young conservative icon Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties, has given a rare 22-episode guarantee (before a lick of film is even shot) to a new sitcom based on Fox's life.

Watch My Show: Up To Speed's Richard Linklater and Speed Levitch Answer Our Showrunner Survey
For his first foray into episodic TV, director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, School of Rock) has partnered with a true original: Eccentric tour guide and historian Timothy "Speed" Levitch. Their new Hulu series Up to Speed is an unconventional travel show that follows Levitch as he explores unusual attractions across America — such as the "luckiest subway grate" in New York and the "shoe gardens" of San Francisco.

Watch My Show: Gravity Falls' Alex Hirsch Answers Our Showrunner Survey
It's The X-Files meets Twin Peaks — but animated, and for kids. Disney Channel's Gravity Falls may be unlike any other cartoon out there. Jason Ritter and Kristen Schaal play Dipper and Mabel Pines, siblings who are forced to spend the summer with their eccentric great-uncle in a town where very weird things happen. Creator Alex Hirsch says he conceives each episode like a "little movie," as the show explores its versions of urban legends. We asked him to scare up some reasons why we should investigate Gravity Falls.

Summer Movie Blockbusters Still Rule on Cable
Analysis: FX is known mostly for its original series, from Sons of Anarchy and Justified to Louie and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. But as much as 80 percent of the cable network's schedule is still devoted to theatrical movies — which is why FX execs have been on a blockbuster buying spree again this summer.

Mike at Comic-Con: Watch the 'Community,' 'Breaking Bad,' Bryan Fuller and 'Revolution' Panels Now

Couldn't make it down to the Comic-Con? All four of the panels that I got to moderate are now online. Re-live the craziness below.



ABOVE: The long-anticipated "Community" panel, featuring Joel McHale, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, new showrunners David Guarascio and Moses Port, veteran exec producer Russ Krasnoff and writers Megan Ganz and Andy Bobrow. I start the panel by asking the audience to help me in a little call and response: "SIX SEASONS... AND A MOVIE!" Later, I ask Guarascio and Port to tell us whether everything's going to be OK.



ABOVE: "All hail King Heisenberg!" I kick off the "Breaking Bad" panel with a salute to the dastardly alter ego of formerly mild-mannered school teacher Walter White. Executive producer Vince Gilligan, stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul and the rest of the cast joined me for the show's first-ever Comic-Con Q&A. I think they were all taken aback by the huge crowd and massive response.



ABOVE: A chat with Bryan Fuller about "Mockingbird Lane" (the "Munsters" remake) and "Hannibal." I kick things off my asking Fuller if he's crazy -- but in a good way. Later, he drops some big "Pushing Daisies" hints.



ABOVE: A quick panel with "Revolution" creator Eric Kripke and some of the show's cast, including Giancarlo Esposito and Bryan Burke. "What the F is going on?" I ask Kripke.

Retro Friday: When Cable Was Young, and Channels Were What They Said They Were

From 1989, when TLC was truly "The Learning Channel"



From 1984, when A&E was truly "Arts & Entertainment"



From 1985, when VH-1 was truly "Video Hits One"



From 1985, when AMC was truly "American Movie Classics"



From 1987, when Bravo was truly "Bravo"



From 1989, when ABC Family was truly "The Family Channel"



From 1986, when HLN was truly "Headline News"

Mad Men Returns... in 2012, as AMC, Lionsgate and Matt Weiner Finalize New Deal

By Michael Schneider/TV Guide Magazine


Pour an Old-Fashioned and celebrate: After much delay and plenty of down-to-the-wire drama, Mad Men is a firm go for two, and possibly three, more seasons.

While AMC and creator Matt Weiner engaged in a public war of words on Tuesday, negotiators for Weiner, the cable network and Lionsgate (which produces the show) were busy behind closed doors getting the deal done.

The deal keeps Weiner on board for seasons five and six, while his new long-term deal with Lionsgate allows for a potential season seven,

"I want to thank all of our wonderful fans for their support," said Weiner. "I also want to thank AMC and Lionsgate for agreeing to support the artistic freedom of myself, the cast and the crew so that we can continue to make the show exactly as we have from the beginning.  I'm excited to get started on the next chapter of our story.”

It wasn't an easy negotiation. Although a deal to keep Weiner and the show on AMC came close to fruition last week, a handful of sticking points slowed things down – and things got ugly Monday, after those issues were revealed.

Among Weiner's objections: AMC's move to trim the show from 47 minutes and episode to 45 minutes (which is still above the now-industry standard 43 minutes). The executive producer also wasn't pleased with AMC's move to cut costs by trimming the number of series regulars (particularly actors who don't appear in every episode) or the network's request to highlight more product placement.

But under the deal announced Thursday, insiders confirmed that AMC will air a full 47-minute season opener and season finale of Mad Men. Weiner will also be given the leeway to produce all 13 episodes at 47 minutes – but AMC will have the option of trimming those episodes down to 45 minutes. (Full 47-minute episodes will still be available on other platforms, such as VOD, and on home video.)

Insiders also said that there is "no mandate" to cut cast members (all series regulars will be returning for season five) and that that product integration will simply be more "transparent" and under Weiner's advisement.

AMC and Lionsgate had been locked in a battle for months over the two additional seasons. At issue: Although a critical hit and the show that put AMC on the map, Mad Men is not a huge ratings draw – and boasts a hefty production cost (as much as $2.5 million). Weiner also doesn't come cheap: The executive producer, who's synonymous with the show, will bank around $10 million per season.

Complicating matters further: Rainbow Media, AMC's parent, is preparing to be spun off from owner Cablevision into a separate entity.

"This is a giant corporation fight between Lionsgate and Rainbow/AMC," one source familiar with the negotiations said prior to the deal.

AMC added to the fire on Tuesday by issuing a release confirming the season five pickup – even though it had already been announced – and telling reporters that Mad Men wouldn't return until 2012 (believed to be in March). Despite AMC's decision to push Mad Men into next year, while sources close to Weiner (who wanted to stick to a 2011 timetable) said the exec producer still had every intention of delivering episodes by late summer or early fall.

But that would have been too late for AMC, which has other programs already on the Sunday docket for fall – including season two of The Walking Dead (which is now AMC's top-rated series). Unfortunately for Mad Men fans, AMC is holding to that early 2012 date.

With AMC paying Lionsgate for the show, it was up to the network to find a way to make a deal work. That's why insiders on AMC's side believed the demands weren't outrageous, such as bringing the show's length in line with other dramas and finding ways to be more open about the kind of product integration that the show already does.

Weiner spoke to the fan site Basket of Kisses on Wednesday, telling the blog that "I had nothing to do with this delay and it is not about money. I am fighting for the cast and for the show."

Weiner said negotiations didn't begin in earnest until three weeks ago, and dismissed the reported $10 million-per-season figure. "I've brought the show in on budget. I’ve been a good producer," he told the blog.

Reaction was mixed in the creative community. Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter, in his typical brash style, disagreed with Weiner's objections: "You can't ask a network for 10 million, then bitch when they want to expand their ad revenue source. Whore or saint, pick one."

But Tim Goodman, the TV critic for The Hollywood Reporter, was firmly planted on Team Weiner: "AMC was a second rate movie channel (and that's being generous) until Mad Men put it on the map… Pay the man."

"AMC’s original programming began with a mission to create bold storytelling of the highest quality, and 'Mad Men' was the perfect expression of that commitment," said AMC president Charlie Collier. "We've been proud to support this show from the day we read Matt's ground-breaking pilot script and have loved building it with Matt and Lionsgate into the cultural phenomenon it has become. For everyone involved in the show and its passionate fans, we are thrilled to announce that the series will continue on AMC under the exceptional vision of Matt Weiner."

Added Lionsgate TV president Kevin Beggs: "We are proud to continue our successful relationships with AMC and the brilliantly talented Matt Weiner, whose vision has created one of the most distinguished series on television. We also appreciate the passion and patience of 'Mad Men' fans around the world who have been awaiting this good news, and we believe they will be rewarded with many more seasons of this extraordinary and groundbreaking series." 

Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

PaleyFest 2011: 'The Walking Dead'

(Flickr pic by Popculturegeek.com.)

I had a blast on Friday moderating the kick off panel for this year's PaleyFest, devoted to AMC's "The Walking Dead."

Despite fighting a severe cold, director/exec producer/writer Frank Darabont was lively and engaged, as was original "Walking Dead" graphic novel creator Robert Kirkman (also an exec producer on the show). Darabont, Kirkman and exec producer Gale Anne Hurd weren't all that forthcoming with spoilers, but did give a few hits about season two ... and also gave more backstory on the show's narrative. Backing them up were series stars Andrew Lincoln ("Rick Grimes"), Sarah Wayne Callies ("Lori Grimes"), Jon Bernthal ("Shane Walsh"), Laurie Holden ("Andrea"), Steven Yeun ("Glenn") and Emma Bell ("Amy").

Yeun was a fan favorite, and much like his character on the show, brought quite a bit of comic relief to the panel. And Bell... well, seeing how her character is now dead, she conjured quite a bit of sympathy from the panel and the crowd.

Here's a clip from the panel, uploaded by Paley Center:



And here are some various recaps from the evening:

TV Guide.com

The Futon Critic

Variety On the Air

Zap2It

Hitfix

More video:

Got a Burning 'The Walking Dead' Question?

This Friday, March 4 I'll be moderating the Paley Fest's panel for hit AMC series 'The Walking Dead.'

Got any questions you'd like me to ask? Leave a comment below!

Among those scheduled to attend:

Frank Darabont, Writer / Director / Executive Producer
Gale Ann Hurd, Executive Producer
Robert Kirkman, Executive Producer / Creator of Comic Book
Andrew Lincoln, “Rick Grimes”
Sarah Wayne Callies, “Lori Grimes”
Jon Bernthal, “Shane Walsh”
Laurie Holden, “Andrea“
Steven Yeun, “Glenn”
Emma Bell, “Amy”

The event takes place at 7 p.m. at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. For tix, go here.