Before AMC picked up The Walking Dead , it was pitched to a handful of other networks — including HBO — but it would’ve been a completely different show. When Robert Kirkman’s Walking Dead comics came to the attention of Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd, they promptly recognized the potential for a TV adaptation and went around town to pitch it.

The Walking Dead has become a lucrative franchise for AMC, running for a whopping 11 seasons and spawning an eye-watering six spinoff shows. But it almost ended up on a different network. If the producers could’ve negotiated what the tone would be, The Walking Dead might’ve been an HBO show airing alongside True Detective and Curb Your Enthusiasm .

Why HBO Passed On The Walking Dead

Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes walking throu

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