‘The Walking Dead’ will return for a 5th season

AMC has renewed “The Walking Dead” for a fifth season in 2014, the network announced Tuesday.

Scott Gimple will return as showrunner, as will executive producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Greg Nicotero and Tom Luse.

“The Walking Dead” has broken viewership records for a cable drama, with the Season 4 premiere drawing 20.2 million viewers if you factor in VCR viewership numbers.

Here is the full announcement from AMC:

AMC announced today that it has renewed The Walking Dead for a fifth season. The number one show on television among adults 18-49, The Walking Dead returned for a fourth season earlier this month and the premiere episode set a new record for the series, delivering 20.2 million viewers, live+3, and 13.2 million adults 18-49, a new record for any non-sports cable telecast.

“We are very happy to make what has to be one of the most anti-climactic renewal announcements ever: ‘The Walking Dead’ is renewed for a fifth season,” said Charlie Collier, AMC president. “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.”

For season five, Scott Gimple will return as the series’ showrunner along with executive producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Greg Nicotero and Tom Luse. AMC also recently announced that it is developing a companion series to The Walking Dead, based on a new story and new characters from Robert Kirkman.