Though it isn't set to debut (assuming it does make it to air) until the year of the nerd, aka 2015, the Walking Dead spin-off series remains a curiosity for observers and fans of the original zombie-filled ratings juggernaut. Now some of that curiosity can finally be satiated by a new report that posits that the spin-off may actually have prequel elements.

In the original series (and in the comic that inspired it), we really don't see much about the days leading up to and the days immediately following the initial zombie breakout. In both mediums, the story more or less starts when Rick Grimes' eyes open in an abandoned hospital days after the onset. His confusion and forced to the new world puts pain, loss, and terror in the foreground, serving as an excellent bridge into the world of The Walking Dead for us, but it also leaves fertile ground to be explored.

With a few exceptions, both The Walking Dead show and series have resisted the urge to look back, but with a new show comes the burden of separating the spin-off from the original series. Making it a prequel series could certainly be a legitimate way to accomplish that.

Here's Kirkman in an interview with IGN talking about making the two series stand apart. 

"It’s a really different location with completely different people, so we are going to see an entirely different corner of the 'Walking Dead' world. It definitely won’t be set in Georgia, I can at least say that. It’s important to us that this show exists on its own. The spinoff has to be a show worthy of existing, or else we’ve all sold out. So that’s something we’re all working hard towards doing, and I think we can pull it off. I think that the ideal situation is, when you’re watching the spinoff, you’re like, 'Wow, this is a really awesome show.' The whole other show doesn’t need to exist for this show to be cool and stand on its own."

The Walking Dead season 4 zombie

Can the spin-off really stand on its own if it introduces itself to us while fleshing out the world that we already know? Might the quest for uniqueness be better served by showcasing a group of survivors that are less dedicated to the preservation of their humanity - a group that relishes the dire moment, seizing on the opportunity to seize power and whatever else they can in the lawless wilderness of a broken world?

These are questions that Kirkman, his producing partners (David Alpert and Gale Anne Hurd), and AMC surely have weighed and will continue to weigh as they build this show up over time.

What do you think, Screen Rant readers? Is there room for two Walking Dead series on the air? Let us know in the comments.

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The Walking Dead airs on Sundays @9pm on AMC. We'll continue to keep you up to date on the untitled Walking Dead spin-off as it moves toward fruition.

Source: TVLine & IGN