'Walking Dead' renewal is less than shocking

The Walking Dead lives on.

In an unsurprising move related to a show that is full of surprises, AMC today renewed the hit Sunday drama, TV's top show among young adults, for a fifth season.

The fourth-season premiere of the show, which follows survivors living in a post-apocalyptic zombie world, drew a series-best 20.2 million viewers. The same episode attracted 13.2 million young adults (18-49), setting a record for a non-sports cable program.

"This is a show that has erased traditional distinctions between cable and broadcast. Its expanding base of passionate fans has grown every season," said AMC president Charlie Collier, acknowledging in his statement that it was "one of the most anti-climactic renewal announcements ever."

The AMC announcement said Scott Gimple would return as the person in charge of the show, which is noteworthy because the show has changed its behind-the-scenes leader twice in recent seasons.

The cable network also is working on a Dead companion series based on a new story and new characters from executive producer Robert Kirkman.