'Walking Dead' Tops Record Audience in Mid-Season Return

AMC's The Walking Dead
returned from its midseason hiatus to monster ratings, drawing 8.1 million
total viewers to its 9 p.m. episode on Sunday, topping its season two premiereby 11%,
according to numbers from Nielsen.

It was the best drama telecast in basic cable history among
the key adults 18-49 and 25-54 demos, according to AMC, attracting 5.4 million
viewers and 4.4 million, respectively. The previous record was held by Dead's season two opener last October, which
Sunday's episode bested by 12% with adults 18-49 and 6% with those 25-54.

Following Dead at
10 p.m., AMC's new unscripted series Comic
Book Men
delivered 2 million viewers, including 1.3 million adults 18-49
and 1.1 million in the A25-54 demo.