CBS/AP/ February 12, 2013, 7:57 AM

"The Walking Dead" returns from hiatus to record ratings

Actor David Morrissey from AMC Network's "The Walking Dead", poses for a portrait in New York on Jan. 28, 2013.

Actor David Morrissey from AMC Network's "The Walking Dead", poses for a portrait in New York on Jan. 28, 2013. / AP

The zombies keep getting stronger.

AMC's hit "The Walking Dead" set a series record Sunday night with 12.3 million viewers. The show was returning from a hiatus, and the Nielsen Co. said it beats the series' previous record of 10.9 million for its third season debut last October.

More than half of Sunday's viewers, or 7.7 million, were in the\ youthful demographic of people ages 18 to 49. Nielsen says a cable series has never reached that big an audience in that age group.

That's impressive by broadcast standards, too. While "NCIS" on CBS was the most popular drama on the air with 22 million viewers the previous week, fewer than 5 million of those viewers were under 50.

"The Walking Dead" airs Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. The series, which will air for eight episodes this season, has won two Emmy Awards. It also received a Golden Globe nomination for best television series - drama.

© 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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PSOPO says:
This show has no scripts, acting, or point to it. It's trash all these shows that makes paying high cable fees useless.
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