Walking Dead's Impact on Entertainment and our World in General .
Over saturation of any idea can be good or bad depending on your view of the topic. I'll try to explain what i'm asking. So shows like MASH. The Twighlight Zone and Star-Treck have Very relivant statements on life. They are still held in high regard today. Will anything WD still be well regarded in say 50yrs? So be sure to follow posting rules! Have fun with this one! I await your responses, can't wait!
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It's really hard to say what will leave a lasting impact in 50 years - grand societal values may change and people might remember shows differently. Many pieces of fiction or art that are regarded highly today weren't even that popular when they were first introduced. This is especially hard when The Walking Dead hasn't finished yet. I'm sure a series finale would help in knowing if a show was worth the time (cough cough Lost).
That said, I think it could be remembered for it's heavy signigance in popularizing the zombie genre in general, and with that in 50 years there will surely come some philosphical analysis on our societal values and why we were drawn to the zombie genre and so on. This has been explored today too, like in this Nostalgia Critic video:
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Those shows were groundbreaking and new, WD is a trope there have been zombies on tv and film for over 50 years and they aren't going anywhere. WD is popular for now but its lacking innovation and wont leave any real impact.
I don't think the franchise will have much of an impact after it ends, or maybe even close to that.
The first season of Telltale's game, on the other hand, will be held up as one of the pioneering pieces of media for diversity with good storytelling, at least in the gaming world.
Despite how popular TWD is among the masses. I believe it will affect only the individual and not society as a whole. It caters to the fantasy of the survivor inside us (for those that have this urge). It's good for the time being, but I can imagine it will be replaced or forgotten over time. As it's based off of a theme that's very generic, but TWD exceeds extremely well at it thanks to it's superb writing and acting.
So uh, yeah. Let's just dismiss the long-lasting source material by putting the average television series at a higher stake by default, shall we? That's what appears to be happening, to be honest.
If you haven't read the comic series—and that's perfectly fine—at least have the respect not to act like AMC's is the one and only The Walking Dead.
As far as I'm concerned, the comic and game series should be remembered more than the show.
I'd say the success of the show has revitalised the popularity and scare factor of zombies in the mainstream, as well as show that stories involving them can be serious moral dramas and not just the popcorn flicks the last couple of decades of zombie stuff has been. Even if the show is very hit and miss, it has managed to hook a lot of people. TWD game and comic for their respective mediums as well and even more so just due to how good they both are.
If only somebody could do the same for Vampires...
That is what has happened. I can't speak for the comics as I don't read them but the show is bigger than the games for sure (despite the show being considerably worse imo). The games deserve to be much bigger both by gamers and the WD community.
I can't judge the comic or the TV show, as I've not read nor watched either of them, but I can see the game, at least the first season, being remembered and held in a high regard for years to come. After all in my opinion, quality storytelling is timeless, and S1 definitely produced that. Even if the zombie genre were to decrease in popularity(obviously will), The Walking Dead game still has a lot to offer, excluding the guts and zombies- It dwells into the themes of redemption, innocence lost and how far someone, whether their intentions be good or not, will go for survival, and that's always interesting.
I'd say its certainly made it's impact on the history of media, and I've had countless philosophical discussions about the outbreak with friends and people.
Whether or not it'll hold up 50 years from now would have to depend on the societal views of us people. Regardless of whether or not that happens, I do know one thing for sure. I'll be the dad that'll have all of those Walking Dead figures (sorta like that one geeky uncle with all the star wars figures on his shelf) that will constantly urge my children to not touch/go near my Rick Grimes statue.
Not more than the examples you gave, which are mostly niche shows. They are definitley big amongst the fanbase, but not to the general public. Zombie fans will remember TWD for years or even decades to come, the general audience will not.
thx for replies!