Vancouver-filmed Fear The Walking Dead sets all-time cable ratings records

The spin-off to hit cable television series The Walking Dead has opened with massive, record-setting numbers.

On Sunday, the first episode of Vancouver-filmed Fear The Walking Dead saw 10.1 million viewers tuning in, a record number for the premiere of a cable television program. According to Variety, this includes 6.3 million viewers within the highly valued adults 18 to 49 demographic.

The previous all-time record was set by TNT’s Raising The Bar in 2008 when it attained 7.7 million viewers while the previous adult 18 to 49 demographic record was held by AMC’s Better Call Saul with 4.4 million viewers.

However, Fear The Walking Dead did not surpass the 10.87 million viewers during the premiere of The Walking Dead‘s third season.

Fear The Walking Dead acts as the prequel to the original series. The series is set in Los Angeles and the original is set in the state of Georgia.

Reviews of the pilot episode have been generally positive, based on the 78 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

“The programme’s problems are small detractions from a show that is otherwise compelling and extremely effective in ruining your sleep schedule,” The Guardian wrote in its review. “I mean that as a compliment. Fear may be about the end of the world as we know it, but it is also about figuring out what is really important to us when tragedy strikes. That, too, is a wonderful similarity between this and its parent program.”

The first season will consist of six episodes while the second season in 2016 will have 15 episodes. The conclusion of the first season of Fear The Walking Dead will be quickly followed by the premiere of the sixth season of The Walking Dead on October 11, 2015.