'Walking Dead' renewed for fifth season

The Walking Dead," the Georgia-set zombie-apocalypse series starring Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus, has been renewed for a fifth season, AMC announced. "We are very happy to make what has to be one of the most anti-climactic renewal announcements ever: 'The Walking Dead' is renewed for a fifth season," Charlie Collier, AMC's president, said in a statement Tuesday. "This is a show that has erased traditional distinctions between cable and broadcast. Its expanding base of passionate fans has grown every season, most recently -- and most notably -- with the Season 4 premiere earlier this month, which broke viewership records for the series and became the biggest non-sports telecast in cable history. On behalf of the incredible team on both sides of the camera, thank you to the fans and here's to more 'Dead.'" Scott Gimple will return as the series' show-runner next season, along with executive producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Greg Nicotero and Tom Luse, the cable network said.