Did you catch the premiere of AMC’s The Walking Dead last night? If not, dial in that DVR to one of the encores running this week, because you DO NOT want to be left behind by the wave that looks to be this fall’s hottest new TV series! It’s not just the walking dead, folks, it’s real drama, solid character development, and a story that I know is just going to tear our guts out before the season finale!

According to MTV, the premiere was viewed by 5.3 million people last night, which is the largest audience ever for an AMC original series. The pilot episode also managed to pull in 3.6 million adults in the 18-49 age demographic, and became the highest-rated cable series to premiere in 2010.

“It’s a good day to be dead. We are so proud of this series, its depth of storytelling and the remarkable talent attached,” said AMC president Charlie Collier. “As the network dedicated to bringing viewers the best stories on television, we are so pleased to have the opportunity with The Walking Dead to raise the bar within this popular genre and continue our commitment to being the home of premium television on basic cable.”