Days Gone Bye (The Walking Dead)

"Days Gone Bye"
The Walking Dead episode
Rick Grimes arrives in Atlanta, searching for his wife and his son.
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 1
Directed by	Frank Darabont
Teleplay by	Frank Darabont
Featured music	"Space Junk" by Wang Chung
Cinematography by	David Tattersall
Editing by	Hunter M. Via
Original air date	October 31, 2010 (2010-10-31)
Running time	67 minutes
Guest appearance(s)
Lennie James as Morgan Jones Emma Bell as Amy Jim Coleman as Lambert Kendal Linds Edwards as Leon Bassett Keisha Tillis as Jenny Jones Adrian Kali Turner as Duane Jones
Episode chronology
← Previous — Next → "Guts"
The Walking Dead (season 1) List of The Walking Dead episodes

"Days Gone Bye" is the first episode of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead. It originally aired on AMC in the United States on October 31, 2010. The episode was written and directed by Frank Darabont, the series creator.

Robert Kirkman, the creator of the series of comic books of the same name, considered the idea of creating a television show based on the comic series, but did not move forward. Frank Darabont expressed interest in developing the series for television. In January 2010, AMC formally announced that it had ordered a pilot for a possible series adapted from The Walking Dead comic book. In the announcement, the executives stated that Darabont would serve as writer, director, and an executive producer alongside Gale Anne Hurd.

Principal photography for the pilot commenced in May 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. It was wholly shot on 16 mm film, and was edited using computer-generated imagery. "Days Gone Bye" was heavily promoted in the months preceding its release; as part of an expansive advertising campaign, zombie invasion events were coordinated in selected locations including New York City, Washington, D.C., London, and Madrid. The episode premiered in 120 countries worldwide.

"Days Gone Bye" was critically well received, praising Lincoln's performance and Darabont's direction. Several critics compared it to Lost. In the United States, the series premiere achieved a viewership of 5.35 million, making it the most-watched series premiere in its network's history. The episode garnered a Nielsen rating of 2.7 in the 18-49 demographic, translating to 3.6 million viewers.