Days Gone Bye

A man wakes to a world where the dead walk and the living are scarce.

"Days Gone Bye" (titled "Pilot" on DVD and Blu-ray releases) is the pilot 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's teleplay was written and directed by Frank Darabont, the series creator. The episode 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.

Quick Facts

Series: The Walking Dead
Director: Frank Darabont
Photographer: David Tattersall
Editor: Hunter M. Via
Air date: 31 October 2010
Length: 67 minutes

Lore & Background

The episode opens in medias res as former Sheriff's Deputy Rick Grimes scavenges for gas and supplies at an abandoned convenience store on a deserted highway in rural Georgia. He spots a little girl holding a teddy bear as he assures her not to be afraid of him, but she turns out to be a zombie. When she shambles towards him, Rick shoots her in the head. Returning to several weeks prior, Rick is seriously injured while chasing down criminals alongside his partner and childhood friend Shane Walsh; he is shot in the side and goes into a coma.

Hospitalized after the injury, Rick experiences a series of dreamlike encounters with friends and family. When he regains consciousness, he finds the hospital abandoned and horrifically ransacked: the walls are sprayed with blood, destroyed equipment is everywhere, and dead bodies litter the hallway. He walks past a set of double doors secured with heavy chains and spray-painted with the ominous warning "Don't Open Dead Inside". From the far side of the secured doors, Rick hears growling while an unknown menace pushes against the locked doors.

Reader's Guide

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

Principal photography for the pilot commenced in May 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. It was wholly shot on 16 mm film and edited using computer-generated imagery. The principal photography produced a high demand for extras as zombies. Special effects artist Greg Nicotero stated that while anyone was welcome to audition, the producers of the show were looking specifically for people who possessed exceptional height and thin features.

Casting for extras took approximately three days. Once accepted, the extras would be sent to "zombie school" for training and preparing for filming.