'The Walking Dead' gets season 5

Let's call this a post for anyone out there who was actually wondering whether  "The Walking Dead" would be back for a fifth season. Yes, rest assured, "The Walking Dead" will be back for a fifth season. Even Charlie Collier, AMC chief, seemed bemused by the redundancy of even having to announce that the most viewed, non-sports, cable series in history -- and TV's most viewed this season -- would be coming back.

“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,” said Charlie Collier, AMC president..

But what may be notable in this announcement is the visible display of support for Scott Gimple, who "will return as series' showrunner..." As fans know, repeat engagements on this series are hardly a sure bet, and in fact, AMC and "Dead" have run through a couple of high profile show-runners, including Frank Darabont.

But this season's numbers are so huge, and the series really does look like it's firing on all cylinders, that even the barest hint of backstage intrigue or drama would seem churlish indeed. Or ill-placed.

Those numbers? Well, the season's first episode was seen by 20.2 million viewers, when video-on-demand tag-alongs were factored in.