“The Walking Dead” returned to monster ratings Sunday night with a record 16.1 million viewers at 9 p.m. — the most ever for an episode of the AMC zombie drama.
That audience was up 30 percent from its previous high of 12.1 million total viewers for the season three finale, according to Nielsen.
The AMC drama’s fourth season premiere also scored 10.4 million viewers in the coveted 18-49 demographic, more than any other program of the 2013-14 TV season, including “Sunday Night Football” and “The Big Bang Theory.”
At 10 p.m., the after show “Talking Dead” also saw record ratings, with 5.1 million viewers tuning in to its third season debut with special guests “Walking Dead” showrunner Scott Gimple and “Castle” star Nathan Fillion.