Walking Dead zombie TV show gets cinema style release

Zombies were placed on the streets of 26 cities around the world for publicity

US zombie show The Walking Dead claims it's the first TV series simultaneously released around the world.

It premiered on Halloween night in the States and across the week it will be shown in more than 100 countries.

It stars British actor Andrew Lincoln, who appeared in Love Actually.

He told Newsbeat: "It's going to be broadcast to 137 countries worldwide in the same week, which is more like a cinematic release.

"It's the first time they've ever done it."

The star says there are a number of reasons behind it.

"Information is so easily got around the world that it's a precaution," he said. "It stops people downloading it for free."

Changing market

In the UK we often have to wait months or years to get hit shows from America but Lincoln says Hollywood is changing.

The Walking Dead tells how survivors try to build communities and survive

"They have realised the DVD and the secondary and world markets are such an amazing opportunity."

He adds there are benefits to this more global approach as everyone's working towards the same date.

"It builds the fanfare a bit more."

Based on Robert Kirkman's graphic novels, the show tells the story of the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse.

It follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home.

Fervent expectation

A trailer was released at Comic-Con this year and it generated a lot of excitement.

The TV show even had a premiere in Hollywood like a movie

Teachers star Lincoln plays Grimes: "There is such a fervent expectation, they couldn't have got a better list of people to make this show for the fans.

"It's kind of terrifying, but it's very exciting that there is this anticipation."

He hopes it will live up to fans expectations: "It's frighteningly authentic and in some scenes there was no acting required. You'd just turn up and go 'Oh my lord get me out of here'."

Hollywood break

It's a big break for 37-year-old Andrew Lincoln.

He auditioned on tape in the UK and sent it to the States: "I'm convinced the only reason I got this gig is that my boy had just been born.

Andrew Lincoln warns the show is 'gruesome and brutal'

"I hadn't slept for 12 days so I looked apocalyptic."

He then had a skype chat with writer and director Frank Darabonte (Shawshank Redemption) and was invited over LA to audition.

"I was expecting a sound stage in Hollywood but we went to his garage," he revealed.

"For two and a half hours he stuck me in a car in his garage so it wasn't the glamorous Hollywood beginning I'd anticipated."

The Walking Dead is shown in the UK for the first time on Friday 5 November on FX.