What Lies Ahead on AMC. It received 7.3 million viewers and attained a 4.8HH rating, breaking the record for the most-watched drama in the history of cable television. It received the second highest viewership of the week ending October 16, scoring higher than "Jersey Shore" but less than a 2011 NFL season game between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears. "What Lies Ahead" achieved similar feats, attaining a 3.8 rating—translating to 4.8 million viewers—in the 18-49 demographic, according to Nielsen ratings. In the 25–54 demographic, it garnered 4.2 million viewers. Total viewership after two encore presentations was 11 million viewers, an increase
What Lies Ahead down as showrunner. Initial reports suggested that he was unable to adjust to the schedule of running a television series, but it was later confirmed that he was fired because of the show's reduced budget and his strained relationship with the executives of AMC. In addition to the main cast, Melissa McBride reprised her role as Carol Peletier, IronE Singleton reprised his role as T-Dog, and Madison Lintz reprised her role as Sophia Peletier. All three were promoted to the recurring cast, as was Norman Reedus. "What Lies Ahead" was first broadcast in the United States on October 16, 2011,