One big post-apocalyptic family, aka the cast of AMC's The Walking Dead. Photograph: Gene Page  The Walking Dead season four premieres today on AMC in the US. In a first-of-its-kind effort to combat piracy, the show will premiere in the UK and 23 other countries, within 24 after the initial premiere.  Executive producer Gale Ann Hurd has been with the show for all four seasons, migrating to the heat and humidity of Georgia each summer to create the post-apocalpytic world filled with Walkers – the show's term for zombies.  The series is based on Robert Kirkman's comic book of the same name, which Hurd was a fan of before getting involved with the show. The comic book celebrates the 10th anniversary of its publication this month. "I like to think that we have that long of a lifespan and its not ending anytime soon, I hope," Hurd said.  Hurd has worked for decades on "world at risk" features including Alien, Twister, The Terminator and nearly every other movie of that ilk released in the past 35 years. "This is the most fun job in a career that goes back to 1978," Hurd said, touting the cast and crew's camaraderie as well as the vocal fan engagement. From May to Thanksgiving, the cast and crew are in Georgia to film. She said that the "family" has a level of commitment she has never seen before. "You think we'd be tired of each other by that point – and then we're all thrilled to get back to working 14 hour days in the heat, humidity and bugs when May rolls around," Hurd said.  After the death of a character, a "death dinner" is held to say goodbye to the cast member. She said there is never a "ding, dong, the witch is dead" feeling when an actor leaves the show, while most shows, like any workplace, have a few troublemakers. "It's always: 'oh my god, what a tragedy, we're going to miss you so much and we stay in touch,'" Hurd said. "Everyone who has been on the show has stayed in touch and they will always be a part of The Walking Dead family."  One major death in the third season was Andrea's gruesome end in the finale. "The important thing is we never kill off a character unless their death will have an enormous effect on the rest of the survivors," Hurd said. "And that's certainly the case with her gone – you know, we can examine how that's affected Michonne and Rick, etc – the characters who were there witnessing her final moments."  She said that the fan engagement has also made The Walking Dead the most fun show to share with an audience. "They definitely let you know if they feel you've got it right or got it wrong."  One of the fans most fervent points of engagement was mocking Carl's irritating habit of wandering off in the dangerous landscape during the second season. The internet was filled with memes reading: "Where's Carl" and "Carl get back in the house". His role deepened in the third season and the memes quieted.  "He's become a better survivor in this world – is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Hurd said. "That's something we're going to examine in the fourth season, is: what is childhood like in the zombie apocalypse, and how can you be a good parent?"
Interview: Executive producer Gale Ann Hurd says cast is like a 'family' and writers carefully consider which characters die and why