• by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, April 20, 2023

The “Walking Dead” universe, Anne Rice universe and even the “Growing Up Hip Hop” universe are all expanding at AMC Networks.

All that and a semi-retired Sam Spade too were presented to the advertising community at the AMCN Upfront Tuesday evening in New York.

Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMCN, presented the content section of the Upfront, preceded by remarks by CEO Kristin Dolan and Chief Commercial Officer Kim Kelleher.

Also on stage was Evan Adlman, executive vice president of commercial sales and revenue operations for AMC Networks, who presented AMC's new data platform, Audience+, and pitched the value of AMCN’s content and fervent, loyal audiences.

Rounding out the presentation was Head of Marketing Kim Granito who promoted AMC’s Content Room production unit and the branding and integrated in-show opportunities available in the unit's short-form content developed from existing, fan-favorite content franchises.

The programming announcements included the continuation of the “Walking Dead” universe.

One new spinoff, “The Walking Dead: Dead City,” will bring two of the franchise's long-running characters -- adversaries Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) -- to a zombie-infested New York City.

Another is “The Walking Dead: Rick and Michonne” (unofficial title), a continuation of the two characters' romance, starring Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira.

A third one announced at the Upfront is “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon,” focused on the iconic character played by Norman Reedus who mysteriously washes up on the shores of France.

McDermott also announced a new as-yet untitled “potential third series” in AMC's universe of Anne Rice-derived series. The show runner and writer will be movie director John Lee Hancock (“The Blind Side”).

“The series is set in the world of the Talamasca, a secretive organization featured in a number of Rice's iconic novels that is devoted to studying the supernatural world and keeping mortals safe from its darkest elements,” AMC said in an Upfront press release.

The new one will join existing series “Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches” and “Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire,” both hits for AMC and AMC+.

In 2020, AMC Networks acquired the rights to an “expansive” collection of Rice's works, encompassing 18 titles, AMC said.

Also presented at the Upfront: “Monsieur Spade” (pictured above) starring Clive Owen as the legendary “Maltese Falcon” private eye semi-retired and living in France in 1963; and “Parish,” starring Giancarlo Esposito as a cab driver who becomes a driver for professional criminals.

On WE tv, the “Growing Up Hip Hop” universe will be enlivened by two new series.

One is a one-hour, scripted drama, “Bev Is Boss,” based on the life and career of rap and hip-hop impresario and music mogul Deb Antney, who has been seen on “Growing Up Hip Hop” and “Waka and Tammy.”

The other is the unscripted “Toya and Reginae,” which will delve into the lives of Toya Johnson-Rushing, ex-wife of rapper Lil Wayne, and their daughter Reginae Carter. “Toya and Reginae” is slated to premiere this fall on WE.

AMCN’s Upfront ended with a bang, just before the serving of a luxe supper, with a performance by Gladys Knight whose sudden appearance on-stage came as a complete surprise to everyone in the Jazz at Lincoln Center event space, except, of course, the folks at AMCN who planned it.

Knight, 78, then blew the roof off with her two best-known hits, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Midnight Train to Georgia.”

The performance led one awed, veteran journalist on the TV beat to remark that this performance was hands-down the best he had ever seen at an Upfront, and he has seen many of them.