‘Walking Dead’ reruns get a black-and-white polish

The third season of “The Walking Dead� just returned from a year-end break on Sunday, but if that weekly helping of zombie gore still isn’t enough, there will soon be another way to get your fill.

Starting Thursday, AMC will begin re-airing the series’ first season in glorious black and white. Why black and white? For one, it makes the show’s bountiful blood and guts slightly more palatable for the squeamish, but it also evokes memories of the film that kicked off the entire flesh-eating zombie craze, George A. Romero’s 1968 black-and-white horror classic, “Night of the Living Dead.�

The move to re-air the series on Thursdays is designed to provide a boost for the channel’s unscripted programs which are now airing on that night. The shows, which premiere following “The Walking Dead,� include the second season of Kevin Smith’s “Comic Book Men� and the two new series, “Freakshow� and “Immortalized.�

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While this surely isn’t intentional, the black-and-white airing will no doubt please the series’ original show runner, Frank Darabont, who has long been a fan of black and white in regards to telling horror stories. Darabont’s 2007 thriller, “The Mist,� was originally intended to be released in black and white. When it was determined that wasn’t a viable commercial option, the film was eventually given a black-and-white option for its home video release.

Darabont left “The Walking Dead� after its first season after disputes with the network.

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