Sunday's midseason return of "The Walking Dead" earned the highest viewership for a drama in basic cable history in the 18-49 demographic most valued by advertisers.
Although the Grammys telecast on CBS was the second-most-viewed Grammys ever, plenty of viewers eschewed at least part of the ceremony to watch survivors of a zombie apocalypse on AMC instead.
The 9 p.m. show earned 5.4 million viewers in the 18-49 demo, up 12 percent from the season two premiere Oct. 16, which previously held the viewing record.
Sunday's episode, entitled "Nebraska," delivered 8.1 million total viewers for its 9 p.m. premiere and 10.1 million total viewers including repeats at 11 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.
The 9 p.m. episode beat every network primetime show in total viewers except for the Grammys, the "60 Minutes" episode that led into the telecast, and ABC's "Once Upon a Time."
It also set a record for basic cable dramas in 25-54-year-old viewers, earning 4.4 million viewers in that demo.
It scored a 5.2 household rating. October's 90-minute episode program had earned a 4.8 household rating, and 7.3 million total viewers.
At 10 p.m., AMC also premiered its new unscripted series, “Comic Book Men,” executive produced by Kevin Smith. The show, centered around a comics shop owned by Smith, received 2 million total viewers.
It had a 1.3 household rating.
