Why ‘The Witcher’ on Netflix Is Losing Viewers Like ‘The Walking Dead’

by

While fans of The Witcher and The Walking Dead might not completely overlap, the two shows are starting to feel increasingly alike. The Walking Dead, which ran for 11 seasons on AMC from 2010 to 2022, was originally based on a comic book series by Robert Kirkman. Season 4 of The Witcher has just been released on Netflix, with Season 5, adapted from Andrzej Sapkowski’s books, already planned.

As a big fantasy and TV fan, I remember when The Witcher Season 1 dropped on Netflix in 2019 – it was an instant success! It quickly became part of the huge Witcher universe, and honestly, The Walking Dead had a similar impact when it first came out, immediately establishing itself as one of the best shows on television. Both series really became part of the cultural conversation – you’d see bits and pieces of their stories everywhere. But it’s funny, anything that popular almost always attracts criticism and has its problems. Sadly, The Witcher and The Walking Dead are no exception; even shows we love aren’t perfect.

Key Information About The Witcher & The Walking Dead
Show Genre Seasons Episodes Years
The Walking Dead Horror 11 177 2010-2022
The Witcher Fantasy 4 33 2019-

‘The Witcher’ Is Losing Viewers Just Like ‘The Walking Dead’ Did

I remember when a new season of The Witcher would drop and social media would explode with positive buzz. For the first three seasons, even as some criticism started to creep in, people were genuinely excited to watch Geralt’s adventures and talk about them. But Season 4 feels different – it’s the first time I’ve seen almost no one talking about it. The conversation has pretty much stopped.

It’s unusual for fans to not have strong opinions about a new season of a popular show. So, the lack of online discussion about The Witcher Season 4 probably means fewer people are watching it, rather than everyone being blown away (or disappointed) into silence. Season 4 started with 7.4 million views over four days, a significant drop from Season 2’s 18.5 million and Season 3’s 15.2 million views in their first week. This decline is reminiscent of what happened with The Walking Dead, which was once a huge TV hit but eventually lost its audience.

The season 7 premiere of The Walking Dead, titled “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be,” featured the shocking death of Steven Yeun’s character, Glenn Rhee. This event marked the last time the show truly captivated fans. After that, ratings and interest steadily declined over several seasons until the series ended. Although the show officially concluded with the season 11 finale in 2022, it had largely lost its momentum long before then.

‘The Witcher’ & ‘The Walking Dead’ Both Fell Out of Favor for Similar Reasons


AMC

A TV show’s success usually comes from a special combination of factors, and the actors who play the characters are a big part of that. Often, when even one actor leaves, it can throw the whole show off course – something producers should anticipate. For The Walking Dead, that actor was Steven Yeun. He was a fan favorite, but his character was killed off early in Season 7.

Look, that moment with Glenn… it’s iconic, but devastating. And while The Walking Dead delivered some really strong episodes immediately after, things just weren’t the same. The show tried so hard to recapture its former glory, introducing new faces and fracturing the original group. Honestly, it felt like they were scrambling to fill the hole Steven Yeun left, but nothing ever quite clicked the way it used to. They never really recovered, in my opinion.

Many viewers stopped watching The Walking Dead when Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) left in Season 9. Something similar happened with The Witcher on Netflix, but the decline in popularity happened quietly. Between seasons 3 and 4, the lead actor playing Geralt of Rivia changed. Liam Hemsworth took over the role from Henry Cavill, who left because he disagreed with the show’s new direction.

Netflix hoped that casting Hemsworth would keep viewers happy, but fans were very disappointed by Cavill’s exit and many stopped watching. While some tuned in just to express their frustration, that actually helped the show’s streaming numbers a little. Despite the issues, Netflix is still committed to The Witcher, and Hemsworth will star in Season 5, which will be the show’s last. Like The Walking Dead, The Witcher will get to finish its story as planned, instead of being abruptly canceled.

‘The Walking Dead’ Lasted Way Longer Than ‘The Witcher’ Before Falling From Grace


AMC

Despite losing viewers after seven seasons, The Walking Dead continued for four more, ultimately delivering a conclusive ending. In today’s TV landscape, lasting eleven seasons is a remarkable feat, and The Walking Dead’s success on AMC is truly noteworthy. Plus, the popularity of the show’s spin-offs demonstrates that the story still resonates with a dedicated fanbase.

Unlike The Walking Dead, which ran for eleven seasons, The Witcher only lasted three seasons before its popularity began to decline significantly. This drop in viewership happened much faster for The Witcher than it did for The Walking Dead. While Netflix is giving The Witcher one final season to conclude its story, The Walking Dead has found continued success with several spin-off shows, ultimately proving more successful overall. You can stream The Witcher on Netflix, and The Walking Dead is available on Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and Netflix.

Read More

2025-11-20 02:51