Into The Badlands

[Dragonzbane76]

just finished watching opening episode and was impressed. The fight scenes were theater quality. Very well done. Looking forward to seeing more.

[Jimbo]

I watched it last night. I agree that the fights are very well-done for a TV series. It will be interesting to see how the series develops. Hopefully it will be around long enough and develop a good following.

[Dragonzbane76]

agree jimbo, downfall of most MA's types of things is lack of storyline and development of characters. See what happens with this.

[GeneChing]

Season 1, Episode 1 93 days left
The Fort
The Badlands’ deadliest Clipper, Sunny, rescues a mysterious boy, M.K., who harbors a dark secret, but may also know the way out of the Badlands.
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For those without AMC access, AMC has put it online.

[GeneChing]

‘Into The Badlands’ Ratings: AMC Martial Arts Drama Is Fourth-Biggest Cable TV Premiere Ever
By Oriana Schwindt @schwindter O.Schwindt@ibtimes.com on November 17 2015 2:49 PM EST


Sunny (Daniel Wu, pictured) is a deadly warrior in a dangerous world in "Into the Badlands" Season 1. AMC

AMC’s launch strategy for martial arts drama “Into the Badlands” appears to have paid off: The show’s post-“The Walking Dead” debut brought in about 6.4 million total viewers and 4.06 million in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic. It’s the biggest launch of the fall season in that all-important demo, smacking down not only new cable shows like FX’s “The ******* Executioner” but also NBC’s “Blindspot,” which grabbed the attention of 3.9 million 18-49ers, and CBS’ “Supergirl,” which notched about the same. (The total “Supergirl” audience is still tops, though, with just shy of 13 million.)

It’s a very promising start for AMC's non-spinoff series, though below the monster 8 million demo viewers of its newbie predecessor, “Fear the Walking Dead.” “Fear,” of course, had the advantage of being touted as a prequel to one of TV’s biggest hits (“The Walking Dead”). “Badlands” had to keep “Dead”’s audience intrigued while introducing an entirely new world to viewers. (Having your show’s protagonist dispatch more than half a dozen foes before the title sequence seems like an effective way of achieving that goal.) It’s also the fourth-best cable series debut ever in the demo, behind “Fear” and “Breaking Bad” spinoff “Better Call Saul.” USA’s 2002 drama “The Dead Zone” is, weirdly, No. 3.

“Badlands” followed a “Walking Dead” (original flavor) that was up about 5 percent from last Sunday’s episode, according to Nielsen ratings. The next two episodes will also air after “Walking Dead,” before the latter goes on hiatus until 2016, and the real test of “Badlands”’ audience will begin. Still, the network can comfortably pop some wheelies today.

AMC won’t have an official comment until ratings for Sunday night plus the next three days have been counted, as is standard procedure these days for many cable networks.

Season two, here we come!

[GeneChing]

I hope it kicks up our shares too. And by 'our' I mean all of Kung Fu.

Kung Fu Thriller Could Kick Up AMC Shares
“Into the Badlands” looks like a hit for AMC. Together with “The Walking Dead,” it could help boost the shares 20%
November 21, 2015



AMC Networks has diversified beyond biting into kicking and swordplay. Last weekend, zombie thriller The Walking Dead brought in 12.9 million viewers, up 3% from the prior week, and 6.4 million of them stuck around for the debut of Into the Badlands, which looks a little like Kung Fu with a sprinkling of Mad Max and The Hunger Games. That gives Badlands one of the strongest cable starts ever.

Shares of AMC Networks (ticker: AMCX) are up a quick 12%, to just over $80, since we recommended them two months ago (“A New Zombie Outbreak Could Lift AMC,” Sept. 7). Readers should stick with them, for three reasons. First, they remain about 10% cheaper than the broad Standard & Poor’s 500 index, with better earnings growth potential. Second, the reason they’re not more expensive is the network’s heavy reliance on The Walking Dead, which increasingly looks like a nice problem to have. Not only is the show still going strong, but an offshoot that ran from August to October, Fear the Walking Dead had the highest-rated first season in cable history. Earnings per share for AMC are expected to jump 39% this year to just over $5. And next year, Fear runs for 15 episodes, up from six this year.

Third, AMC has an excellent shot at coming up with another breakout hit. It’s too early to say on Badlands. Maybe it’s Better Call Saul, the Breaking Bad spinoff, which averaged nearly six million viewers in its first season this year and returns next year. Maybe it’s Preacher, a cult comic book that comes to screen next summer featuring gunfighters, an Irish vampire, cannibals, and someone named Arseface. Seth Rogen is a co-writer.

A new hit could lift the stock from 16 times earnings to 17 times which, based on next year’s recently raised consensus of $5.69 a share, would mean a 20% rise from here to about $97.

-- Jack Hough

E-mail: editors@barrons.com

[GeneChing]

Limited time offer from AMC

Season 1, Episode 2 85 days left
Fist Like a Bullet
M.K. finds refuge in an unlikely and dangerous place, while Sunny’s loyalty is tested when Quinn tries to force him to commit an unspeakable act.
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