The Walking Dead and other U.S. shows could face an uncertain fate in China. Authorities shut down two popular file-sharing sites in late November. That means fans of The Walking Dead may never get to see their beloved television show ever again.
“According to a CNN report, late last month, “many found their entertainment lifeline cut off as authorities shut down two of the country’s most popular file-sharing sites. State media called the sites known copyright infringers. The sites themselves claimed to be free platforms for people who want to learn about American language and culture.”
Very few US shows air on China’s broadcast and cable networks. That means that people who live in China can’t tune into popular U.S. shows like The Walking Dead , Masters of Sex or House of Cards . While the country does have legal streaming sites like Sohu, which brought House of Cards into the country the same time it aired on Netflix, it’s rumored that these sites will be the next targets for censorship.
CNN further explained the scenario.
“China’s broadcast regulator has strongly hinted from April 2015 it would only approve ‘healthy’ content to be streamed online — a troubling prospect for followers of such shows as zombie horror drama The Walking Dead and steamy period drama Masters of Sex .”
“What’s more, online broadcasters may have to wait for a show’s entire season to air in the US before streaming it in China. Hardcore followers say they dread the prospect of having to wait to watch chopped versions of their beloved shows on streaming sites.”
That means that the country is cracking down on what people watch online. It’s bad enough that their Internet activities are regulated, but that they also can’t watch the shows that they enjoy like The Walking Dead .
Fans of The Walking Dead typically get frustrated in the United States when they have to avoid spoilers until the episode of the AMC hit show airs on the west coast. Now Chinese fans will be even more frustrated since they’ll have to wait until the full season of The Walking Dead is sold in stores, so they can view them all in an edited format .
Avoiding spoilers is difficult enough with social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. But the anticipation and excitement of a new The Walking Dead episode is what helps build the tension of the show.
Does that mean that fans in China will also have to wait until The Walking Dead companion series comes out in an edited format? That’s right. The Walking Dead is expecting to shoot a spinoff as early as next year, according to a report on the Inquisitr . Hopefully fans in China won’t have to wait too long to catch up with this new series, which occurs before the zombie outbreak took place.
