Foxtel Scores 'Fear The Walking Dead' On FX & Presto

It's that time of year again, when fans of hit AMC zombie-apocalypse series The Walking Dead come out of the woodwork to remind us all about how awesome the show is, how Carl won't stay where he's supposed to, and that riots will break out if Daryl dies — yep, it's almost "series return" season.

This year, though, as the faithful stare down the barrel of the show's eagerly awaited sixth season, there's extra cause for excitement in the form of Fear The Walking Dead, the much-hyped, disappointingly LA-set spin-off that was first announced last year as an expanded look at the show's universe in the immediate wake of "the outbreak".

Australian fans won't have to wait around like chumps to see the show — which we say is "disappointingly" set in LA because the show-makers have literally the whole world and an impressive multinational cast (including several Australian or New Zealand actors) at their disposal to explore another side of the humanity-crippling zombie epidemic that has reached its peak by the time TWD protagonist was waking up in hospital back in season one… and they chose the freaking west coast of America — with Foxtel today announcing that it has secured exclusive screening rights for the series, express from the US, to debut on FX on Monday, 24 August, at 1.30pm.

Foxtel subscribers with internet-connected iQ set-top boxes or the Foxtel Go on-demand service will be able to access the series via Foxtel Anytime, while SVOD adherents get the short end of the stick — Fear The Walking Dead will head to the Foxtel co-owned Presto, but not until 2016.

"Fear The Walking Dead is the most anticipated new series of the year, and we are thrilled to bring the program to our subscribers exclusviely," Foxtel chief executive Richard Freudstein said in a statement.

"In addition to screening the series express from the US on FX, we are also excited to offer our customers the ability to watch every episode on demand on Foxtel Anytime following each episode's broadcast.

"Today's announcement further cements Foxtel's commitment to offering Australians the richest content from the world, available with the world, and also on demand."

Fear The Walking Dead is set in the early days of TWD's zombie apocalypse, before the military and makeshift refugee camps have come and totally collapsed, and before the world has accepted its grisly, quickly decomposing fate at the hands of its new undead inhabitants. The central cast includes Kim Dickens (Deadwood, Friday Night Lights, Treme), Cliff Curtis, Frank Dillane, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Ruben Blades, Mercedes Mason and Lorenzo James Henrie. It's already been renewed for a second 16-episode season.

Don't forget the big sibling, either — season six of The Walking Dead will air from Monday, 12 October.