By LYDIA VERSLUIS
Staff Writer

Fans of AMC’s The Walking Dead are not shy about the violence featured on the wildly popular zombie apocalypse show.

But that will change slightly when the show returns in February.

The Walking Dead executive producer Gale Anne Hurd said on Jan. 18 the death of two main characters have prompted producers to make adjustments in episodes which were still in production.

“We were able to look at the feedback on the level of violence,” Hurd said during a panel session at the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) conference. “We did tone it down for episodes we were still filming for later on in the season.”

Hurd spoke on the NATPE panel with AMC Networks president and chief executive officer Josh Sapan.

“When something matters a lot and it has a universality, then you’re bothered by it and you care about it,” Sapan said.

The Walking Dead under the television ratings system in the United States is TV-MA meaning it is recommended for viewers18-years-old and above and is unsuitable for children.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) states that broadcasters are to prevent the showing of gratuitous violence on television and avoid airing violent programs before 9 p.m. and to have written advisories play throughout the program.

Regardless of these guidelines, it is up to parents to decide what is suitable for their children to watch.

“It makes me shake my head,” says second-year Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film program student Brodie Spies.

“They are watching a horror show and want to be scared by it. But when they are scared by it, they don’t want it.”

The season 7 premiere had a total of 17 million viewers, which is not a record-breaking number for the hit AMC television show.

The Walking Dead returns Feb. 12 at 9 p.m. on AMC followed by the after show hosted by Chris Hardwick, Talking Dead.