The Walking Dead will not depict the original zombie outbreak, creator Robert Kirkman has confirmed.

The AMC drama has featured brief flashbacks in previous episodes, but Kirkman told TV Guide that viewers should not expect to see the first surges of zombie activity in full.

"I don't find that to be interesting at all," the writer explained. "In zombie fiction, you see the outbreak, you see the first days and the craziness in almost every other story told in this realm. I'm very proud of the fact that, for the most part, The Walking Dead has skipped over that part."

Kirkman advised fans to watch Zack Snyder's 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake for an effective portrayal of a zombie outbreak.

"Or [Simon Pegg film comedy] Shaun of the Dead does it really well," he quipped.

The Walking Dead's 2012 finale aired on AMC on December 2, pulling in 10.48m viewers. The series will return to US screens and to FX in the UK in early 2013.

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Watch a clip from The Walking Dead's 2013 premiere below:

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