No surprise here but the zombie apocalypse blockbuster is coming back for another bite next October. Hot off a cliffhanger Sunday that seemed to spell the end for one of The Walking Dead’s central characters, AMC announced today that the top-rated show on TV would return for a seventh season next year. Aftershow Talking Dead will also be back, the cabler said.

“We are so proud to share these shows with fans who have been so passionate, communicative and engaged,” said Charlie Collier, president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios. “We are grateful for and continually impressed by the talent, effort and excellence on continuous display by Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple, Chris Hardwick and the many people with whom we partner to make these unique shows possible. The result: More Walking and Talking. Hooray.”

Today’s news also comes off a rise in the ratings for TWD earlier this week in Live+Same Day results. In just-released Live+3 numbers, the third episode of Season 6 of The Walking Dead drew 18.2 million total viewers and 12.0 million among adults 18-49, 39% and 42% jumps, respectively, from the Live +SD results. Up a tick in both categories from the L+3 of third episode of the fifth season, it’s also up 7% in total viewers and 8% among adults 18-49 from the L+3 results of the October 18 episode, the second of the current season.