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‘The Walking Dead’ Season 9 Preview Special to Air, Yvette Nicole Brown to Host

Fans of AMC’s The Walking Dead are about to get their first in-depth look at what’s sure to be the most talked about season yet for the series.

This Sunday, August 5th, the network will be airing a Talking Dead season nine preview special which will include exclusive content from the upcoming season as well as interviews from the cast, creators and a never before seen sneak peek.

Earlier this week, the Talking Dead Twitter account posted about the event by saying, “Need some #MondayMotivation? #TalkingDead returns this Sunday, August 5th, at 9|8c with #TWD Season 9 Preview Special! Tune in for exclusive interviews with the cast including Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, and Lauren Cohan, plus a never before seen sneak peek of #TWD season 9!”

One thing fans might be wondering is if beloved host Chris Hardwick would be back from his brief suspension to host the season nine preview special, but it looks he won’t be back just yet.

Hardwick was briefly suspended from his on-air duties after the publication of an essay penned by his ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra insinuated accusations of emotional and sexual abuse. During that time, AMC conducted a full investigation into the claims before reinstating the host last month.

On Tuesday, friend and The Walking Dead superfan Yvette Nicole Brown responded to a tweet from a fan expressing their intent to boycott the special if Hardwick was not back at the host. Brown responded by saying she will be filling in for him on the preview special, but that Hardwick will be back in action on August 12th for the Fear the Walking Dead season 4b premiere. Brown tweeted, “@hardwick will be back in his seat on August 12th. I’m hosting this. Just this one preview special. It’d be great if folks tuned in to see what’s to come on S9 of #TWD. Great stuff to come. That said, if you’re just boycotting me for some strange reason #DoYouBooBoo”

The upcoming season of The Walking Dead promises to be the best season that fans have seen in years and is certainly coming with a slew of changes to the series. For one, the series has a new showrunner. Angela Kang, who has been with the show for years as a Co-Executive Producer and long-time writer, was promoted to Showrunner for the ninth season earlier this year. Scott Gimple (former Showrunner) will now be Chief Content Officer overseeing the entire Walking Dead franchise including both The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead.

For season nine, Kang has already confirmed that the series will experience a time jump in the upcoming season and we got our first taste of what that future world looks like when the explosive first trailer dropped last month at San Diego Comic-Con.

Also at San Diego Comic-Con, series star Andrew Lincoln address the fans regarding his impending departure from the series. With what is, perhaps, the biggest change ahead, Lincoln is, in fact, leaving the show during the ninth season leaving many fans wondering how the series can continue on without the leader Rick Grimes.

In addition to Lincoln’s departure, Lauren Cohan’s role on the series is left in question. Cohan was recently cast in ABC’s Whiskey Cavalier which has been picked up to series during the 2018 television upfronts. Both Cohan and Lincoln are said to appear in just six episodes in the upcoming season though Cohan has recently let slip a major spoiler about her character’s fate calling Maggie’s story “open-ended.”

While it’s doubtful we’ll get any more clarity on how the show will continue after all these changes in the preview special, it’s sure to be an event that fans won’t want to miss!

Set your DVRs or clear your calendars. The Walking Dead Preview Special will air this Sunday, August 5th, at 9 PM EST. The Walking Dead returns to AMC with all-new episodes starting on October 7th.

Are you ready for season nine of The Walking Dead? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.