Fans of AMC's zombie thriller-drama can rejoice after an official announcement states that 'The Walking Dead' will return for a fifth season just weeks after the fourth season premiered.

The zombie-ridden thrill of The Walking Dead will continue to "contaminate" TV with its gruesome-yet-exciting story as the series has been renewed for a fifth season. AMC's president Charlie Coller released a statement that confirmed the renewal, and show runner Scott M. Gimple will return as the producer, along with Frank Darabont and Glenn Mazzara.

"We are very happy to make what has to be one of the most anti-climactic renewal announcements ever: The Walking Dead is renewed for a fifth season," said Coller in a statement, as posted by The Hollywood Reporter.

Fans of The Walking Dead continue to rise, with a record breaking premiere that summoned 16.1 million viewers, with a 8.3 rating from its target demographic of 18 to 49. The show has become the biggest non-sports broadcast in cable history, with viewers reaching 20 million in number 3 days after DVR use. The Walking Dead's season 4 premiere episode even surpassed the ratings for Sunday Night Football as the top-rated program of the week.

There are still no announcements whether the series' talk show, Talking Bad, will return for a fifth season. For the latest episode, rocker Marilyn Manson was featured as a guest in the show hosted by Chris Hardwick.

The Walking Dead continues to put AMC as one of the top series runners in the world, especially after pop culture phenomenon, Breaking Bad, ended last month with outstanding reviews and critical acclaims.

"This is a show that has erased traditional distinctions between cable and broadcast. Its expanding base of passionate fans has grown every season, most recently -- and most notably -- with the season-four premiere earlier this month, which broke viewership records for the series and became the biggest nonsports telecast in cable history," AMC president, Colller, further said in his statement.