Spin-offs have long been a part of TV history. The Andy Griffith Show spun out of The Danny Thomas Show. The Simpsons first appeared in The Tracy Ullman Show. Joey… I digress. Networks have long since sought to expand their most popular worlds with more stories starring fan-favorite characters, or as the case may be, monsters.

This fall and midseason, TV sees four high-profile spin-offs coming to network and cable, led by AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, followed by NBC’s Chicago Med and midseason shows Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders on CBS and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow for The CW.

Premiering in advance of The Walking Dead’s sixth season, Fear the Walking Dead shakes up the timeline and setting of Robert Kirkman’s smash hit zombie show. As such, AMC doesn’t consider Fear the Walking Dead a spinoff, labeling it a ‘companion’ series.

“Fear the Walking Dead is very much a companion piece; it really co-exists with The Walking Dead. It’s a parallel story–it’s a world set in The Walking Dead universe but seen from a very different moment and from a very different vantage point. Set in East LA, Fear the Walking Dead explores a world just on the brink of the apocalypse through the eyes of an entirely new set of characters,” said Gina Hughes, AMC SVP of marketing.

“When Robert and I first sat down, the way he envisioned it was an opportunity to explore part of living within the same mythological umbrella and to explore some ideas that he had not had a chance to in the comic or in the TV series,” said Fear the Walking Dead’s showrunner Dave Erickson.

Fear the Walking Dead’s coming out party, as befitting a genre show, was held at this summer’s San Diego Comic-Con, where they released the first trailer and introduced the cast to a packed Hall H. They also had numerous on-the-ground activations and hosted events throughout the week.

This franchise launch made Fear the Walking Dead the number-one most engaged new series (@FearTWD), according to Hughes. AMC has sought to build on that excitement with a multi-touchpoint campaign that reaches across AMC’s own air waves, digital, social, billboards and theaters. Leading up to the premiere this Sunday, AMC will be utilizing social media to “generate buzz and excitement around the night,” said Hughes.

Consider Fear the Walking Dead an entry point to the The Walking Dead universe. “We want to bring in new viewers to the franchise who think that it’s too late to start a show on the sixth season,” said Hughes. “We’re also looking to find ways to bring fans of The Walking Dead into the excitement of the show.”

But also consider Fear the Walking Dead is a separate entity.

“The most important thing for us when putting together this series was to make sure that it stood on its own. In the universe of Fear the Walking Dead, we wanted to tell a story that deserved to be told, that was character-driven, that engaged the audience as much as the original series did in an equally compelling way,” said Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd.

Executive Producer and Dean of Zombie School Greg Nicotero talked about the challenges inherent in creating the show: “They both have different challenges—I think having a graphic novel like The Walking Dead is great because you know it’s already a tried and true commodity. You know the successes of it and you’re able to emulate that. I think the biggest challenge with the companion series is the visibility of the show and the inherent comparisons that will be made between the two shows are inevitable, but the truth of the matter is they are two different shows. There is a wide world out there to explore, which is what makes the companion series so exciting.”

Traditionally, sitcoms and procedurals have been mined for spin-offs and series, but with the rise of genre TV, zombies and superheroes (with DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) are now getting in on the action. AMC certainly hopes their biters have the same kind of staying power that Dick Wolf and Jerry Bruckheimer have enjoyed on NBC and CBS, respectively.

Dick Wolf’s Law & Order franchise, which has since spawned four spin-offs and over 1,000 episodes of television, began in 1990. Now Dick Wolf is the preeminent NBC brand. In 2012, Wolf expanded his empire with Chicago Fire, which has expanded to include Chicago PD and this fall, will spin-off again with Chicago Med. The Chicago franchise is cohesive, with Chicago Med promising to bring in familiar faces from various departments on the show(s). Chicago Med premieres Tuesday November 17 at 9/8c.

While Jerry Bruckheimer’s CSI flagship franchise is coming to an end this fall with a two-hour TV movie on September 27, CSI: Cyber remains and CBS may have found a replacement franchise in Criminal Minds. Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders will premiere midseason, starring spin-off veteran Gary Sinise (CSI: NY).

Hughes emphasizes the unique nature of AMC’s companion series. “The audience is ahead of the characters initially. Fans know how this will go. It’s fascinating how audiences will experience this,” said Hughes. “There will be suspense, dread, and it’ll be an interesting experience.”

“I know a lot of people are very excited and I’ve had a tremendous number of fans respond very favorably to the fact that they get another bite at The Walking Dead apple starting in August. There is a genuine appetite for The Walking Dead universe while we are in hiatus. What better way to fill that time than with another Walking Dead show? Expectations are high; we have our work cut out for us because we don’t want to disappoint the fans,” said Nicotero.

Given its two season pickup, AMC is confident that Fear the Walking Dead won’t disappoint.

Fear the Walking Dead premieres Sunday August 23 on AMC at 9/8c.

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