How would you survive a zombie apocalypse? Hunker down and stay hidden? Flee into the wilderness? For The Walking Dead’s beloved hero Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus, American Gangster), neither of those is an option – you can guarantee that you’ll find him right in the middle of all the gory action.

So when the fan favourite landed his very own series with The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, critics and audiences alike couldn’t wait for its arrival. Now, UK fans are getting their chance to see Daryl fight new enemies and an even deadlier variant of Walkers in France, while taking on the responsibilty of shepherding the child at the heart of a benevolent religious movement to a sanctuary known as The Nest.

Don’t miss The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon from Thursday 1 August at 9pm on Sky Max HD (CH 111). Meanwhile, get reacquainted with Daryl and The Walking Dead world using our handy guide below for fans and newcomers alike.

What is The Walking Dead?

Inspired by the bestselling graphic novel series of the same name, The Walking Dead is a multi-award-winning horror series that follows a group of survivors as they navigate a post-apocalyptic world filled with hordes of vicious, ambulant corpses called Walkers (no one uses the word “zombies” here). And it’s not just the reanimated they have to watch out for: while they search for a secure home, the group regularly clashes with other pockets of humans who have their own sets of laws and morals.

Who is Daryl Dixon?

A self-styled lone wolf and expert hunter with killer survival skills, Daryl is the kind of guy that you’d want on your team in the event of an apocalypse. Over 11 seasons of The Walking Dead, viewers watched him evolve from a volatile survivalist living in the shadow of his brother into a responsible and courageous member of the group, eventually becoming its trusted leader while developing a strong bond with his comrade and right-hand woman Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride, The Mist).

What is The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon about?

Set shortly after the finale of The Walking Dead, this six-parter begins with Daryl washing up on the shores of France after he was abducted from the United States. But he won’t be sunning himself on the French Riviera anytime soon: France is the origin country of the Wildfire virus that creates Walkers and their aggressive, acid-spitting counterparts, Burners. When Daryl encounters the Union Of Hope and their potential key to saving humanity, he leads their pilgrimage in exchange for safe passage back home. And as usual, trouble is never too far away.

Who’s in it?

Starring alongside Reedus are Clémence Poésy (The Tunnel) and Laïka Blanc-Francard (Le Monde De Demain) as nuns Isabelle and Sylvie; newcomer Louis Puech Scigliuzzi as Isabelle’s nephew Laurent; Adam Nagaitis (The Responder) as Laurent’s influential father Quinn; Romain Levi (Spiral) as military man Stéphane and Anne Charrier (The Astronaut) as Marion, the leader of the nationalist movement Pouvoir.

Set to join the cast for season 2 later this year are McBride, reprising her role as the fiercely loyal Carol, and Manish Dayal (Halt And Catch Fire) as Ash, an engineer from Boston with a mysterious backyard greenhouse. Intriguing…

Do I need to watch The Walking Dead before tuning in?

No. Created by award-winning writer David Zabel (ER), The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon has enough compelling storytelling, interesting characters and good old-fashioned blood-spattered action in its own right. And with the special effects make-up creator from The Walking Dead universe on board as executive producer, you know you can expect something that looks incredible onscreen. 

But if you want to see how Daryl became a fan favourite or understand the origins of his relationship with Carol, then we’d recommend giving The Walking Dead a watch. After all, it was one of TV’s most successful ever shows, drawing in millions of viewers over its decade-long tenure with superbly drawn characters and heart-stopping sci-fi action.

Where else can I watch The Walking Dead on Virgin TV?

Good question. Sky Max on demand is the new home of The Walking Dead universe, and there’s plenty of undead action to sink your teeth into. Happy hunting!

• The Walking Dead – Find seasons 1-11 in Sky Max on demand now
• The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live – Find season 1 in Sky Max on demand now
• The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – Find season 1 from Thursday 1 August and season 2 coming October in Sky Max on demand
  
• The Walking Dead: Dead City – Find season 1 later this year and season 2 in 2025 in Sky Max on demand
  

Can’t get enough Daryl Dixon? Click on the graphic below to reveal some of Daryl’s most iconic moments from his epic adventures across The Walking Dead world. It’s been an incredible journey…