AMC's long-running zombie series 'The Walking Dead', based on the Robert Kirkman comic book series of the same name, could be in deep trouble. For quite some time now, ratings on the show have been dwindling, and now the series has hit a low that it's not seen for many years.

Norman Reedus stars as Daryl Dixon in the seriesNorman Reedus stars as Daryl Dixon in the series

Following this week's season 8 episode 10 release 'The Lost and the Plunderers', numbers came in that showed the episode scored an average of 6.8 million viewers and a 2.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic, which make the episode the lowest rated release since season 1 episode 5 release 'Wildfire'. Despite viewers dropping however, those working on the series don't seem to be too concerned, with current showrunner Scott Gimple admitting there were conversations going on about expanding the universe of 'The Walking Dead' further in the near future with more spinoffs and new content.

What the primary series may need is a dose of fresh paths to travel, and that could happen when Gimple moves from his showrunner role to Chief Content Officer at the end of season 8. Angela Kang will then be promoted into Gimple's former role for season 9 and beyond, and could be exactly what the show gets right in bringing viewers back for good.

A number of huge decisions in regards to the narrative being told in the series have arguably played a big part in viewers dropping off, most recently with the death of leading character Carl Grimes, played by Chandler Riggs. The move was one that nobody saw coming, as the character is still very much alive in the comic books, and quickly saw a vocal portion of the fan base setting up online petitions and calling for Gimple to be fired.

AMC are of course sticking by their man and the decisions being made, and if we're lucky, we'll see the payoff in episodes right around the corner. If we're forced to wait too long for something great to happen, even more viewers could start leaving in droves.

More: 'The Walking Dead' Will Soon Have More Spinoffs

'The Walking Dead' season 8 continues Sundays in the US on AMC and Mondays in the UK on FOX.