It was a gamble, but premiering 'The Walking Dead' on Halloween night paid off for AMC -- big time.

How big? To the tune of 5.3 million total viewers and a 3.6 million share in the 18-49 demo. According to the Live Feed, 'The Walking Dead' was AMC's biggest premiere ever and highest rated episode ever.

"It's a good day to be dead. We are so proud of this series, its depth of storytelling and the remarkable talent attached," AMC President Charlie Collier said in a statement. "As the network dedicated to bringing viewers the best stories on television, we are so pleased to have the opportunity with 'The Walking Dead' to raise the bar within this popular genre and continue our commitment to being the home of premium television on basic cable."

Factoring in 11:30PM and 1AM airings, 'The Walking Dead' (Sun., 10PM on AMC) pulled in a total of 8.1 million viewers and a household rating of 6.0.

The premiere pulled in the highest 18-49 share of any cable network premiere so far this year.

'The Walking Dead' tells the tale of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and a group of survivors living in the outskirts of Atlanta, desperately trying to hold onto their humanity while living through a zombie apocalypse. The series is based on the comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard.

"'The Walking Dead' is that rare piece of programming that works on so many levels. It is legitimately great storytelling that is not only highly entertaining, but incredibly thought provoking as well," Joel Stillerman, senior vice president of original programming, production and digital content at AMC, said in a statement. "People who are familiar with the comic books know what's coming, but suffice it to say, this is only the beginning of a long, intense, and powerful ride. Long live 'The Walking Dead.'"