danger of becoming "too diverse" as the show "seemingly reached critical mass for its nonwhite, nonmale survivors — and now has no choice but to kill them off". Robert Kirkman has discussed the increasing diversity of the show and the comic books. He has described how he regrets the lack of diversity in the early issues of the comic book series and explained how they would have been "vastly more diverse" if he were to have started them now. Ratings During its first season, The Walking Dead attracted between four and six million viewers. Viewership began to increase in its second season. During seasons three to seven, it attracted ten to seventeen million viewers. In 2012, during its third season, it became the first cable series in television history to have the highest total viewership of any series during the fall season among 18- to 49-year-old adults. In 2014, total viewership for the show's fifth-season premiere was 17.3 million, making it the most-watched series episode in cable history. In 2016, a New York Times study of the 50 television series with the most Facebook likes found that like most other zombie series, The Walking Dead "is most popular in rural areas, particularly southern Texas and eastern Kentucky". Ratings began to decline during season seven and have continued to steadily drop, which was blamed on a variety of factors, including Rick's presumed death. By the end of season nine, fewer viewers were watching than at any time since the show's first season. Awards and nominations The Walking Dead was nominated for Best New Series by the Writers Guild of America Awards 2011 and Best Television Series Drama by the 68th Golden Globe Awards. The series was named one of the top 10 television programs of 2010 by the American Film Institute Awards 2010. For the 37th Saturn Awards, the series received six nominations—for Best Television Presentation, Andrew Lincoln for Best Actor in Television, Sarah Wayne Callies for Best Actress on Television, Steven Yeun for Best Supporting Actor in Television, Laurie Holden for Best Supporting Actress in Television, and Noah Emmerich for Best Guest Starring Role in Television. The series was nominated for Best Drama Series by the inaugural 1st Critics' Choice Television Awards. The pilot episode "Days Gone Bye" received three nominations from the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards—for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a