'Walking Dead' mid-season finale watched by 12.1 million

NEW YORK, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The bloody mid-season finale of the Georgia-set zombie-apocalypse series "The Walking Dead" was seen by 12.1 million viewers, AMC announced Monday.

Sunday's episode saw the deaths of the iconic characters the Governor, played by David Morrissey, and Hershel Greene, played by Scott Wilson.

The show will return for the second half of its fourth season Feb. 9.

"We couldn't be happier that audiences are continuing to respond in ever-larger numbers to the outstanding work of this amazingly talented team," Charlie Collier, the cable network's president, said in a statement Monday.

"We're only at the mid-point of this fourth season, but I know I speak for the entire cast and crew in Atlanta when I say thank you to the fans for joining in our passion for these characters and their journey."