On TV, it's the end

"Revolution," "Falling Skies" and "Walking Dead" are all bringing post-apocalyse action to the small screen.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- In March, 9 million viewers tuned in to AMC to watch a farm -- which served as a safe haven to survivors of a zombie apocalypse -- burn to the ground on "The Walking Dead."

This Sunday, TNT (a Time Warner network, like CNN) commences its second season of "Falling Skies," which sees a group of survivors fight back against alien invaders while their home state of Massachusetts lies in ruins.

Switch over to NBC, and you're likely to see promos for "Revolution," a series about what happens 15 years after the loss of all advanced technology and electronics.

Post-apocalyptic scenarios are cropping up all over the small screen -- oddly enough, in the year 2012. But is the runaway success of "The Walking Dead" the main reason for it, or is there something else going on here?

"There's always a copycat trend in the industry," TV critic Ryan McGee said, pointing to last year's "Pan Am" and "Playboy Club," both of which drew comparisons to "Mad Men."

"There's no way executives aren't looking at the ratings for 'The Walking Dead' and aren't salivating."

At the same time, he says, "Revolution" has to forge its own creative path to survive.

"Everyone imitates everything that's successful," said fellow critic Alan Sepinwall, who doesn't see it so much as a trend but as a coincidence. "Or simply that ideas go in cycles."

More:
On TV, it's the end

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero