Parents want to change TV ratings after that 'brutally explicit' 'Walking Dead' episode

A parents' group known as the Parents Television Council has come out strongly against the violent season-seven premiere episode of "The Walking Dead."

The conservative watchdog group slammed the "brutally explicit" episode, which saw the deaths of series-regular characters and shocked fans.

"Last night's season premiere of 'The Walking Dead' was one of the most graphically violent shows we've ever seen on television, comparable to the most violent of programs found on premium cable networks," PTC president Tim Winter told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday.

Winter argued that it's "not enough to 'change the channel' ... because cable subscribers - regardless of whether they want AMC or watch its programming - are still forced to subsidize violent content."

He went on to argue that the episode demonstrates "why families should have greater control over the TV networks they purchase from their cable and satellite providers."

The episode was rated TV-MA, meaning for mature audiences, but Winter wonders if there should be a "more severe rating than TV-MA."

Some parents may not be please about gruesome violence appearing on their cable channels, but AMC is surely celebrating the milestone episode, as it had one of the largest audiences for the zombie show ever.