There's no question that, with death and zombies lurking around every corner, "The Walking Dead" is one of the darkest shows on television. With that in mind, it might come as a surprise to learn that series stars Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus could have easily be cast in a late '80s sitcom -- a fact that's proven by these new pics posted by TV Insider.

The images come from the duo's photoshoot for "TV Guide" magazine and depict the two mugging to the camera with smiles bigger than those seen in the opening credits of any TGIF sitcom. If things ever lighten up on "Walking Dead" and the apocalypse becomes filled with more hijinks than trauma, it looks like Lincoln and Reedus could handle that shift with aplomb.

"The Walking Dead" returns to AMC on February 14.