Breaking Bad debuted on AMC 15 years ago today.
The most critically acclaimed show in television history turns 15 today. The show aired on this day in 2008 and ushered in a “Golden Era of Television.” The neo-Western crime drama centers around a high school chemistry teacher named Walter White (Bryan Cranston). White enlists former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to help him cook and sell crystal methamphetamine to secure his family’s financial future when he is diagnosed with lung cancer.
The show originally took place in California, not New Mexico.
When initially pitched by show creator and X-Files veteran Vince Gilligan, the CEO of Sony America told him it was “the worst idea for a television show he had ever heard.” The executive was not initially interested in a show featuring a 50-year-old lead dying of cancer, especially one centered around meth. Nevertheless, breaking Bad would go on to win countless awards and appear in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most critically acclaimed show of all time.
The performances of the supporting cast also received universal acclaim. Anna Gunn received an Emmy for her performance as Walter’s wife, Skyler. Jonathan Banks and Giancarlo Esposito also saw nominations for their roles. They play fixer Mike Ehrmantraut and drug distributor Gustavo Fring, respectively. Breaking Bad was followed up in 2015 by a spin-off called Better Call Saul. It had Bob Odenkirk reprising his role as morally compromised attorney Saul Goodman. The legal drama would see similar acclaim to its predecessor and feature many other returning stars. In 2019 Aaron Paul reprised his role as Jesse Pinkman in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. It was directed by Vince Gilligan. Better Call Saul ended in August 2022, bringing the entire shared continuity to a close.
Stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul were in Houston Thursday. They have been touring around the country and stopped at Spec’s Liquor to promote their Dos Hombres line of mezcal. Fans stood in line for hours for a photo op with the two actors and a signed bottle of their spirit, already selling for as much as $250 on eBay. Breaking Bad, El Camino and the first five seasons of Better Call Saul are all available to stream on Netflix. Read more News on Nerdtropolis. Subscribe to our YouTube.
