Breaking Bad Spinoff Better Call Saul Gets Premiere Date

[MarlaDesat]

Breaking Bad Spinoff Better Call Saul Gets Premiere Date

Today, AMC announced 2014 premiere dates for Better Call Saul, Mad Men's final season, and several other shows.

For those of you still suffering from Breaking Bad withdrawal after the show's finale on September 29, today's announcement from AMC may bring you some comfort. Better Call Saul [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/127726-Breaking-Bad-Spinoff-Series-Greenlit-by-AMC], a prequel series to Breaking Bad, will premiere in November 2014. The one-hour series will follow Saul Goodman, the criminal lawyer who provided legal advice and shady services to Walter White, the methamphetamine-cooking former high school science teacher and star of Breaking Bad. Goodman, played by Bob Odenkirk, became a beloved character to fans of the show. Better Call Saul will explore how Goodman got into the business of providing legal counsel to the criminal underbelly of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The announcement from AMC also included premiere dates for the seventh season of Mad Men. Like Breaking Bad, the seventh and final season of Mad Men will be split over two years. The final season following the misadventures of Don Draper and his dapper marketing men will debut April 13.

No announcement was made for the premiere date of The Walking Dead, but the fifth season is expected to return in mid-to-late October. AMC announced today that The Talking Dead, the post-episode talk show companion to the The Walking Dead, has been renewed for a fifth season. AMC also announced the premiere dates for two new upcoming shows. Turn, a Revolutionary War spy thriller starring Jamie Bell, will debut April 6. The 1980s computer drama Halt and Catch Fire will premiere in June.

Source: Entertainment Weekly [http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/01/11/mad-men-final-season-premiere-date/]


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[munx13]

Personally I'd prefer a spin-off called "Skinny and Badger's Star Trek fan-fic hour"

 

[1nfinite_Cros5]

Personally I'd prefer a spin-off called "Skinny and Badger's Star Trek fan-fic hour"

You already forgot about "Huell's Rules", didn't you?

Spoiler: Possible season finale spoilers

 

[Loop Stricken]

And here's me thinking all this nonsense I heard about a Saul Goodman spin-off was just a joke!

 

[Vigormortis]

Really interested in seeing Turn and Halt and Catch Fire. Their concepts alone sound fresh enough to at least warrant a few viewings.

Though, I worry about Better Call Saul.

Not because I think it'll be bad, but rather because if it's massively successful than AMC may very well go ahead with the The Walking Dead spin-off they've been planning.

Something I REALLY don't want them to do yet. They need to concentrate on getting the best writing and stories for The Walking Dead before they start trying to expand the universe further.

 

[DirgeNovak]

Seriously, AMC? You're going to pull this "one season in two years" crap again?
One year = one season. Breaking Bad had six seasons and Mad Men will end after its eighth. Just because you don't want to pay for sixteen episodes (or however many Mad Men has left) outright doesn't change that.

Anyway, I'm excited for Better Call Saul. I hope Mike and Huell are regulars too.

 

[scorptatious]

Loved the hell out of Breaking Bad. Hope Better Call Saul turns out to be good as well!

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

As much as I enjoyed Breaking Bad, I don't think they can capture lightning in a bottle with this... Spinoffs generally don't fare well. And I'm pretty sure Breaking Bad was popular because of the subject matter (meth) and without that there might not be enough to draw the masses. Lets face it, while Breaking Bad had excellent writing, thats not what the majority of people come around for.

 

[jhoroz]

I just hope it doesn't try to be a substitute for BB and evolves into it's own style and tone, that just happened to have a character from BB as its protagonist. I kind of want it to be like a weekly, procedural "crime-of-the-week" style the way Monk was, but instead of solving crime, Saul will help propagate it.

Hell, they could even have Randy Newman perform the opening.

 

[jhoroz]

And I'm pretty sure Breaking Bad was popular because of the subject matter (meth) and without that there might not be enough to draw the masses. Lets face it, while Breaking Bad had excellent writing, thats not what the majority of people come around for.

Was it though? We already had shows with similar subject matter (e.g. Weeds) so I don't really see the weight in your argument. I thought the massive appeal of Breaking Bad was the wish-fulfillment factor of seeing a meek chemistry teacher like Walter White turn into a badass, no-nonsense drug king.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

And I'm pretty sure Breaking Bad was popular because of the subject matter (meth) and without that there might not be enough to draw the masses. Lets face it, while Breaking Bad had excellent writing, thats not what the majority of people come around for.

Was it though? We already had shows with similar subject matter (e.g. Weeds) so I don't really see the weight in your argument. I thought the massive appeal of Breaking Bad was the wish-fulfillment factor of seeing a meek chemistry teacher like Walter White turn into a badass, no-nonsense drug king.

My point is that, like Scarface before it, the majority of the people miss the message and hero-worship the main character who isn't a hero at all. They tend to watch it because of the underworld aspect (drugs) and not necessarily because of the actual story or its content. Look at the things that are most popular on TV and in movies and it is clear that good writing isn't what draws people. A good story can sell, but even Weeds had the same element in it. I'm not making any commentary on drugs themselves, just that it seems less likely that writing is the reason these shows are popular. It certainly ADDS to the draw as well as good acting, but in all honesty I don't think most people, the mass majority, are all that concerned about or even know the difference between good writing.
I shouldn't have to give examples of the crap that gets good ratings...

 

[jhoroz]

And I'm pretty sure Breaking Bad was popular because of the subject matter (meth) and without that there might not be enough to draw the masses. Lets face it, while Breaking Bad had excellent writing, thats not what the majority of people come around for.

Was it though? We already had shows with similar subject matter (e.g. Weeds) so I don't really see the weight in your argument. I thought the massive appeal of Breaking Bad was the wish-fulfillment factor of seeing a meek chemistry teacher like Walter White turn into a badass, no-nonsense drug king.

My point is that, like Scarface before it, the majority of the people miss the message and hero-worship the main character who isn't a hero at all. They tend to watch it because of the underworld aspect (drugs) and not necessarily because of the actual story or its content. Look at the things that are most popular on TV and in movies and it is clear that good writing isn't what draws people. A good story can sell, but even Weeds had the same element in it. I'm not making any commentary on drugs themselves, just that it seems less likely that writing is the reason these shows are popular. It certainly ADDS to the draw as well as good acting, but in all honesty I don't think most people, the mass majority, are all that concerned about or even know the difference between good writing.
I shouldn't have to give examples of the crap that gets good ratings...

But isn't one of the most defining traits to Breaking Bad's writing is the fact that it can consistently make you root for Walt, no matter how morally deplorable he may have become? The fact that people root for someone who is essentially the "villain" is a testimony to how well written the show really is. My impression on BB's popularity is that it's less about the underworld aspects, and more about the set-pieces and situations that the characters find themselves in. That also requires good writing to be effectively executed.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

But isn't one of the most defining traits to Breaking Bad's writing is the fact that it can consistently make you root for Walt, no matter how morally deplorable he may have become? The fact that people root for someone who is essentially the "villain" is a testimony to how well written the show really is. My impression on BB's popularity is that it's less about the underworld aspects, and more about the set-pieces and situations that the characters find themselves in. That also requires good writing to be effectively executed.

As I said, the writing is excellent but I don't see people in general getting it. I saw through that view by the end of the first season when he "confronts" Gretchen. The REAL Walt shone through and anyone with a shred of insight could tell what kind of a person he really was. Not a meek High School Chemistry teacher but a bitter man who blamed others for his own mistakes and lot in life instead of taking personal responsibility. After that if people still rooted for him they missed the message. He was never intended to be rooted for, but rather seen as a deeply flawed man who when confronted with mortality didn't change but snapped and reverted to a selfish person who used the "I did it for my family" excuse as a reason to otherwise thumb his nose at every perceived slight he had in life.
What I see in the series is the same thing I saw in Scarface. The price of arrogance and greed. What it ultimately costs you. And that is the message in the writing that the majority of people miss in their short-sighted "hero-worship" of tragically flawed protagonists.
In the show you can see how Walt sabotages his own life every step of the way, and instead of being humbled or gaining some insight he only delves deeper into his pit of arrogance. He's not a character to be admired, and the show does nothing to hide that message. But people just miss the point.
That message, how its written and how well Bryan Cranston pulls it off is what made Breaking Bad so great. And why I find the greatest tragedy is how people will totally miss the message and only remember how "badass" Heisenberg was when the reality isn't badass but pathetically tragic.

 

[jhoroz]

But isn't one of the most defining traits to Breaking Bad's writing is the fact that it can consistently make you root for Walt, no matter how morally deplorable he may have become? The fact that people root for someone who is essentially the "villain" is a testimony to how well written the show really is. My impression on BB's popularity is that it's less about the underworld aspects, and more about the set-pieces and situations that the characters find themselves in. That also requires good writing to be effectively executed.

As I said, the writing is excellent but I don't see people in general getting it. I saw through that view by the end of the first season when he "confronts" Gretchen. The REAL Walt shone through and anyone with a shred of insight could tell what kind of a person he really was. Not a meek High School Chemistry teacher but a bitter man who blamed others for his own mistakes and lot in life instead of taking personal responsibility. After that if people still rooted for him they missed the message. He was never intended to be rooted for, but rather seen as a deeply flawed man who when confronted with mortality didn't change but snapped and reverted to a selfish person who used the "I did it for my family" excuse as a reason to otherwise thumb his nose at every perceived slight he had in life.
What I see in the series is the same thing I saw in Scarface. The price of arrogance and greed. What it ultimately costs you. And that is the message in the writing that the majority of people miss in their short-sighted "hero-worship" of tragically flawed protagonists.
In the show you can see how Walt sabotages his own life every step of the way, and instead of being humbled or gaining some insight he only delves deeper into his pit of arrogance. He's not a character to be admired, and the show does nothing to hide that message. But people just miss the point.
That message, how its written and how well Bryan Cranston pulls it off is what made Breaking Bad so great. And why I find the greatest tragedy is how people will totally miss the message and only remember how "badass" Heisenberg was when the reality isn't badass but pathetically tragic.

I agree with all the points you've made, but the joy for me when experiencing any piece of fiction is coming off with my own personal interpretation or conclusion of the story instead of the one that is most accepted by the author, so I'm not that bothered that a majority of the people "missed the point". Death to the author, and what not.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

But isn't one of the most defining traits to Breaking Bad's writing is the fact that it can consistently make you root for Walt, no matter how morally deplorable he may have become? The fact that people root for someone who is essentially the "villain" is a testimony to how well written the show really is. My impression on BB's popularity is that it's less about the underworld aspects, and more about the set-pieces and situations that the characters find themselves in. That also requires good writing to be effectively executed.

As I said, the writing is excellent but I don't see people in general getting it. I saw through that view by the end of the first season when he "confronts" Gretchen. The REAL Walt shone through and anyone with a shred of insight could tell what kind of a person he really was. Not a meek High School Chemistry teacher but a bitter man who blamed others for his own mistakes and lot in life instead of taking personal responsibility. After that if people still rooted for him they missed the message. He was never intended to be rooted for, but rather seen as a deeply flawed man who when confronted with mortality didn't change but snapped and reverted to a selfish person who used the "I did it for my family" excuse as a reason to otherwise thumb his nose at every perceived slight he had in life.
What I see in the series is the same thing I saw in Scarface. The price of arrogance and greed. What it ultimately costs you. And that is the message in the writing that the majority of people miss in their short-sighted "hero-worship" of tragically flawed protagonists.
In the show you can see how Walt sabotages his own life every step of the way, and instead of being humbled or gaining some insight he only delves deeper into his pit of arrogance. He's not a character to be admired, and the show does nothing to hide that message. But people just miss the point.
That message, how its written and how well Bryan Cranston pulls it off is what made Breaking Bad so great. And why I find the greatest tragedy is how people will totally miss the message and only remember how "badass" Heisenberg was when the reality isn't badass but pathetically tragic.

I agree with all the points you've made, but the joy for me when experiencing any piece of fiction is coming off with my own personal interpretation or conclusion of the story instead of the one that is most accepted by the author, so I'm not that bothered that a majority of the people "missed the point". Death to the author, and what not.

Oh not I'm not disappointed at others for missing things, just that the original thought behind it was that because there will be people expecting more Breaking Bad in Better Call Saul, the show probably won't do well despite good writing because it won't be Breaking Bad 2. At least I'm hoping it won't be, because it would be a sad travesty to take a character like Saul and turn him into a cash grab shell. Especially when they have such EXCELLENT writing already. I feel it could be well done but good shows don't always mean they catch on. See: Firefly. Thats what disappoints me most, that there's so much good that gets tossed in the trash because people don't get it.

 

[Sight Unseen]

I'm looking forward to Better Call Saul but I have a pretty strong feeling that this show won't be nearly as good as Breaking Bad was. I have two main reasons for why I think this will be.

1. I think Saul's character might be afflicted with Captain Jack Sparrow syndrome. What I mean by this is that in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Captain Jack Sparrow was a "main" character, but he was mainly relegated to be the comic relief character while Will and Elizabeth did all the heavy dramatic lifting of the series. When the fourth movie came around and Will and Liz were out of the picture, Jack Sparrow had to take on the actual role of "main character" and do all of the dramatic bits, and his character suffered as a result. I'm worried that the same thing might happen with Saul, who was mostly a comic relief character for much of the series to be suddenly thrust into the spotlight of a TV Drama. Unless they make it into somewhat of a comedy series I don't think it will work.

2. Nothing that happens in Better Call Saul can BREAK Saul like he broke in Breaking Bad. Since the show is a prequel to Breaking Bad and Saul is pretty well set up and well adjusted when he is introduced to that show, and by the end he is a completely broken shell of a man, much like his client Heisenberg. Nothing that happens to him in his spinoff can have anywhere close to the impact that Breaking Bad had on him. And for a TV drama that's not a good sign.

Anyone else agree with me on those points?

 

[Lono Shrugged]

I heard it's set before and after Breaking Bad. If they run it for 1 season, 2 tops, With a set goal and character arc. I can see it being a tasty post-Breaking Bad treat.

 

[Zydrate]

I don't get the hype behind this character. Saul was an interesting dude but I don't really think he can carry a show on his own.

I'm looking forward to Better Call Saul but I have a pretty strong feeling that this show won't be nearly as good as Breaking Bad was. I have two main reasons for why I think this will be.

1. I think Saul's character might be afflicted with Captain Jack Sparrow syndrome. What I mean by this is that in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Captain Jack Sparrow was a "main" character, but he was mainly relegated to be the comic relief character while Will and Elizabeth did all the heavy dramatic lifting of the series. When the fourth movie came around and Will and Liz were out of the picture, Jack Sparrow had to take on the actual role of "main character" and do all of the dramatic bits, and his character suffered as a result. I'm worried that the same thing might happen with Saul, who was mostly a comic relief character for much of the series to be suddenly thrust into the spotlight of a TV Drama. Unless they make it into somewhat of a comedy series I don't think it will work.

2. Nothing that happens in Better Call Saul can BREAK Saul like he broke in Breaking Bad. Since the show is a prequel to Breaking Bad and Saul is pretty well set up and well adjusted when he is introduced to that show, and by the end he is a completely broken shell of a man, much like his client Heisenberg. Nothing that happens to him in his spinoff can have anywhere close to the impact that Breaking Bad had on him. And for a TV drama that's not a good sign.

Anyone else agree with me on those points?

And yes, this.

 

[Lightknight]

While I'm not a fan of Saul (Interesting character, but not someone I can sympathize with), I am interested in the sort of characters he'd run across.

 

[TheRiddler]

2. Nothing that happens in Better Call Saul can BREAK Saul like he broke in Breaking Bad. Since the show is a prequel to Breaking Bad and Saul is pretty well set up and well adjusted when he is introduced to that show, and by the end he is a completely broken shell of a man, much like his client Heisenberg. Nothing that happens to him in his spinoff can have anywhere close to the impact that Breaking Bad had on him. And for a TV drama that's not a good sign.

What I'm actually imagining the ideal version of this to be is a lot like The Wolf of Wall Street. Breaking Bad was fascinating, in part, because it was the story of Walter White's world slowly corroding and collapsing. For BCS, I'd like to see the opposite. We all know what's coming for Saul. We saw his eventual downfall in BB. What I'd like to see is his rise, maybe even paralleling Walt's later descent. I'd like to see Saul start as a straight-laced, by-the-book lawyer who slowly resorts to assisting criminals, in the process, losing his idealism, and becoming increasingly amoral and hedonistic. I would have the show end soon after Saul reaches his peak, with only the slightest indication that it's downhill from here.