"Breaking Bad" is an American crime drama TV series that aired from January 20, 2008, to September 29, 2013. Created by Vince Gilligan, the show revolves around Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, a high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer. To secure his family's financial future before his death, White partners with a former student, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), to produce and distribute methamphetamine while navigating the criminal underworld.
The series co-stars Anna Gunn and RJ Mitte as Walter's wife and son, Betsy Brandt and Dean Norris as Skyler's sister and her DEA agent husband, and others like Bob Odenkirk as their lawyer, Saul Goodman, and Giancarlo Esposito as drug kingpin Gus Fring. The storyline received critical acclaim for its performances, direction, writing, and character development.
After its conclusion, "Breaking Bad" was hailed as one of the greatest TV series ever and developed a significant cult following. It gained momentum with its availability on Netflix and saw a surge in viewership during its later seasons. The show received numerous awards, including Primetime Emmy Awards for its cast, and was recognized for its critical acclaim by Guinness World Records.
The success of "Breaking Bad" led to the expansion of the franchise, including the prequel series "Better Call Saul," starring some original cast members, and the sequel film "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie," centered on Aaron Paul's character, Jesse Pinkman.
The show's premise revolves around Walter White's transformation from a struggling teacher to a powerful drug kingpin, adopting the alias "Heisenberg." As he delves deeper into the methamphetamine trade, White faces conflicts with law enforcement, cartels, and personal dilemmas, putting his family and himself in danger.
Main Characters:
- Bryan Cranston as Walter White
- Anna Gunn as Skyler White
- Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman
- Dean Norris as Hank Schrader
- Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader
- RJ Mitte as Walter White Jr.
- Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo "Gus" Fring (seasons 3–4; guest season 2)
- Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman (seasons 3–5; recurring season 2)
- Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut (seasons 3–5A; guest season 2)
- Laura Fraser as Lydia Rodarte-Quayle (season 5B; recurring season 5A)
- Jesse Plemons as Todd Alquist (season 5B; recurring season 5A)
Recurring Characters:
- Steven Michael Quezada as Steven "Gomey" Gomez
- Matt Jones as Brandon "Badger" Mayhew
- Charles Baker as Skinny Pete
- Rodney Rush as Christian "Combo" Ortega
- Jessica Hecht and Adam Godley as Gretchen and Elliott Schwartz
- Raymond Cruz as Tuco Salamanca
- Mark Margolis as Hector Salamanca
- Christopher Cousins as Ted Beneke
- Krysten Ritter as Jane Margolis
- John de Lancie as Donald Margolis
- David Costabile as Gale Boetticher
- Daniel Moncada and Luis Moncada as Leonel and Marco Salamanca
- Javier Grajeda as Juan Bolsa
- Emily Rios as Andrea Cantillo
- Jeremiah Bitsui as Victor
- Ray Campbell as Tyrus Kitt
- Lavell Crawford as Huell Babineaux
- Tina Parker as Francesca Liddy
- Bill Burr as Patrick Kuby
- Michael Bowen as Jack Welker
- Kevin Rankin as Kenny
Special Guest Appearances:
- Danny Trejo as Tortuga
- DJ Qualls as Getz
- Jim Beaver as Lawson
- Steven Bauer as Don Eladio Vuente
- Robert Forster as Ed Galbraith
- Charlie Rose as himself
This ensemble cast played pivotal roles in shaping the narrative and dynamic of the series, contributing to its immense success and critical acclaim.
"Breaking Bad" underwent an interesting development journey before reaching AMC and achieving its monumental success. Created by Vince Gilligan, who previously worked on "The X-Files," the show aimed to depict the transformation of its protagonist, Walter White, from a mild-mannered teacher to a ruthless figure in the drug trade. The title itself, "Breaking Bad," is a Southern expression representing rebellion or a propensity for causing trouble.
Initially, the show was pitched to various networks, including Showtime, HBO, TNT, and FX. FX passed on the idea due to its existing male-centric shows and development of "Dirt," another crime-based drama. It eventually landed with AMC after a fortuitous meeting between Gilligan and the network's original programming director, Jeremy Elice.
However, the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike impacted the first season, reducing the episode count to seven instead of nine as planned. This strike allowed the writers to recalibrate the pacing of the show and altered the original plan to kill off either Jesse or Hank in the first season's finale.
Initially set in Riverside, California, the show's location shifted to Albuquerque, New Mexico, due to more favorable financial conditions offered by the state. The city's landscape and unique setting became an integral part of the show's visual identity.
AMC's early reluctance to continue "Breaking Bad" beyond its third season led Sony to shop the show around. However, with the emergence of Netflix as an aggressive content acquirer, the series found new life as viewers binged the show, boosting its popularity. This surge in viewership on Netflix played a crucial role in AMC renewing the series for its subsequent seasons.
Throughout its run, the show faced challenges in portraying its lead character, Walter White, who gradually evolved into an unsympathetic and morally dubious figure. The decision to conclude the series with Walter's death was one that Gilligan believed in and fulfilled his promise to the audience since the show's inception.
The journey from the pitch stage to the creation and conclusion of "Breaking Bad" was marked by challenges, changes, and unexpected successes, making it one of the most iconic and acclaimed television series in recent memory.
The casting of "Breaking Bad" played a crucial role in the show's success. Vince Gilligan, the creator, specifically chose actors based on their ability to convey underlying humanity even when their characters made morally questionable decisions. Bryan Cranston, known for his role in "Malcolm in the Middle," was selected for the lead role of Walter White, despite initial reluctance from AMC executives, who had reservations due to Cranston's previous comedic role. However, Gilligan had previously worked with Cranston on an episode of "The X-Files," where Cranston's performance demonstrated the complexity needed for the character. Cranston's involvement in developing Walter White's persona was substantial, including creating his backstory and collaborating on his physical appearance, such as gaining weight and altering his hair color.
Aaron Paul's casting as Jesse Pinkman faced similar skepticism initially due to his appearance but won over the creators with his audition and his performance, leading to the decision to keep the character alive beyond the first season. Dean Norris, who played Hank Schrader, Walter's brother-in-law and a DEA agent, was selected based on his past role in "The X-Files," which showcased his aptitude for law enforcement roles.
To ensure scientific accuracy in the show, Vince Gilligan consulted with Donna Nelson, a professor of organic chemistry at the University of Oklahoma. Nelson provided guidance on chemistry-related aspects of the scripts and created chemical structures and equations used as props in the show. Despite efforts to maintain scientific realism, some elements in "Breaking Bad" were found to be physically impossible, as seen in episodes tested on the show "Mythbusters."
The series also depicted meth cooking methods with accuracy, illustrating clandestine methods initially and later switching to a more synthetic route, which was considered plausible by experts. However, the blue color of the meth depicted in the series, although crucial to the plot, would not be characteristic of pure crystal meth.
The technical aspects of "Breaking Bad" also contributed significantly to its success. Michael Slovis, the cinematographer starting from the second season, received praise for the bold visual style adopted in the series. Though the creators intended to shoot the series in CinemaScope, they used 35 mm film due to production constraints. This format allowed for later digital transfer to 4K Ultra HD resolution. Kelley Dixon, one of the editors, received recognition for her work on the show, particularly in editing the "meth montages," using techniques like jump cuts and speed variations to create impactful sequences.
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