Breaking Bad is an American television drama series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. The series is broadcast in the United States and Canada on the cable channel AMC, and is a production of Sony Pictures Television. It premiered on January 20, 2008. The series was renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on July 17, 2011.[1][2][3] On August 14, 2011, AMC announced that Breaking Bad had been renewed for a fifth and final season consisting of 16 episodes that may be split over two seasons.[4]
Set and produced in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Breaking Bad is the story of Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a struggling high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer at the beginning of the series. He turns to a life of crime, producing and selling methamphetamine with a former student, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), with the aim of securing his family's financial future before he dies.[5]
Breaking Bad has received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its writing and cinematography as well as for Cranston's and Paul's performances. It has won six Emmy Awards—including three consecutive wins for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Cranston—in addition to numerous other awards and nominations.
Production
The series is set and filmed in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico.[6] It is shot in 35 mm film.[7]The network originally ordered nine episodes for the first season (including the pilot), but the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike limited the production to seven episodes.[8]
Lead actor Bryan Cranston stated in an interview: "The term 'breaking bad' is a southern colloquialism and it means when someone who has taken a turn off the path of the straight and narrow, when they've gone wrong. And that could be for that day or for a lifetime."[9] Writer and creator Vince Gilligan defines the term as "to raise hell".[10] Cast member Betsy Brandt admits that when she first read the script she wasn't sure if it was meant to be a drama or a dark comedy.[11]
Breaking Bad reportedly costs $3 million per episode to produce, higher than the average cost for a basic cable program.[12]
Series creator Vince Gilligan has indicated that he intends to conclude Breaking Bad with the fifth season.[13] In early August 2011, negotiations began over a deal regarding the fifth and possible final season between the network AMC and Sony Pictures Television, the production company of the series. AMC proposed a shortened fifth season (six to eight episodes, instead of 13) to cut costs, but the producers declined. Sony then approached other cable networks about possibly picking up the show if a deal can not be made.[14] On August 14, 2011, a deal was made where AMC renewed the series for a final season consisting of 16 episodes.[4]
Crew
Along with series creator Vince Gilligan the show's other executive producer is Mark Johnson. Michelle MacLaren initially joined the crew as an episodic director for the second season and rose to the position of executive producer for the fourth season. Melissa Bernstein and Sam Catlin are co-executive producers for the show.John Shiban was a writer for the second season and a consulting producer for the third season but then left the crew. Writers George Mastras and Peter Gould began working on the series as story editors for the first season and became supervising producers for the fourth season. Thomas Schnauz joined the crew as a writer and co-producer for the third season and was also promoted to supervising producer for the fourth season.
Karen Moore was the series on set producer for the first two seasons. She left the crew after the second season and was replaced by Stewart A. Lyons. Star Bryan Cranston has become increasingly involved behind the camera as the series has progressed. He began directing episodes as of the second season and became a producer for the fourth season.
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