Even though it finished in 2013, Breaking Bad is now seen as one of the greatest TV shows of recent times. It not only spawned the popular spin-off Better Call Saul, also on AMC, but also gave creator Vince Gilligan the creative freedom to develop the new Apple TV+ series Pluribus, which quickly became a hit and has viewers excited for its next season. The show was a major turning point for both Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston’s careers, and many will find it odd to see Cranston return to comedy in the Malcolm in the Middle reboot.
But not everyone knows a good thing when they see it. Speaking at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival on Saturday, Gilligan said that the first time he pitched the idea to Sony Pictures Television, a top executive at the company told him it was “the single worst idea I’ve ever heard,” per The Hollywood Reporter.
The TV show Breaking Bad centers around Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with cancer. Determined to provide for his family after his death, he quickly turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine. However, he becomes increasingly consumed by his criminal lifestyle, transforming from a seemingly ordinary man into someone unrecognizable and distant from his loved ones. As creator Vince Gilligan described it, the show’s core concept was about turning a mild-mannered teacher into a ruthless criminal – a transformation from ‘Mr. Chips’ to ‘Scarface.’ Gilligan actually jotted down the initial idea years earlier, noting simply, ‘Good guy does something bad to save his family.’
It’s possible that the idea for Breaking Bad would have been rejected outright if the show hadn’t come along at the right time, after other series had already proven that dark, character-driven dramas could be successful. In fact, a Sony executive wasn’t the only industry professional to pass on the show. Vince Gilligan, the show’s creator, tried unsuccessfully to sell it to networks like TNT, Showtime, and FX. Surprisingly, HBO, which seemed like a natural home for a show like Breaking Bad, delivered the harshest rejection. Gilligan remembered that the HBO executive didn’t even bother to say no, and seemed completely uninterested – not just in the story, but even in him as a person.
Sony Pictures Television eventually agreed to help produce Breaking Bad, showing they changed their minds after initially hesitating. The executive who first doubted the show no longer works at the company, but Vince Gilligan doesn’t blame him. Gilligan said the executive later admitted he was wrong, and he respects him for that.
It seems Gilligan is currently focusing on projects outside of the Breaking Bad world, but he hasn’t ruled out revisiting it in the future. Fortunately, his new science fiction series, Pluribus, is as complex and well-crafted as his followers appreciate. It’s just frustrating that new episodes take so long to produce.
5 Questions
Found an error? Send it info@movieweb.com so it can be corrected.
Read More
- Евро обгонит тайский бат? Эксперты раскрыли неожиданный сценарий
- The Flash’s Danielle Panabaker Opens Up About Low-Paying Arrowverse Crossovers And ‘Bad Behavior’ Being Rewarded On The Set
- Julia Roberts’ After the Hunt Finally Sets Prime Video Release Date
- New Black Panther MCU Actor Recasting Gets Exciting Update
- The Asset Season 2 Must Fix The One Problem With Netflix’s Best New Thriller
- Michael C. Hall’s ‘Safe’ Is Perfect for ‘Dexter’ Fans
- ЯТЭК акции прогноз. Цена акций YAKG
- ‘YouTube Customers Are Suffering.’ Disney CFO Says Company Isn’t Backing Down As Cable Outage Continues
- Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley Reacted To Paul Mescal’s Oscars Snub
- Divisive Tearjerker War Movie With 37% RT Score Becomes International Netflix Success
2026-03-15 23:14