'Breaking Bad' spin-off to premiere on AMC in November
The cable network has announced that "Better Call Saul," starring Bob Odenkirk as the shady lawyer introduced on "Breaking Bad," will premiere in November. Following its run on AMC, the series will be made available to fans in Europe and South America through Netflix.
First rumored last April, the spin-off will give a second life to the world of "Breaking Bad," which ended September 29 in its final episode on AMC. The show will focus on Saul Goodman, the crooked lawyer played by Bob Odenkirk.
The title "Better Call Saul" is taken from the name of the episode in which the character was introduced in season 2 of "Breaking Bad." Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, the show's meth-dealing protagonists played by Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, rely on the unscrupulous attorney to get one of their dealers out of prison. Saul Goodman later becomes a regular character and a partner in Walter and Jesse's drug-dealing business, helping to distribute their product and launder the proceeds.
Odenkirk's character brought a touch of levity to "Breaking Bad," and the spin-off is slated to have a lighter tone overall, recounting Saul Goodman's adventures prior to meeting Walter and Jesse.
"Breaking Bad" took home two awards at the Golden Globes on January 12, beating out Netflix's "House of Cards" to win the title of best drama series. After four nominations throughout his career -- including three for his role as Walter White -- Bryan Cranston finally took home his first trophy from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, winning the award for best actor in a drama series.
Behind the scenes of the ceremony, the show's creator Vince Gilligan stated that he will do everything in his power to ensure a crossover between the worlds of "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," including trying to convince the former show's cast members to make cameo appearances.
Final season of "Mad Men" to arrive in April
Ahead of the premiere of the new spin-off, AMC hopes to draw in viewers with the return of "Mad Men." Part one of the show's seventh and final season, titled "The Beginning," will air from April 13, and part two, "The End of an Era," will air in spring 2015.
The network also has a few other new series in store, including "Turn," a spy drama set during the American Revolution, premiering on April 6. In June, AMC will air the first episode of "Halt & Catch Fire," which will focus on the early years of the personal computing boom in the 1980s.
The fourth season of the western series "Hell on Wheels" will air over the summer, while the fifth season of "The Walking Dead" will premiere in October 2014.
