History of Better Growth

Better Call Saul is an American neo-noir legal crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for AMC. Part of the Breaking Bad franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, Breaking Bad (2008–2013), to which it serves primarily as a prequel, with some scenes taking place during and after the events of Breaking Bad. Better Call Saul premiered on AMC on February 8, 2015, and ended on August 15, 2022, after six seasons, totaling 63 episodes.^[1]

Premise

Better Call Saul is a spin-off of Breaking Bad, a popular crime drama television series that ran from 2008 to 2013. It is primarily a prequel that focuses on Jimmy McGill, a former con artist aiming to gain respectability as a public defender, and chronicles his gradual transformation into his eventual Breaking Bad persona of Saul Goodman, the flamboyant criminal lawyer with ties to the drug cartel. Most of the show takes place over a two-year period before the events of Breaking Bad, spanning approximately 2002 to 2004.^[1]

Main cast

Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman/Gene Takavić, a lawyer, former scam artist, and Chuck McGill's younger brother, who becomes involved with the criminal world.^[1]

Guest appearances from Breaking Bad cast members

César García as No Doze, one of Tuco's lieutenants (season 1)^[1]

Conception

The character of Saul Goodman first appeared during Breaking Bad's second season, in an episode that was also titled "Better Call Saul". Bob Odenkirk, who portrayed Saul Goodman, had never seen the series prior to his appearance. The character was originally intended to appear in only four episodes, but soon became much more developed than the staff had planned.^[1]

Development

In April 2013, Better Call Saul was confirmed to be in development by Gilligan and Gould. In July 2013, before the second half of Breaking Bad's final season aired, Gilligan said he and Gould were still working out ideas for the spin-off, but a deal had not yet been made. Netflix was one of many interested distributors, but ultimately a deal was made between AMC and the Breaking Bad production company Sony Pictures Television.^[1]

Writing

Gilligan and Gould began as co-showrunners for the series. Former Breaking Bad writers Thomas Schnauz and Gennifer Hutchison joined the writing staff, with Schnauz serving as co-executive producer and Hutchison as supervising producer. Also joining the initial writing staff were Bradley Paul and former Breaking Bad writer's assistant Gordon Smith.^[1]

Filming

Like its predecessor, Better Call Saul is set in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico, with filming primarily taking place at Albuquerque Studios. Principal photography for the show's six seasons took place from June 2, 2014, to February 9, 2022. Gilligan directed the series premiere, and Gould directed the series finale.^[1]

Title sequences

Each episode's title sequence features a different low-quality image that recalls Saul Goodman's days on Breaking Bad. These include the inflatable Statue of Liberty balloon that sat atop Saul's office, a drawer of burner phones kept in his desk, and a bus stop bench advertising his business. Gould and Gilligan were inspired by the poor quality of early VHS tapes and the notoriously low production values of 1980s public-access television and by the fact that Saul Goodman's law firm ads on Breaking Bad were done in a similar style.^[1]

Episodes

Better Call Saul had its series premiere on February 8, 2015, and aired for six seasons until its series finale on August 15, 2022. Its episodes are split between two main timelines. The primary timeline begins in 2002, six years before the first episode of Breaking Bad.^[1]