I’m getting the nervous shakes.
AMC, you have been a noble warrior in the saga that is modern television. You gave us some of the finest masterworks of storytelling the present generation has yet to see: Mad Men. The Walking Dead. Most of The Killing. And… of course… that monumental prodigy, that blossoming child of wonder, a contemporary Shakespeare: Breaking Bad. But something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
In an effort to cut production costs, AMC proposed that Breaking Bad’s fifth season (which, as creator/writer/director/producer/magician/cardiologist/spirit guide Vince Gilligan says, will be its last) be cut from thirteen episodes to six or eight. Those behind the show would not hear of this, so talks indicate the possibility of taking Breaking Bad to another cable network.
Here’s the problem with that: if a cable network does indeed pick up Breaking Bad, they’ll likely want to sign it on for more than one season. This means that Vince Gillian’s vision of the show will be compromised, and the quality will invariably diminish. And don’t call me a pessimist. Organically, the story needs to end soon. Narrative shows often outlast their magnificent quality (Dexter, LOST, Hey Arnold), and as Breaking Bad has a lot of quality to lose, it’ll be a hard, painful fall if this deal does end up with dragging the series out through surplus seasons.
But I’m not giving up hope yet. AMC is, as I’ve said, a noble warrior. Story Matters There! And reportedly, Sony and the creators do want to keep the show at AMC ideally (as one would expect), so let’s just hope this is all just some heatwave-inspired spat that’ll get sorted out in due time.
Source: LA Times
