The executives at AMC must be feeling mighty confident about “Better Call Saul,” the “Breaking Bad” prequel starring Bob Odenkirk; they’ve already signed on for 13 more episodes for the second season, and the first one hasn’t even aired yet.
The series was originally supposed to premiere in November, but has been pushed back to early 2015, so we’ll have to wait a little longer to see everyone’s favorite crooked television attorney, which AMC swears is only because they really want to get the show right.
“Production on Better Call Saul is underway, and we could not be more proud of nor more excited about the work to date,” network president Charlie Collier said in a release. “We join the fans in eager anticipation for this series, and today we happily confirm that our initial Saul order is for two seasons and a total of 23 episodes. When introducing any series, especially one with the DNA of Breaking Bad, there are countless factors to consider in making sure the show gets the launch it deserves. We have a strong history with Vince, Peter, Bob, the studio and so many involved with this production; we are enjoying the process on Saul and all share a focus on making it a true television event. No half measures.”
It’s not surprising to see AMC being a little cautious with “Saul” given the response to “Breaking Bad,” which won Best Drama Series at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards Thursday night. The last thing it wants to do is upset the same people who already enjoyed the satisfying ending to the original series that’s responsible for “Saul’s” existence. Vince Gilligan, the creator of “Breaking Bad,” demonstrated a refreshing openness to and awareness of the show’s fans, as did the cast. Remember when Bryan Cranston showed up at ComiCon in a Walter White mask with no one the wiser until he took it off and revealed himself? Gilligan is directing and sharing showrunning responsibilities with Peter Gould.
Most recently, Odenkirk shined as the ditzy, utterly oblivious sheriff in FX’s “Fargo,” which won Best Miniseries at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards.
By Soraya McDonald
