Breaking Bad renewed for final season
AMC has signed for a fifth and final season of Breaking Bad, but it may be around for some time yet.
- Published by David Knox
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US cable network AMC has signed for a fifth and final season of Breaking Bad, featuring Bryan Cranston.
The new deal for 16 episodes follows prolonged talks with Sony Television, which dragged on so long that Sony actually shopped the show to other cable networks.
At the heart of the issue was costs with Sony wanting 13 episodes, but AMC preferring just half a dozen or so.
“It’s a funny irony,” said creator Vince Gilligan of the final season.
“I’d hate to know the date of my own last day on earth, but I’m delighted to know what Walter White’s will be (episodically speaking). This is a great gift to me and to my wonderful writers. It’s knowledge which will allow us to properly build our story to a satisfying conclusion. Now, if we don’t manage to pull that off, we’ve got no one to blame but ourselves.”
But the renewal does not mean all 16 episodes will air in 2012, and given AMC isn’t airing a new Mad Men this year there is speculation it may even run the episodes in two blocks over 2013/14.
AMC has recently had negotiation issues with Mad Men‘s Matthew Weiner and recently lost its Walking Dead show runner, Frank Darabont.
The fourth season is currently underway in the US.
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9 Responses
How may seasons of Breaking Bad have showcase screened?
3
@peter and @brekkie.
We may have come upon the compromise, 16eps, two ‘season’s of 8.
Not really a good idea, but I love the show and am enthralled as to how it will end
And there’s another show on the way M1tch – a western named Hell on Wheels.
I’m very glad to hear that the Breaking Bad team have secured another 16 episodes and an end date. I do hope, though, that they aired all the episodes in one year, not two.
Is AMC losing money? They have 4 original current shows at the monent and 3 of them do cost a fair bit to make.
Yeah, but it’s already been on air in the States. Really not that hard to organise a sat feed.
So Sony wanted 13, AMC wanted 6 – so they compromised on 16 – how odd!
And premieres here on Showcase on 18th September!
Awesome!