Everyone has their own opinion on the greatest TV show ever made, but there’s no question that the former AMC series Breaking Bad belongs in the conversation.
Created by Vince Gilligan, the show premiered in January 2008 and concluded in September 2013 after five seasons. It starred Bryan Cranston as Walter White and Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman.
The series was such a success that it spawned a movie centered on Jesse, titled El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, which premiered in 2019 that was based off the TV show’s finale. It also inspired the spinoff Better Call Saul, headlined by Bob Odenkirk as small-time lawyer Saul Goodman. The series ran from 2015 to 2022.
The IMDb plot description reads, “A chemistry teacher (Cranston) diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine with a former student (Paul) to secure his family’s future.”
Bryan Cranston Reacts to ‘Breaking Bad’ Announcement
In a recent exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Cranston reacted to the announcement that Breaking Badhad been named the No. 1 TV show of the 21st century by The New York Times, which released its list of the 100 best shows of the century last month.
“I’m exceedingly proud of that,” Cranston said. “That’s something that’s voted on. That’s bestowed upon us as the collective who had something to do with that show.”
The series is widely regarded across multiple platforms as one of the greatest TV shows of all time. Its success also reflects the contributions of the supporting cast, whose performances helped bring the story together.
Alongside Cranston, Paul and Odenkirk, the cast included Anna Gunn, Giancarlo Esposito, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte and Jonathan Banks, among many others.
This story was originally published byMen’s Journalon Oct 12, 2026, where it first appeared in theEntertainmentsection. Add Men’s Journal as aPreferred
