Breaking Bad - Being Shopped to Other Networks
2 Aug 2011
Cancelled ShowsWith renewal talks dragging out between Breaking Bad studio Sony Pictures Television and AMC, the acclaimed drama has been shopped to a few other networks, sources confirmed.
AMC firmly wants to bring the show back for a fifth season — that’s the good news. Breaking Bad recently returned to 2.6 million viewers — a series high. But shows get more expensive as they age, and AMC is looking for ways to reach a financially effective deal. The network proposed a shortened fifth season (six or eight episodes instead of the usual 13) which producers rejected (thankfully).
Read the full article at EW
This saddens me greatly.
ReplyDeleteMe too.
ReplyDeleteThey'd be crazy not to come to a deal. A show as critically acclaimed as breaking Bad with a (relatively)wide popular appeal doesn't come along very often.
ReplyDeleteWell it could be PR stunt, but seriously what's going on with AMC lately? But the be honest I don't see Breaking Bad going anywhere, they will probably settle it in.
ReplyDeleteOh that's sad news. i hope another cahnnel picks it up becasue I'd like a full final season.
ReplyDeleteIt just scares me hte network would even CONSIDER having a 6 or 8 episode final season!
ReplyDeleteSeriously? After 4 years of being literally on top of the television critic award lists, why cut the final season short? Nonsensical!
Remember the negotiations with Mad Men creator Matt Weiner this year? He had to fight incredibly hard so that he can make the show the way he always did (AMC had such dumb proposals as cutting two cast members every season). I think now even the last person can see he was saving the show and not being greedy. And Mad Men is much more successful than Breaking Bad, so if they're willing to do that with Mad Men, it's not suprising Gilligan & Co. have to put up with that. In the end, I'm pretty sure Breaking Bad will be back on AMC for its last season and it'll have 13 episodes.
ReplyDeleteIf they make a deal with a new channel for the next season, I'd be worried the network would try to get more than just one season out of it, and that'd be a huge mistake. But I'd also not want to see their final season short.
ReplyDeleteAccording to a similar article at AOLTV ( http://www.aoltv.com/2011/08/02/breaking-bad-in-crisis-as-talks-stall-between-producers-and-am/ ) The Budget may have been the reason Darabont quit The Walking Dead as well.
ReplyDelete"AMC is looking to cut costs on zombie drama 'The Walking Dead,'
which is rumored to be having its per-episode budget slashed by about $250,000.
Last week showrunner Frank Darabont quit, and there is speculation that budget cuts
were the reason, although AMC sources deny it.
Back in May Darabont said
that "if they do move ahead with [the budget] they're talking about, it will
affect the show creatively ... in a negative way. Which just strikes me as odd.
If you have an asset, why would you punish it?""
AMC better start cutting deals with Netflix or whatever to get more cash. I hope that they're not being cheap...i really hope not.
ReplyDeleteFirst, AMC wants to fire some of the main cast and put in more product placement for Mad Men, then they severely reduce the budget for The Walking Dead (and Frank Darabount 'mysteriously' leaves.....), and now they're wanting to SHORTEN the last season of Breaking Bad.
ReplyDeleteWhat the hell is going on??
Netflix makes deals with the production company (like the 100 million dollar deal for Mad Men on Netflix Instant), AMC sees none of it.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I just read on LATimes.com that AMC Networks went public recently. That's probably the reason why they're lokking to cut costs at every corner. And since Weiner wouldn't give in to their demands and the budget wasn't reduced, they're trying they're other shows. Walking Dead is their own production, so it was no problem to cut the budget, and now they're looking to save money with BB. Although I'm still confident they'll work it out and BB returns the same as ever next year.
Good points dude. What the heck is going on there?
ReplyDeleteMaybe Vince will explain something about that in the Breaking Bad podcast?
I am hoping Breaking Bad goes through a sixth season!! Some stupid reality shows have millions and millions pouring in, and are garbage! The Bachelor or whatever it is has 20+ mil viewers, WHY? People actually believe that crap is real and that is real sad. A brilliantly written, acted, and directed show like Breaking Bad is struggling for $? Why, oh why, why?
ReplyDeleteAre they out of their freaking mind?
ReplyDeleteA 6-8 episodes order for the second most watched series you have is a travesty.
Plus, from the creative side, it doesn't make any sense considering the pace of the series.