Latest news with #BreakingBad
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Breaking Bad fans discover little-known secret about Mike's iconic role
A fan favourite character from the hit show Breaking Bad was written to cover for a cast member's absence. The Bryan Cranston-starring show was lauded by critics and the public on its release and is now regarded as one of the best shows in history. The series also featured Bob Odenkirk, Aaron Paul, and Jonathan Banks. Banks, who plays fan favourite Mike Ehrmantraut in both Breaking Bad and the prequel series, Better Call Saul, was brought in for the show's second series, and was never meant to be a main cast member. But the fans loved his work so much during another character's absence that the decision was made to keep him on. Other cast members were also meant to depart the show earlier than expected. Aaron Paul, who portrays Jesse Pinkman in all series and the sequel Netflix movie, was set to leave Breaking Bad after its first series. He was kept on, however, after a series of rewrites. Revisions were also made to cover for Odenkirk's absence, with his lowlife lawyer character, Saul Goodman, absent for a few episodes. In his place, Banks filled in as the enforcer Ehrmantraut, because Odenkirk had obligations to film a different series. His recurring role on How I Met Your Mother clashed with Breaking Bad's shooting schedule. A character was then needed to cover for Odenkirk's absence, and led to the writing of the Mike Ehrmantraut character. A Better Call Saul fan account posted the fact to X, which has since been verified by writers from the show. The post reads: "Writers for Breaking Bad created Mike Ehrmantraut as a substitute for Saul Goodman when Bob Odenkirk was unavailable because of a commitment to appear in How I Met Your Mother." Odenkirk was unavailable for the season two finale episode, and thus a replacement character was brought in. Fans were delighted to realise the origins of Ehrmantraut come from the absence of another beloved character. One user wrote: "IMO, the most interesting character on BB or BCS. I wish there was a series to take us from Mike the policeman to Mike the fixer." Another added: "I love characters who were meant to be one offs due to outstanding circumstances become the fan favourites." A third wrote: "It's funny how such a small twist of fate could have prevented us from seeing what is, in my opinion, one of the greatest characters in TV history." Other fans of the show have praised the unexpected stand-in, and the legendary character it led to. One user wrote: "Best piece of lore I have read in a long time." Another added: "It's probably the best story that came out after the show finished." A third shared: "After that infamous finale, this is literally the only good thing that HIMYM did. Mike Ehrmantraut is one of the best characters in all of television."
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Too much, too fast: Is pop culture oversaturated?
At some point in the last five years, it became almost impossible to keep up not just with movies or shows, but with everything. A new album would trend overnight. A YouTube series would go viral. Another streaming original would suddenly be called 'essential viewing.' What changed wasn't just the volume. It was how fast something could go from being a discovery to becoming unavoidable. A niche fandom becomes a global franchise within weeks. An underground artist lands a brand deal before their second release. You are either right on top of the wave or five scrolls too late. This is what saturation looks like in 2025: not just too much content, but too much urgency around it. Fandom used to be a signal. You found something, chose it, and built a relationship with it. You went to screenings, read interviews, and collected the merch. It became a part of your personality — something you found before the world caught on. Today, fandom is often the product itself. Every piece of content arrives pre-loaded with a hashtag, a reaction template, and a fandom starter pack. Take anime; once a niche subculture, now fully mainstream. Not because the content changed, but because the masses caught up. Being a 'geek' is now a marketable demographic, not a personality. And while that cultural validation is great, something's been lost along the way. Fandom used to grow from the inside out. Now, everything goes wide before it gets a chance to go deep. For independent creators, this hyper-speed attention cycle makes it nearly impossible to build something slow, lasting, and meaningful. The cost of constant choice Streaming platforms changed how we consume stories and how quickly. First came binge-watching. Then, episodic returns. Then, cinematic universes. Simultaneous drops across languages and regions. But more content didn't mean more freedom. It meant paralysis. You spend more time choosing than watching. You start shows because they are trending and never finish them. You miss original, strange, beautiful work because the algorithm keeps looping you through what it thinks you like. If you finished Game of Thrones, you were nudged into House of the Dragon. If you liked Breaking Bad, here's Better Call Saul. It's like being trapped in autoplay, where you don't choose what to watch, just what's next. We are cultivating systems that reward repetition. In that model, new voices, especially those without marketing budgets or studio machines, get drowned out. Is this still enjoyable? There's a creeping fatigue even among the most loyal fans. What used to be passion now feels like homework. You are expected to catch the finale before everyone else on your feed. You are supposed to feel deeply and also move on quickly. The Marvel Cinematic Universe requires spreadsheets to follow. And God forbid, you miss a post-credit scene… someone will explain why that ruins everything. In all that noise, a lot gets missed. Some of the most original, moving Indian work, comics, zines, indie films, and experimental animation get buried under content that's just louder, cleaner, and better promoted. That's not a criticism of scale. It's just a reminder that creative ecosystems thrive on range, not just reach. What now? This isn't a call for less content. But maybe… fewer expectations from it. Less pressure to keep up. Fewer declarations that something will 'change your life.' More space for slow fandoms. For creators who build worlds over time and not overnight. We talk a lot about virality. Maybe it's time we talk about longevity, too. The stories that stay with us rarely arrive with a marketing plan. They find us quietly when we're not looking for them. The writer is the Founder of Comic Con India
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Your TCL TV just got even more free channels — here's what you can watch now
TCL TVs are home to a slew of free channels, but they're set to get even more following a new partnership with AMC Networks. TCL's streaming service, called TCLtv+, will be getting 11 FAST channels from AMC Networks' catalog. It will make many of the best TCL TVs even better if you love free content, now corralling as many as 400 ad-supported channels. You might know AMC best for "Breaking Bad" and "The Walking Dead," the latter of which has its own dedicated FAST channel playing episodes nonstop. Additional sports and news channels will also be available on TCLtv+, like NESN Nation, a New England-based sports broadcast that focuses on Bruins and Red Sox coverage. The full list of 11 new AMC FAST channels includes the following: You can download TCLtv+ today on your TCL TV to gain access to all these new FAST channels. To find it, head to apps and search TCLtv+ and click download, though it should already be available within the home app carousel. FAST stands for Free Ad-supported Streaming Television and it's fast becoming one of the best ways to stream content on smart TVs. Most TV interfaces are equipped with these types of channels, from Samsung's TizenOS to Google TV, which is available on a wide variety among the best TVs. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Time Out
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
It's official: ‘Squid Game' is one of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time
It's always Emmy season at Time Out, where thrusting bouquets at our favourite all-time TV and streaming shows is a year-round preoccupation. And a new addition to our critic-picked list of the 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time has just landed. Netflix's sci-fi thriller Squid Game has wrapped up after three fierce, addictive and satirical seasons of dystopian death and mayhem. We love it, and judging by worldwide viewing figures that make it the streamer's most watched show, so does everyone else. Born from his aborted idea for a movie, Korean writer Hwang Dong-hyuk's 22-episode three-season series follows down-on-his-luck chauffeur and gambling addict Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) through a battle of survival in a Grand Guignol game show run by the mysterious Front Man. 'Absurd, upsetting and blackly comic, it's an excoriating indictment of human greed,' reads the new entry on Time Out's 100 Greatest TV Shows list. 'It's shot through with compelling human drama as Gi-hun clings desperately to his humanity as all around him abandon theirs.' Squid Game lands at number 48 on the 100-strong list. Here's Time Out's top 10 in full: 1. Breaking Bad (2008-2013) 2. Twin Peaks (1990–1991) 3. The Sopranos (1999-2007) 4. The Wire (2002–2008) 5. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) 6. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) 7. Game of Thrones (2011-2019) 8. The Office (UK) (2001-03) 9. Mad Men (2007–2015) 10. Succession (2018–2023) The best TV and streaming shows of 2025 (so far). .
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Stars of cult TV show unrecognisable at their mini-reunion
Breaking Bad fans have been sent into a frenzy following a reunion by three of its stars, 10 years after the finale aired. Matt Jones, Charles Baker and Rodney Rush - better known as Badger, Skinny Pete and Combo, respectively - popped up on social media over the weekend after getting together for a meet and greet at the Breaking Bad store in Albuquerque. Baker posted an album of the event on Instagram, captioning it: 'Great times were had by all at the Breaking Bad store this weekend! Thank you all for being there.' A series of pictures was also posted on social media by talent manager Ben Brucato, who had helped arrange the fan experience. 'I had a great time bringing my good friends [Charles Baker, Matt Jones and Rodney Rush] to the first ever Skinny Pete, Badger and Combo reunion!' the Blunt Management founder wrote alongside a series of pictures of the trio. He went on to thank store staff for helping put on the 'amazing event'. Fans were delighted to see the cast back together, with one begging in the comments section: 'Let them have their own show already.' 'You three are my heroes!' added another. 'That's it, I'm watching Breaking Bad again,' one fan wrote. Breaking Bad, which premiered in 2008 and wrapped up in 2013, is widely considered one of the best television shows of all time. Starring Bryan Cranston as Walter White and Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman, it received critical acclaim for its performances and storytelling.
