People now live in a time where there are more distractions than ever when it comes to entertainment to consume, with television being a medium that’s experienced tremendous growth, both in terms of quality and content. Television has comfortably shifted its image into a prestigious form of entertainment and one of the dominant ways to experience an engrossing story. Breaking Bad has emerged as one of the most universally adored examples of how good modern television can be.
Breaking Bad’s dominant run on TV is now over and Bryan Cranston’s impeccable acting abilities can be experienced in plenty of other projects. However, those that miss Cranston’s antics as Walter White can check out a number of other TV shows that should effectively bring Breaking Bad to mind.
10 Better Call Saul Extends The Breaking Bad Narrative In Fulfilling Ways
People were rightfully skeptical that a prequel series to Breaking Bad that focuses on Walter White’s slimy criminal lawyer, Saul Goodman, could match the magic of the original series. Against all odds, Better Call Saul hasn’t only justified its existence, but it’s arguably become an even more delicate and thoughtful ticking time bomb of a drama series than its predecessor. Another element that makes Better Call Saul work so well is that Breaking Bad fans are already aware that all of the meticulous and hard work of Better Call Saul’s characters eventually gets completely destroyed by Walter White’s ugly hubris.
9 Ozark Chronicles An Ordinary Family’s Descent Into Darkness
A cheap knockoff of a successful show is never a good look, but despite the rampant similarities between Netflix’s Ozark and Breaking Bad, right down to the casting of an against-type actor like Jason Bateman, Ozark establishes itself as an original property with something different to say. Marty Byrde and his family get in over their heads when it comes to their assistance to a deadly cartel. The slippery moral ground for Marty, his wife, and their family is a constant highlight in the series, but there’s also very palpable danger that makes death feel like it’s around any corner.
8 Good Girls Depicts The Slippery Slope Of Crime
Good Girls is an NBC drama that’s currently in its fourth season, which has allowed its unconventional crime story to develop in fulfilling and surprising ways. There’s immediately common ground between Good Girls and Breaking Bad, since the former revolves around a trio of desperate moms who decide to rob a supermarket, only to get themselves involved progressively deeper as money launderers in a dangerous criminal enterprise.
Much like in Breaking Bad, a serious source of tension in Good Girls involves Christina Hendricks’ character and the energy that she experiences as she learns her value as a criminal.
7 Narcos Breaks Down A Different Drug Trade With Equal Intensity
There is no shortage of TV series that focus on drugs and the dangerous, committed people that fuel this illegal sector of the world. Breaking Bad focuses on the meth industry and the DEA's efforts to take down a growing drug kingpin. The priority in Netflix’s Narcos is cocaine, not methamphetamines, but the aim of both series are quite similar. Narcos expertly breaks down the real-life conflict between Colombia's drug cartels and the DEA. Narcos is more grounded than Breaking Bad, but it's still an incredibly suspenseful, exciting story.
6 Money Heist Engages In Intricate Heists That Rival Breaking Bad’s Plotting
Originally from Spain, Money Heist has turned into one of Netflix's biggest international hits and it's finally set to wrap up its addictive story this year. Breaking Bad is often heralded for its brilliant plotting and its ability to intelligently thread its ideas together without exaggerated compromises. Money Heist is another series that's also obsessed with elaborate plans, which often aren't fully clear to the audience until everything is said and done. The series details exhaustive schemes and plays around with chronology in inspired ways where it's impossible to know where the truth lies.
5 Weeds Also Examines The Schism Between Suburbia And Drug Felonies
Breaking Bad is the most popular “suburban drug show,” but it’s easy to forget that Weeds debuted first and became a flagship program that helped Showtime establish its voice as a cable network. Nancy Botwin’s descent to marijuana kingpin in her cushy community is a much more sanitized version of Walter White’s turn to crime, but it still hits some major heights.
Weeds’ biggest problem is its necessity to always raise the stakes, which is a difficult momentum to maintain, but an energy that’s not dissimilar to Breaking Bad’s fearlessness. The two shows make for interesting counterpoints to each other.
4 A Criminal Mastermind Hides In Plain Sight In Dexter
Dexter was an iconic cable series during its run that suffers from a shoddy conclusion, but the series’ impending return is a strong opportunity for Dexter to reclaim its narrative. Dexter tackles serial killers instead of drug dealers, but Michael C. Hall’s titular Dexter Morgan is a seemingly normal individual that masks a massive secret, just like Walter White. The idea that a trusted individual like Dexter can be a killer is the exact same dynamic that plays with Walt in Breaking Bad. Both series explore this anxiety in very different ways, but reflect many comparable themes.
3 The Shield Shines A Lot On Police Procedure And Corruption Without Compromise
Television has come such a long way when it comes to established genres, like police procedurals, that the series that had a major influence on the genre's development sometimes get forgotten. The Shield helped put FX on the map due to its gritty, unflinching look at drugs, sex, and gang-related crimes in Los Angeles. The Shield looks at truly corrupt individuals on both sides of the law and the way in which this work eats away at Michael Chiklis' Vic Mackey is harrowing. It's heavy material with characters that get completely used up.
2 The Wire’s Realistic Look At The War On Drugs Is An Enlightening Experience
Breaking Bad is obsessed with drugs in a manner that’s very exaggerated and ultimately comes down to the wide extremes between those that have power and the helpless addicts at the bottom. The Wire tackles similar power structures, but in a totally different manner that puts the focus on law enforcement and the street-level players. The Wire beautifully examines the consequences of drugs in a social sense, whereas Breaking Bad is much more a power fantasy about ego. The shows each utilize very different perspectives, yet Breaking Bad’s depiction of Albuquerque feels just as authentic as Baltimore in The Wire.
1 Barry Is A Stunning Look Into A Man Torn Between Two Worlds
Barry is one of HBO’s more recent series, but it’s well on its way to being one of the cable network’s most challenging and exciting series. Former Saturday Night Live comedian, Bill Hader, makes a remarkable transformation into a disaffected hitman who discovers his passion for acting. On its surface level, Barry is quite different from Breaking Bad, but these are both series that examine how darkness slowly infects someone as well as how the right career path can open someone’s eyes in life-altering ways.