6 Reasons Breaking Bad Could Only Have Worked As A TV Show

You could argue that Breaking Bad has the richness of a great novel, and to an extent I'd say you're right. Opening the pages and diving into such an involving plot, populated with vivid but identifiable characters, is the meat and drink of a rattling good read.

Unlike the other options presented so far, this one allows the male/female relationships to breathe. Skylar and Marie's stories are amply-served on the printed page, each connected to the main plot in contrasting but strangely similar fashion. Skylar is the rock for the bad guy, Marie for the good.

There's just one problem - Walt. His great strength is his unknowability. Despite following him around for much of the time on television, you're never entirely aware of what he's thinking. In prose you'd have to show his thought process. Mr White's power derives from his inner-workings being a constant source of debate. Even if he was only depicted through the eyes of others, you still wouldn't have Bryan Cranston's expressive features to guide you through his darker actions.