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

An idea mooted for a while after Walt seemingly dropped dead was a continuation film. A rogue instalment showing everyone's favourite warped educator is a fun prospect, like a cerebral variation on The A-Team perhaps, as White gets into hot water with another bad crowd.

This would be fine to keep the vibe going a little. Totally wrong for the TV story though. For starters there's simply too much going on for a two, or even three hour feature to do justice by. Breaking Bad is a slow burn. A movie is all about a single shot to the system, something that'll send you out into the light blinking. The closest you'd get to that'd be throwing open the curtains after a boxset marathon after realizing you need to take a bathroom break, having consumed several bags of Funyuns. If you sat through all five seasons in one sitting... you may want to consult your doctor.

Crucially, if Gilligan were trying to secure a movie-level budget they'd face big opposition over its most important element: Bryan Cranston, back then known as Tim Whatley from Seinfeld or the guy from Malcolm In The Middle. John Cusack may well have wound up playing Walter White. Nothing necessarily wrong with that. I like John Cusack. However, imagining a BB without BC for too long...? That gives me the fear beeyatches.

Do you agree with this article? Could Breaking Bad have been anything other than a TV classic? Let us know in the comments section.