In the film industry, every once in a while there are achievements that cause individuals to sit up and take notice. In many instances, these accolades are in relation to an original series, but there are those occasions where spin-offs generate a lot of chatter as well.
Most recently, an announcement was made about a spin-off that was more jaw dropping than arguably another other story emerging for the last couple of months, and possibly the year. In no uncertain terms, the release was a true sign of success.
What’s the big success story?
A week or so, it was recently announced that AMC has renewed a TV series entitled Better Call Saul for a second season, and while a series renewal is a pretty common feat, it is not so common when no episode of the show has been aired. Not only that, but it is even more mind-blowing when the show is a spin-off of another. It doesn’t get much bigger than that, does it?
There is no documentation to say that this is so, but it is quite possible that this is the first time that a spin-off is being renewed without Episode 1 even hitting the screens. If this bit of information holds true, then it will be following its predecessor Breaking Bad into the record books – it was revealed last year that the show earned a spot in the Guinness World Records for 2014 for “the highest rated TV series”. This was based on its metascore from Metacritic.com, which was an impressive 99/100.
Bob Odenkirk is Saul Goodman.
Arguably, the only reason the show did not achieve a perfect score was based on the premise that such a series has never, and will never exist. Take a poll, however, and it’s quite likely that many will hold the opinion that individuals will hold the opinion that this series was.
Plot
Those who were avid followers of Breaking Bad – which many people were – will be all too familiar with the main character of the upcoming series Better Call Saul, Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk). Saul is a “criminal” lawyer whose services were enlisted by Walter White (Bob Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) during Season 2 of Breaking Bad. While they could have went after the services of any criminal lawyer, as expressed by Jesse, Saul is more of a criminal than a lawyer, so he would surely fit into their illegitimate enterprise with relative ease.
His popular tagline “Better Call Saul!” is what the producers have used for the title of the series concentrated on him, which does make a lot of sense. The show is set to show fans more of his life, and display his methodology in getting the job done.
Though this series is being touted as a prequel to the original that is not the full picture, as there will be scenes and elements that take place during Breaking Bad, and other that will be staged after.
Whose success is it? Does that even matter?
At this time, the answer to this may not matter to some, but still there are those who will want an answer any way – who should be given the credit for the Season 2 renewal of Better Call Saul? Understandably, there are a number of entities that can take credit.
‘Better Call Saul’ is the much anticipated spinoff of ‘Breaking Bad’ starring Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman) and Bryan Cranston (Walter White).
An easy response for many would be the success of Breaking Bad. Aside from the feat mentioned earlier of making the Guinness World Records book, the show has amassed a following that only a few other series can brag about. Among the many fans of the show is the world-renowned actor Anthony Hopkins, who was so impressed by what he saw that he wrote a letter to Bob Cranston expressing just this, referring to his portrayal of Walter White as “the best acting I have seen – ever”.
The actor Bob Odenkirk can also force himself into contention, with the actuality that his character Saul Goodman was of such a high standard during the original show that it managed to prompt a series of its own. Last, but certainly not least, are the oftentimes forgotten players in the game – the creators and producers (Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould). The on-screen portrayals are of course their visions coming to life.
Whoever is to be accredited with the recent success, it is unlikely to matter much to those involved, as they will all be reaping the benefits. At the very least, even those who missed out on Breaking Bad may be compelled to watch a few episodes to catch an early glimpse of who Saul Goodman really is.
Not alone…kind of
While Better Call Saul may be the first (and only one) in its class by being a spin-off to get a renewal before its premiere, it is not the only series to be in said class for the year. In January, it was revealed that the series HitRecord on TV would be renewed for a second season, a week or so before its intended premiere. The series was created by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (known for his role in films such as Inception and The Dark Knight Rises) and airs on the recently launched channel Pivot.
A Spin-Off Success Like None Other
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