Best Television Series – Drama – Nominee
As audiences continue to bask in the Golden Age of TV, no two shows have likely had as much joint impact on that landscape as the 2014 Golden Globe-winning TV drama Breaking Bad and its current Golden Globe-nominated spin-off series Better Call Saul.
Better Call Saul introduces us to the duplicitous lawyer with a heart of gold known as Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk). To meet him, Breaking Bad audiences have traveled back in time for the prequel set six years prior.
They discover what made Jimmy become Saul, why he married and eventually lost fellow lawyer Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn); and how he got lured into representing a Mexican drug cartel.
The 2022 final season of Better Call Saul gave audiences a much-anticipated crossover moment from the mothership. Fans were able to see Saul’s future become the present when he crosses paths with America’s favorite meth lab workers, Walt White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul).
“It’s pretty amazing right?” actor Bob Odenkirk told the HFPA during a 2020 press conference as he reflected on the legacy of both shows. “We’ve all discovered that there are audience tastes for things we never imagined. I certainly couldn’t have imagined the idea of people investing as much as they have in these long, involved shows and then coming back for another one when we bring one of the characters back.”
He added: “The one thing I’d say is that Breaking Bad was always evolving and the characters were always changing. That’s also true in Better Call Saul. It’s not like you’re watching a character do the same thing over and over. Jimmy is a guy who’s growing into Saul Goodman. He’s going to grow into some other version of that guy at the end of our show. So, you’re always getting fresh story and fresh character.”
Bob Odenkirk is a former comedy actor/writer who seemed an unlikely choice at the time he was cast in a supporting role on Breaking Bad. He credits that show’s five seasons as the cultural phenomenon (2008-13) that allowed this new spin-off to become popular and run for six seasons (2015-22).
“When Breaking Bad came along, it introduced a new dimension to the storytelling and it compelled audiences to watch. I’m just thankful to be a part of a show that cares so much about mood and tone and images,” Odenkirk continued in his press conference. “I know we would never have got to find our audience or become a hit if we hadn’t ridden in on that show’s tailwinds. But the audience also connected with us. Everybody has somebody who you want to please but feel you will never be able to do so. That’s the story of Saul’s life.”