TQS StaffVince Gilligan, creator and executive producer of Breaking Bad, said in his interview with New York Magazine, that if not for Netflix and other streaming video services, Breaking Bad wouldn’t have made it past its third season, implying about Netflix’s video streaming service in which new episodes of Breaking Bad are made available just hours after the recent airing of its episode.
Breaking Bad is about the life of Walter White (played by Billy Cranston) a chemistry teacher who, after being diagnosed with an inoperable lung cancer, later turns to a life of crime, becoming a drug dealer who produces and sells methamphetamine, in order to help secure his family’s future before he dies, teaming with his former student Jesse Pinkman (played by Aaron Paul).
“Walt” proves to be the hero, bad guy and villain many times over. Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkman is the moral centre oddly enough in their world, but everyone wants to be Walt.
The story explores the themes and concepts of how one man can do even the things that are morally evil and damaging, even to society, so as long as his loved ones’ future stays secure. It also explores different concepts of how one’s actions can have dire consequences in the future.
The series received critical acclaim, with many considering it one of the greatest T.V. dramas of all time. It has also received several awards, including several awards and nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards, the Golden Globe Awards (for Billy Cranston), and even the Screen Actors Guild Award.
Streaming Media’s Impact On The Show
Netflix’s streaming media feature has enabled consumers to watch their favorite shows, even if they have missed its initial airing. Gilligan has expressed that without Netflix, Breaking Bad wouldn’t have gone far during its run.
Gilligan also said, during the run of its first season, the show only gained mediocre ratings in viewership, and the show would’ve have been cancelled after Season Two. Those who had watched it, however, expressed enjoyment in the show’s premise. It was only during the advent of streaming video on the internet that the show has gained some much-needed exposure, hence their ratings skyrocketed, prompting the creators to continue on until it’s current fifth season run.
Gilligan also said that, while he doesn’t endorse piracy, he admitted that it also played a small part in the exposure of said show, especially during the times when Netflix isn’t around.
Streaming Media Services + Online Piracy = Awareness Increase?
Breaking Bad isn’t just the only T.V. shows that enjoys increased success due to streaming media services. Other hit shows like Game of Thrones, Arrested Development, The Walking Dead, House of Cards and Mad Men, also enjoy increased ratings due in part to the exposure that they receive via video streaming.
While Gilligan’s opinion of online piracy certainly can raise eyebrows, it was the opinion of Game of Throne’s television director, David Petrarca, that can generate some controversy.
Petrarca even stated that, the effect of online piracy certainly doesn’t hurt media as a whole, but instead has helped in maintaining cultural buzz among said shows.
