Breaking Bad Getting Broken In Half?
It's one of the crown jewels of AMC's excellent original series lineup. It's one of the most critically acclaimed dramatic series in recent memory, it's one multiple Emmy awards, and even pulls in respectable ratings to boot (for cable). Over the course of four expertly plotted years, Breaking Bad has amassed a dedicated fanbase who look forward to every new season with bated breath to see what horrible calamities Walt and Jesse will encounter this year. When AMC previously announced that the show would get one final season of 16 episodes, the fandom at large was pleased. Sure, it was ending, but it got to go out on it's own terms with a super-sized season larger than the normal 13 episodes. That was until no less than Anna Gunn herself (Skyler on BB) told the LA Times that AMC plans to split the "final season" into two mini-seasons of 8 episodes each. One half to air in 2012, the other in 2013.
Needless to say, myself and every other Breaking Bad fan I know is not too happy with this decision, and that's putting it mildly. Sure, we're sort of getting "two" more seasons now, but it's not quite the same. Every other season we were rewarded for our year long wait with 13 fresh episodes. Now, we have to wait twice that length of time just for 16. Last year it seemed like AMC couldn't wait to drop the axe on the show, and now they don't seem to want it to end. I find this decision baffling. History shows that (other than in a few special cases such as The Walking Dead) extended breaks after a small number of episodes never really work. The ratings drop sharply, the fanbase is alienated and the show as a whole is hurt. Here's some examples: V (2009) aired four episodes to good ratings, took months off, ratings sank like a stone. The Event: aired 10 episodes, took months off, came back to even worse ratings for it's followup 12. Lost was both a popular and critical smash, then after the third season ABC chose to start taking one whole year off in between seasons instead of the usual May-September network break. The show's numbers steadily dropped every single time it returned. Not to mention the copious amounts of hatred that the seemingly endless breaks The Sopranos took engendered from it's audience.
Personally, I feel that this is a bad decision, for all the reasons I stated above. This move will do nothing but garner AMC ill-will and create an interminable wait for all us "Breaking Badguys" out there. What do you guys think? Am I wrong? Does the prospect of the wait bother you as much as it does me? Feel free to make your voice heard in the comments.
raven.sirius
It's obvious that it doesn't matter to the Networks what the loyal fans of any show think!!! There is a long history of Corporate absolutely ignoring the devoted fan base, for example: Babylon 5 (was cut short by Fox to four Seasons, destroying the original story arc. When they decided enough people were writing in they gave JMS the 5th season back - but they'd already done the damage to the story). Farscape (which got canned by NBC, parent of SyFy, until the FANS put together much of the funds to get the 5th season made as a movie. Well done Corporate!) Deadwood, Torchwood, Shattered (2010)... the list of quality shows goes on.
It's always amazed me that the whoever thinks they're in charge feel they have the right to ignore their sponsors, creative producers, crew, talent and fans when something is working. Instead there seems to be a culture of continuously grabbing for a larger market share by futzing around with the format, or cancelling before the story can be told, or continuing a story long after the horse had died and the whip had rotted, and that the SAME ones continue to be allowed to make these decisions...
It also amazes me at how few of us actually arc up over their meddling!
p.s. V (2009) wasn't that bad.
cloudblue
I concur with dlockjawed one. if they wanted the BUZZ of two more seasons, pony up the cash and do it right. i WILL have ill-will, even more than when they short changed the intelligent series Rubicon after only one season.
If AMC wanted 2 more seasons they should have just said so and ponied up the money to finance them. This just seems like a cheap trick to get more for less without any consideration for the fans who support their programming. A hearty "Boo" to AMC for its disrespectful behavior.
Bluefix
Or... V and The Event sucked bigtime.
That said, I do agree that it's a dubious decision.
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