The genesis of the revolutionary TV series Breaking Bad, often hailed as one of the finest in television history, is nearly as captivating as the show’s own narrative. It’s a saga of inspiration unfolding from the most unexpected of origins. While addressing the audience at the Austin Film Festival, Vince Gilligan recounted the fascinating anecdote of how the show’s foundational idea materialized in an unlikely setting: a telephone conversation with a close friend.
During the early 2000s, Gilligan faced a period of creative stagnation. Both he and his collaborator, a producer he had partnered with on The X-Files, found themselves without employment during this time.
The Genesis Of Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad
As Vince Gilligan recounted, he vividly remembered a conversation he had with his friend Tom Schnauz. During this discussion, both of them were genuinely concerned about their financial situation, given the lack of substantial income at that particular juncture. Gilligan himself wasn’t engaged in any work, and the same applied to Schnauz.
“I was on the phone to a buddy of mine, Tom Schnauz; we were truly worried about the fact that we didn’t have much in the way of income coming in. I wasn’t working at that moment, neither was he.”
Around three years after The X-Files had come to an end, both of them found themselves pondering their future directions within the industry. In the course of their dialogue, Gilligan playfully entertained the notion of taking on a role as a Walmart greeter, humorously underscoring the somewhat precarious state they were in. However, in the midst of their mutual unease, a seemingly casual remark from Schnauz brought about a significant pivot in Gilligan’s career trajectory.
“And then he [Tom] said, ‘What about if we just pool our resources, buy an RV and put a meth lab in the back’,” recalled Gilligan. “I don’t know what it was, but suddenly I was intensely intrigued. I’m not sure where it came from. But the idea of a guy who would do such a thing, an otherwise good man doing a reprehensible deed, in order to save his family: that was the early impetus.”
Vince Gilligan’s objective was to craft a narrative that would instantly captivate and engage the viewers.
How Vince Gilligan Wrote Walter White’s Character
Having latched onto this compelling concept, Gilligan embarked on the task of shaping the intricate and morally intricate central character of the show, Walter White. This character undergoes a remarkable evolution from an unremarkable high school chemistry teacher to a merciless drug kingpin.
In a shrewd move within the pilot episode of Breaking Bad, Gilligan employs a skillful flash-forward introduction. He elucidates that this choice was motivated by a straightforward and practical rationale, describing it as a “meat and potatoes schematic” approach.
Hence, Breaking Bad emerged as a result of an informal discussion between two jobless television writers. From this remarkably unexpected source of inspiration, Gilligan and Schnauz would proceed to craft what has come to be recognized as one of the most exceptional narratives ever presented on either the small or big screen.
Breaking Bad is available for streaming on Netflix.
Source: Far Out
