Breaking Bad changed the world when it first aired on AMC back in 2008. The crime/drama series that became a joke for countless chemistry teachers around the world was indeed more than just some mindless story.
Before AMC hired creator Vince Gilligan for the project, Breaking Bad was pitched to several other studios too. Finding various reasons to deny the making of the project, there was one studio that simply stated that they couldn’t show methamphetamine on screen and suggested that Walter White be a counterfeiter instead!
When Studios Turned Down Breaking Bad For Different Reasons
It’s hard to imagine a world where Walter White did not embody the soul of being a dangerous man. Portraying the fantastic character was Bryan Cranston who gave it his all with the only hope of justifying this man who became a meth producer after cancer failed him.
The series was met with unprecedented reviews and rave theories as fans weren’t able to fathom the grandeur of this seemingly simple set-in-a-minivan series until Vince Gilligan let it all out. Being the creator of this series, Gilligan approached several studios in hopes of someone investing in Breaking Bad. Talking about his meeting with the studio TNT, the studio loved the script but there was just one simple reason they couldn’t.
“I get to ‘The End,’ [the two executives] look at each other and they say, ‘Oh god, I wish we could buy this.’ Then they said, ‘If we bought this, we’d be fired … We cannot put this on TNT, it’s meth, it can’t be meth, it’s reprehensible. We gotta ask,’ kind of halfheartedly, ‘could the guy be a counterfeiter instead?’ I said, ‘Well, no …’ They said, ‘Alright well, god bless you.'”
Although facing rejection, Gilligan advised writers that it was good that he was rejected. Stating how terrible Hollywood is with their months of no-reply method, Gilligan was actually happy that TNT said no to his face.
Vince Gilligan Shared Advice For Aspiring Writers
Although TNT refused to create Breaking Bad, Vince Gilligan stated that a no is the second-to-closest term to victory. Giving advice to aspiring writers, Gilligan pointed out the fact that TNT loved the story, it was just the usage of methamphetamine that became an obstacle for them.
“The close second to the victory of someone buying [your pitch] in the room is telling you they’re not gonna buy it, it sounds like a bad thing but it’s actually a very good thing … the trouble of Hollywood, movies and TV, is people will leaving you dangling on the end of a meathook for days, weeks, months on end.”
Breaking Bad finally found its rightful owner in the form of AMC as the series earned a whopping rating of 9.5/10 on IMDB and 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. The series is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
Source: YouTube
