AMC Giving Trouble To Breaking Bad Producers

They want to mess with this guy?

It's amazing how quickly things can go to hell.  A year ago, the cable channel AMC was one of my favorites. They had Breaking Bad, the amazing show starring Bryan Cranston about a drug dealing chemistry teacher, they were coming out with The Walking Dead, a TV show about zombies, and they showed good movies even if they were awkwardly censored. Fast forward to today, where we have Walking Dead show runner Frank Darabont quitting the show, the new series The Killing had a critically despised first season, and now it looks like the last season of Breaking Bad might not even be coming back to the network due to budget issues

Thanks to LA Times, it has been reported that there have been issues with the network demanding the supposedly final fifth season be cut down to 6-8 episodes instead of the regular 13.  Representatives for the show have been shopping around the show to other networks should talks with the network fall through.  What really pisses me off is that the big reason for the budget cuts that are causing these issues is that Mad Men creator Matt Weiner got a really nice (i.e. expensive) deal to stay on with AMC with the show for an additional two season.

I obviously have issues with this.  Breaking Bad is a great show unlike many that we see even through this "Golden Age of Television", but I can't even think how a show that wants just one more season could be successful at another network.  And I can't think of anything more disappointing than this show not having a proper ending.  Either way, what it seems that we have here is AMC putting all of their eggs in one liquored up basket. Either way, with Darabont leaving supposedly because of these budget cuts, and this Breaking Bad business, I'm very worried for the future of both of these shows.  Stay tuned for more information, and let's hope that both parties come to an agreement that lets this show finish on a creative high without network politics messing with it. 

AMC's Breaking Bad airs every Sunday at 10 PM ET/ 9PM CT.
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