Better Call Saul: The Definitive Guide (so Far) Dying To Know More About AMC’s Breaking Bad spinoff Better

Better Call Saul: The Definitive Guide (so far) Dying to know more about AMC’s Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul? Here’s what we know so far about the show (updated on May 15, 2014).

Creators: The show was conceived by Vince Gilligan and Breaking Bad writer Peter Gould (who wrote BrBa 2x08, the first episode to feature everyone’s favorite criminal lawyer). Gould will serve as the showrunner.

Writer’s Room: Breaking Bad writers Thomas Schnauz, Gennifer Hutchison, and Gordon Smith (former BrBa writer’s assistant) are working on the show right now in their Los Angeles writer’s room and are tweeting about it occasionally.

Premiere: BCS will debut on AMC in November, 2014. Vince is slated to direct the pilot.

Format: The show will be a one-hour drama, rather than a 30-minute sitcom format as originally planned. The comedy/drama split will be 75/25, the reverse of Breaking Bad.

Details: The show is “by and large” a prequel, so it would explore Saul’s days before he became Walter White’s lawyer. But, says Vince, “… the wonderful thing about the fractured chronology we employed on Breaking Bad for many years is the audience will not be thrown by us jumping around in time. So it’s possible that we may indeed do that, and we’ll see the past and perhaps the future.” He’s even said there could be episodes that take place during the BrBa timeline. But what will the show be about? Says Vince, “We’ve only seen Saul in his professional habitat. It will be interesting to see a more personal, intimate side of Saul Goodman.” Hmmm…

Location: Like Breaking Bad, it will be set in and filmed in Albuquerque, NM. Production is currently underway. Filming will begin June 2 and continue through early July.

Starring: Of course, Bob Odenkirk will return as Saul Goodman. Jonathan Banks will co-star, reprising his role as Mike Ehrmantraut. This is Spinal Tap vet Michael McKean will also co-star as a gifted lawyer named Dr. Thurber who is hampered by a strange affliction.

Cast: Three other actors have signed on: Michael Mando (Orphan Black) will play “smart, calculating Spanish-speaking career criminal Eddie.” Rhea Seehorn (Franklin & Bash) will play “a prestigious attorney named Beth who’s hard life is complicated by her romantic entanglements with somebody else at the firm.” Patrick Fabian (The Last Exorcism) will play Burt, a “Kennedy-esque lawyer who’s winning at life and is a name partner at a firm.”

Casting rumors: Aaron Paul, Bryan Cranston, Giancarlo Esposito and Anna Gunn have all said they like to have some role on the show. Cranston has said that he’d like to direct as well. With any luck, we’ll see Huell, Wendy, Badger, Skinny Pete, Carol and others return. Says Vince, “Better Call Saul could be The Love Boat of its generation, where instead of Milton Berle showing up in a sailor’s cap, hopefully it could be Aaron Paul, also in a sailor’s cap.

Crew: The remainder of the team – directors, editors, etc. – are currently being decided, but both Peter and Vince have said they intend to hire as much of the BrBa crew as possible.

Distribution: In the U.S. & Canada, the show will be available for streaming on Netflix the day after the last episode of Season 1 airs on AMC. In Europe & Latin America, Netflix will stream episodes  to a day or two after they air on AMC.

Get BCS updates from AMC and Deadline.com

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, IMDB, Wikipedia Promo artwork by Shayne at Heisenberg Chronicles, inspired by Corey Woodward’s piece.