Breaking Bad is gone for good as we know it. However, it’s been brought back to life with the movie El Camino, and of course a successful spin-off in Better Call Saul.
Fans are still re-watching the original series at a rapid rate on Netflix, and the undying interest has spawned numerous Breaking Bad spin off ideas.
Whether fresh content from Vince Gilligan’s warped world will be created remains to be seen. However, there are some terrific TV series like Breaking Bad that are worth checking out.
Here are the five shows like Breaking Bad I’d suggest for your next weekend binge party.
5. Better Call Saul (2015-2022)
If you’re looking for some shows like Breaking Bad to dive into and haven’t checked out this spin-off, this is a great place to start.
It features one of the greatest Breaking Bad characters of all-time, after all.
Better Call Saul takes us back in time, long before Walter White ever went scorched earth on New Mexico. It tracks the evolution of Saul Goodman’s character, while also giving us a few compelling origin stories for fan favorites like Gus Fring and Mike Ehrmantraut.
And then there’s amazing new characters like the unforgettable Lalo.
We know the fate of these characters if we’ve seen Breaking Bad, but Better Call Saul gives us a closer look, while also introducing some amazing characters and offering brilliant story-telling in the process.
The show is so good, in fact, that some have made the bold claim that it’s actually better than Breaking Bad.
That may be too bold of a claim. However, that just tells you it’s good. And with the same creator and so many similar elements, it’s undeniably one of the best TV series like Breaking Bad you need to see.
4. Narcos (2015-2017)
There are few shows that can actually mirror the theme of Breaking Bad, but if you want a dark world about drugs, violence, and fighting crime, few TV shows can rival Narcos.
While the original series was short-lived, it gave us 30 amazing episodes of Pedro Pascal and an inside look at the Mexican drug cartel.
It’s difficult to pass up an origin tale for the terrifying Pablo Escobar, while the rise and fall of such a powerful cartel is flat out fascinating.
Narcos isn’t just a hard-hitting show filled with violence. It’s littered with touching, thought-provoking moments, while giving the audience an inside look at a gritty, gruesome world.
3. Fargo (2014-Present)
If you’re looking for shows like Breaking Bad, you’re not necessarily looking for a total copycat. Narcos gives you a different feel with drugs at the heart of the story, and Better Call Saul is a deep dive into source material.
Fargo is completely different in a lot of ways, but it’s especially unique in that it tells a new story every season. Four years in, the anthology series offers a new star-studded cast each time out, and every single time the new season embodies the thrill, mystery, and brutality the original movie invoked.
By all accounts, it looks like more could be on the way, too.
Fargo has been a different flavor every time out, but it’s always been well crafted and led by top shelf acting.
It isn’t giving you a drug-infused tale each time, but like Breaking Bad, in leans hard into dark humor, and shows humanity in even the cruelest of crimes.
2. The Wire (2002-2008)
It’s hard to really say The Wire is like Breaking Bad with a straight face. It’s not nearly as comical, it’s a heck of a lot darker, and it’s a bit more realistic.
That said, it’s one of the highest rated shows worth watching, and most people will slide it into their top-5 if you haven’t seen it yet.
Like Breaking Bad, it does give you a close look at the world of crime, giving you fresh perspectives from the people committing heinous acts, and the ones tracking them down.
The Wire isn’t pieced together as tightly as Breaking Bad, but it’s a dark, gritty series that fans of the AMC series should enjoy.
1. Ozark (2017-2022)
I’m not exactly ranking these TV shows like Breaking Bad in a specific order, but if I were, I’d certainly put Ozark near the top as far as mirroring the AMC hit.
No other show is as similar to Breaking Bad, while also being it’s own beautiful, complex nightmare. In a good way, of course.
This series pits another family against the cartel, with Jason Bateman playing the lead. He gets a ton of help from Laura Linney, and the cast from top to bottom makes this show.
Ozark arguably ends with a whimper, but it offers a unique story with numerous twists, gripping narrative, and endless thrills. It’ll pull at the heart strings more than a few times, too.
Ultimately, all of these shows are like Breaking Bad in some capacity.
They all have some grit to them, they’re all fairly dark, most have some tie-in to the drug world, and some have involvement with the cartel.
The one big thing they all have in common? They’re highly rated series and definitely worth watching if you haven’t seen them already.
I am sure there are more TV series like Breaking Bad, but the ones I’ve listed are probably the best. If you have more options for people looking for shows similar to Breaking Bad, don’t hesitate to drop them in the comments section below!
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