History of Better Call Saul in Timeline
Better Call Saul, a spin-off and prequel to Breaking Bad, follows the transformation of Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer, into the morally flexible Saul Goodman. Set primarily before the events of Breaking Bad, the series chronicles Jimmy's struggles with his career, his complicated relationship with his brother Chuck, and his descent into the criminal underworld. Along the way, it features familiar characters like Mike Ehrmantraut and explores the origins of the drug empire that would be featured in Breaking Bad. The show also includes flash-forward sequences showing Saul's life after fleeing Albuquerque under the alias Gene Takavic.
2002: Better Call Saul Setting
Around 2002, Better Call Saul is set, telling the story of Jimmy McGill.
2002: Primary Timeline Start
In 2002, Better Call Saul's primary timeline begins, six years before the first episode of Breaking Bad.
2002: Jimmy's Schemes
In 2002, Jimmy schemes to represent Craig Kettleman and cares for his brother Chuck.
2003: Jimmy's Transformation Begins
In 2003, Jimmy starts to regain his outgoing demeanor. His law license reinstatement is denied, but he later appeals successfully. Gus blackmails Nacho, and Mike escorts engineers to evaluate a potential meth lab site.
2003: Disciplinary Hearing
In 2003, the disciplinary hearing results in Jimmy's law license being suspended.
2004: Better Call Saul Setting
Around 2004, Better Call Saul is set, telling the story of Jimmy McGill.
2004: Saul Goodman Emerges
In 2004, Jimmy's law practice as Saul Goodman begins. Kim uses conman tactics. Lalo's presence forces Gus to halt meth lab construction. Lalo hires Jimmy, and Nacho betrays Lalo.
2004: Major Events of 2004
In 2004, Nacho sacrifices himself, Jimmy and Kim ruin Howard, Lalo murders Howard, Gus kills Lalo, Kim leaves Jimmy, and Jimmy fully transforms into Saul Goodman.
2008: Start of Breaking Bad
In 2008, Breaking Bad, the series that Better Call Saul spins off from, began airing.
2008: Saul recruits Walter and Jesse
In 2008, Saul deduces that Walter White is Heisenberg and decides to recruit Walter and Jesse as his clients.
2008: Breaking Bad Timeline Scenes
In 2008, selected scenes take place within the Breaking Bad timeline in Better Call Saul.
2009: Consideration of Saul Goodman Spinoff
As early as 2009, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould considered a Saul Goodman spinoff.
2009: Saul Goodman Spin-off Idea
In 2009, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould began considering a spin-off of Breaking Bad centered around the character Saul Goodman.
2010: Gene Takavic Flashforwards
In 2010, Better Call Saul includes flashforwards to events following Breaking Bad, showing Jimmy living as Gene Takavic.
2010: Gene Locks Himself In
In 2010, Gene accidentally locks himself in the dumpster room when closing out the Cinnabon for the night.
2010: Gene is Recognized
In 2010, Gene is confronted by Jeff, a taxi driver, who recognizes him as Saul Goodman. Gene admits to living under a secret identity.
2010: Gene's Hospitalization
In 2010, Gene is hospitalized after collapsing and becomes suspicious when a taxi driver seems to recognize him.
2010: Gene's Downfall and Confession
In 2010, Gene plans a robbery with Jeff and Buddy, which goes wrong. He is caught, extradited, confesses his crimes, and is sentenced to 86 years in prison. Kim visits him in prison.
2010: Flashforward Scenes
In 2010, after the events of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul includes black-and-white flashforwards exploring the consequences of Saul's actions.
2010: Secondary Timeline
In 2010, the secondary timeline of Better Call Saul takes place, following the events of Breaking Bad's finale.
July 2012: Gilligan hints at lawyer show
In July 2012, Gilligan publicly hinted at the idea of a lawyer show focused on staying out of court.
April 2013: Better Call Saul Confirmed
In April 2013, Better Call Saul was officially confirmed to be in development by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould.
July 2013: Gilligan and Gould working out ideas
In July 2013, Gilligan and Gould were still working out ideas for Better Call Saul.
December 2013: Netflix Streaming Announcement
In December 2013, Netflix announced it would stream the first season of Better Call Saul after the finale in the U.S., and internationally shortly after each episode airs in the U.S.
December 16, 2013: Netflix Acquisition in UK and Ireland
On December 16, 2013, Netflix acquired Better Call Saul for the United Kingdom and Ireland.
2013: End of Breaking Bad
In 2013, Breaking Bad, the series that Better Call Saul spins off from, ended.
2013: Development of Better Call Saul Begins
In 2013, during the production of Breaking Bad's final season, the development of Better Call Saul officially began with Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould as co-showrunners.
January 2014: Banks to Reprise Role
In January 2014, it was announced that Jonathan Banks would reprise his Breaking Bad role as Mike Ehrmantraut.
April 2014: Seehorn Cast as Wexler
In April 2014, Rhea Seehorn was cast as Kimberly "Kim" Wexler.
May 2014: Fabian Cast as Hamlin
In May 2014, Patrick Fabian was cast as Howard Hamlin.
June 2, 2014: Principal Photography Begins
On June 2, 2014, principal photography for Better Call Saul's six seasons began.
June 19, 2014: Second Season Renewal
Prior to the series' launch, on June 19, 2014, AMC renewed the series for a second season of 13 episodes.
August 10, 2014: Teaser Trailer Debut
On August 10, 2014, the first teaser trailer for Better Call Saul debuted on AMC.
November 20, 2014: Two-Night Premiere
On November 20, 2014, AMC announced Better Call Saul would have a two-night premiere.
February 8, 2015: Better Call Saul Premiere
On February 8, 2015, Better Call Saul premiered on AMC, marking the beginning of the Breaking Bad spin-off series.
February 9, 2015: Australian Premiere on Stan
On February 9, 2015, Better Call Saul premiered in Australia on the streaming service Stan.
February 2015: Confirmed Premiere Date
In February 2015, the teaser trailer confirmed the premiere date.
April 6, 2015: Season Conclusion
Better Call Saul aired new episodes Mondays at 10:00 pm until the season concluded on April 6, 2015.
November 10, 2015: Blu-Ray and DVD Release
Better Call Saul was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on November 10, 2015; bonus features include audio commentaries for every episode, uncensored episodes, deleted scenes, gag reel, and several behind-the-scenes featurettes.
February 1, 2016: Season 1 Released on Netflix
On February 1, 2016, the first season of Better Call Saul was released on Netflix in the U.S.
February 15, 2016: Season 2 Premiere
On February 15, 2016, Season 2 of Better Call Saul premiered.
March 15, 2016: Season 3 Renewal
AMC announced on March 15, 2016, that Better Call Saul was renewed for a 10-episode third season.
April 18, 2016: Season 2 Concluded
On April 18, 2016, Season 2 of Better Call Saul concluded.
April 19, 2016: Season Two Ratings
Season Two Ratings were released on April 19, 2016.
November 15, 2016: Blu-Ray and DVD Release
It released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on November 15, 2016; bonus features include audio commentaries for every episode and several behind-the-scenes featurettes.
2016: Rolling Stone Ranking
Rolling Stone initially ranked the show in 2016.
April 10, 2017: Season 3 Premiere
On April 10, 2017, Better Call Saul Season 3 premiered.
June 19, 2017: Season 3 Conclusion
On June 19, 2017, Better Call Saul Season 3 concluded.
June 27, 2017: Season 3 Concludes & Renewal
On June 27, 2017, the third season of Better Call Saul concluded, and AMC renewed the series for a fourth season.
January 16, 2018: Blu-Ray and DVD Release
It was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on January 16, 2018; bonus features include audio commentaries for every episode and several behind-the-scenes featurettes.
July 28, 2018: Season 5 Renewal
On July 28, 2018, Better Call Saul was renewed for a fifth season by AMC.
July 29, 2018: Season Three Ratings
Season Three Ratings were released on July 29, 2018.
August 6, 2018: Season 4 Premiere
On August 6, 2018, the 10-episode fourth season of Better Call Saul premiered on AMC.
October 8, 2018: Season 4 Conclusion
On October 8, 2018, the fourth season of Better Call Saul concluded its run on AMC.
October 9, 2018: Season Four Ratings
Season Four Ratings were released on October 9, 2018.
May 7, 2019: Season 4 Blu-ray/DVD Release
On May 7, 2019, Season 4 of Better Call Saul was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1, including bonus features like audio commentary and behind-the-scenes footage.
September 2019: The Guardian's Top 100 List
In September 2019, The Guardian ranked Better Call Saul at No. 48 on its list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century.
January 16, 2020: Season 6 Renewal
On January 16, 2020, AMC renewed Better Call Saul for a sixth and final season, consisting of 13 episodes.
February 23, 2020: Season 5 Premiere
On February 23, 2020, the fifth season of Better Call Saul premiered with a special Sunday broadcast.
February 25, 2020: Season Five Ratings
Season Five Ratings were released on February 25, 2020.
April 20, 2020: Season 5 Conclusion
On April 20, 2020, the fifth season of Better Call Saul concluded its run.
June 2020: AMC+ Launch
In June 2020, AMC's streaming service, AMC+, was launched.
November 13, 2020: Season Three Ratings Archived
Season Three Ratings were archived on November 13, 2020.
November 24, 2020: Season 5 Blu-ray/DVD Release
On November 24, 2020, Season 5 of Better Call Saul was released on Blu-ray and DVD, featuring cast and crew audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and behind-the-scenes content.
2020: New Zealand Streaming Change
In 2020, Better Call Saul moved from Lightbox to Neon in New Zealand when the two services merged.
2020: Cinematography Work
In 2020, Paul Donachie served as a cinematographer on episodes "Namaste".
November 15, 2021: Season Two Ratings Archived
The Season Two Ratings were archived on November 15, 2021.
2021: Production Delays
In 2021, production of the final season of Better Call Saul experienced delays due to COVID-19 and Bob Odenkirk's health issues.
February 9, 2022: Principal Photography Ends
On February 9, 2022, principal photography for Better Call Saul's six seasons ended.
March 2022: Additional Filming
In March 2022, additional filming was done for the opening teaser of the season six episode "Point and Shoot".
April 18, 2022: Final Season Part 1 Premiere
On April 18, 2022, the first half of the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul premiered.
April 19, 2022: Season Six Ratings
Season Six Ratings were released on April 19, 2022.
April 21, 2022: Season Two Ratings Retrieved
The Season Two Ratings were retrieved on April 21, 2022.
May 23, 2022: Final Season Part 1 Conclusion
On May 23, 2022, the first half of the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul concluded.
July 11, 2022: Final Season Part 2 Premiere
On July 11, 2022, the second half of the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul premiered.
August 15, 2022: Better Call Saul Series Finale
On August 15, 2022, Better Call Saul concluded its sixth and final season, consisting of 63 episodes.
September 2022: Rolling Stone Ranking
In September 2022, Rolling Stone listed Better Call Saul as the 32nd greatest TV show of all time.
October 18, 2022: Irish Broadcast on TG4
On October 18, 2022, Better Call Saul began airing on the Irish TV network TG4.
December 6, 2022: Complete Series Release
On December 6, 2022, the complete Better Call Saul series was issued on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1.
2022: Streaming Success
In 2022, Better Call Saul's final season led to record subscriber sign-ups for AMC+ and increased viewership, with the finale experiencing an app outage and high first-day viewing numbers.
2022: Cinematography Work
In 2022, Paul Donachie served as a cinematographer on episodes "Carrot and Stick" and "Hit and Run".
