History of Better Call Saul in Timeline
Better Call Saul, a spin-off and prequel to Breaking Bad, is a neo-noir legal crime drama created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. The series, which aired on AMC from 2015 to 2022, explores the transformation of Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer, into the morally compromised Saul Goodman. While primarily a prequel, the series also includes scenes during and after the events of Breaking Bad, providing further context to Saul's character and his relationships with other characters like Mike Ehrmantraut. Over six seasons, the show delves into Jimmy's ethical descent, his complex relationships, and the criminal underworld he becomes entangled in.
2002: Jimmy's actions and conflicts in 2002
In 2002, Jimmy quits D&M, Kim is demoted, Mesa Verde hires Kim, Jimmy sabotages Chuck's work, and Nacho hires Mike to remove Tuco.
2002: Beginning of Primary Timeline
In 2002, the primary timeline of Better Call Saul begins, six years before the first episode of Breaking Bad.
2002: Start of Better Call Saul Timeline
In approximately 2002, Better Call Saul starts. The show primarily takes place during the two years before Breaking Bad.
2003: Jimmy regains his outgoing demeanor
In 2003, Jimmy McGill is shown to regain his outgoing demeanor after Howard Hamlin shoulders the blame for Chuck McGill's death. During this time, Jimmy is managing a cell phone store, but makes more income by reselling prepaid phones to criminals.
2003: License Suspension and Conflicts in 2003
In 2003, Jimmy's law license is suspended, Chuck's condition is psychosomatic, Chuck commits suicide, and Mike launders money through Madrigal.
2004: Jimmy begins his law practice as Saul Goodman
In 2004, Jimmy's law practice as Saul Goodman draws him into Albuquerque's drug trade and he is conflicted when Howard offers him a position at HHM. Jimmy and Kim devise a plan to ruin Howard to settle the Sandpiper case.
2004: Nacho sacrifices himself
In 2004, Nacho attempts to flee from the Salamancas, but after Gus falsely implicates him, Nacho sacrifices himself in exchange for his father's safety. Also during this time, Howard is murdered by Lalo.
2004: Approximate end of the primary timeline in Better Call Saul
In approximately 2004, the two-year period of Better Call Saul concludes, serving as a prequel to Breaking Bad.
2008: Original Run of Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad, a popular crime drama television series, began in 2008. Better Call Saul is a spin-off of this show.
2008: Scenes within the Breaking Bad timeline
In 2008, Better Call Saul includes selected scenes that take place within the Breaking Bad timeline.
2008: Saul recruits Walter and Jesse
In 2008, Saul deduces that Walter White is "Heisenberg" and decides to recruit Walter and his collaborator Jesse Pinkman as full-time clients, despite Mike's reservations.
2009: Consideration of Saul Goodman spinoff
As early as 2009, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould considered a Saul Goodman spinoff after the first appearance of Goodman in Breaking Bad.
2010: Gene is hospitalized
In 2010, Gene Takavic is hospitalized after collapsing and is later discharged. Gene becomes uneasy when a taxi driver with an Albuquerque Isotopes air freshener seems to recognize him.
2010: Gene offers Jeff and Buddy to rob a department store
In 2010, Gene approaches Jeff and Buddy with an offer to rob a department store. After reaching out to Kim, Gene devises a scheme to steal the identities and financial details of rich single men. When the scheme backfires, Jeff is arrested, and Gene is caught.
2010: Gene is recognized by Jeff
In 2010, Gene is approached by Jeff, a taxi driver, and his friend Buddy. Jeff reveals he recognized Gene as Saul Goodman from when he previously lived in Albuquerque, and Gene admits he is living with a secret identity.
2010: Gene points out a shoplifter and collapses
In 2010, Gene points mall security guards towards a shoplifter during his lunch break and later collapses during work due to stress.
2010: Saul manages a Cinnabon
In 2010, Saul manages a Cinnabon by day and watches VHS tapes of his old television advertisements in the evening.
2010: Saul locks himself in a dumpster room
In 2010, Saul/Jimmy accidentally locks himself in the dumpster room when closing out the Cinnabon for the night and waits for the janitor.
2010: Flashforward scenes set in 2010
In 2010, after the events of Breaking Bad, flashforwards in Better Call Saul explore the consequences of Saul's actions.
2010: Flashforwards show Jimmy living as Gene Takavic
In 2010, flashforwards in Better Call Saul show Jimmy living as a fugitive under the identity of Gene Takavic, managing a Cinnabon store in Omaha, Nebraska.
2010: Secondary timeline takes place
In 2010, the secondary timeline of Better Call Saul occurs, following the events of Breaking Bad's finale, featuring Saul under the alias Gene Takavic.
July 2012: Public hinting at a lawyer show idea
In July 2012, Vince Gilligan hinted publicly at the idea of a lawyer show where the main lawyer would do anything to stay out of court.
April 2013: Better Call Saul confirmed to be in development
In April 2013, Gilligan and Gould confirmed that Better Call Saul was in development.
July 2013: Working out ideas for the spin-off
In July 2013, Gilligan and Gould were still working out ideas for the Better Call Saul spin-off, before the second half of Breaking Bad's final season aired. Deals were being discussed with distributors like Netflix, with a final deal being struck with AMC.
December 2013: Netflix announced streaming availability
In December 2013, Netflix announced that the entire first season would be available for streaming in the U.S. after the airing of the first-season finale, and in Latin America and Europe each episode would be available a few days after the episode aired in the U.S.
December 16, 2013: Series acquired by Netflix in the UK and Ireland
On December 16, 2013, the series was acquired by Netflix in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
2013: End of Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad concluded in 2013, after which Better Call Saul began development.
2013: Development of Better Call Saul began
In 2013, during the final season of Breaking Bad, development of Better Call Saul began, with Gilligan and Gould as co-showrunners.
January 2014: Jonathan Banks to reprise role as Mike Ehrmantraut
In January 2014, Jonathan Banks was announced to reprise his Breaking Bad role as Mike Ehrmantraut as a series regular in Better Call Saul.
April 2014: Rhea Seehorn Cast as Kim Wexler
In April 2014, Rhea Seehorn was cast as Kimberly "Kim" Wexler, described as a prestigious attorney with romantic entanglements.
May 2014: Patrick Fabian Cast as Howard Hamlin
In May 2014, Patrick Fabian was cast as Howard Hamlin, a Kennedy-esque lawyer who's winning at life, in Better Call Saul. Michael Mando was also cast as Ignacio "Nacho" Varga
June 2, 2014: Start of principal photography
On June 2, 2014, principal photography for the six seasons of Better Call Saul began, taking place primarily at Albuquerque Studios in New Mexico.
June 19, 2014: Renewal for second season
Prior to the series' launch, on June 19, 2014, AMC renewed Better Call Saul for a second season of 13 episodes, later reduced to 10 episodes.
August 10, 2014: First teaser trailer debuted
On August 10, 2014, the first teaser trailer for Better Call Saul debuted on AMC, confirming the premiere date of February 2015.
November 20, 2014: Two-night premiere announced
On November 20, 2014, AMC announced that Better Call Saul would have a two-night premiere, with the first episode airing on February 8, 2015.
February 8, 2015: Better Call Saul Series Premiere on AMC
On February 8, 2015, Better Call Saul, a spin-off of Breaking Bad, premiered on AMC.
February 9, 2015: Premiere on Stan in Australia
On February 9, 2015, Better Call Saul premiered on the streaming service Stan in Australia, acting as the service's flagship program.
February 2015: Premiere of Better Call Saul
In February 2015, Better Call Saul premiered on AMC.
April 6, 2015: End of Season 1
On April 6, 2015, the first season of Better Call Saul concluded.
February 1, 2016: First season released on Netflix in the U.S.
On February 1, 2016, the first season of Better Call Saul was released on Netflix in the U.S.
February 15, 2016: Season 2 premiered
On February 15, 2016, the second season of Better Call Saul premiered.
March 15, 2016: Renewal for third season
On March 15, 2016, AMC announced that Better Call Saul was renewed for a 10-episode third season.
April 18, 2016: Season 2 concluded
On April 18, 2016, the second season of Better Call Saul concluded.
April 19, 2016: TV Series Finale
On April 19, 2016, information on the second season can be found on "Better Call Saul: Season Two Ratings". TV Series Finale.
2016: Rolling Stone's list
In 2016, Rolling Stone updated its list of the greatest TV shows of all time.
April 10, 2017: Season 3 premiere
On April 10, 2017, the third season of Better Call Saul premiered.
June 19, 2017: Season 3 conclusion
On June 19, 2017, the third season of Better Call Saul concluded.
June 27, 2017: Renewal for fourth season
Following the third season's end, on June 27, 2017, AMC renewed Better Call Saul for a 10-episode fourth season.
July 28, 2018: Season 5 renewal
On July 28, 2018, the series was renewed for a fifth season, prior to the airing of the fourth season.
July 29, 2018: TV Series Finale
On July 29, 2018, information on the third season can be found on "Better Call Saul: Season Three Ratings". TV Series Finale.
August 6, 2018: Season 4 premiered
On August 6, 2018, the fourth season of Better Call Saul premiered.
October 8, 2018: Season 4 concluded
On October 8, 2018, the fourth season of Better Call Saul concluded.
October 9, 2018: TV Series Finale
On October 9, 2018, information on the fourth season can be found on "Better Call Saul: Season Four Ratings". TV Series Finale.
September 2019: Ranked No. 48 on The Guardian's 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 the series for a sixth and final season, consisting of 13 episodes.
February 23, 2020: Season 5 premiere
On February 23, 2020, the 10-episode fifth season started airing with a special Sunday broadcast, with following episodes airing on Mondays until the season concluded.
February 25, 2020: TV Series Finale
On February 25, 2020, information on the fifth season can be found on "Better Call Saul: Season Five Ratings". TV Series Finale.
April 20, 2020: Season 5 conclusion
On April 20, 2020, the fifth season of Better Call Saul concluded.
June 2020: AMC+ launch
In June 2020, AMC's streaming service AMC+ was first launched.
November 13, 2020: Archived from the original
On November 13, 2020, TV Series Finale was archived from the original.
2020: Show moved to Neon in New Zealand
In 2020, Better Call Saul moved to Neon in New Zealand when both Neon and Lightbox services were merged.
2020: Paul Donachie as cinematographer
In 2020, Paul Donachie served as a cinematographer on the episode "Namaste".
November 15, 2021: Archived from the original
On November 15, 2021, TV Series Finale was archived from the original.
2021: Scheduled premiere for sixth season
In 2021, the premiere of the sixth season was originally scheduled to air but experienced long delays.
February 9, 2022: End of principal photography
On February 9, 2022, principal photography for the six seasons of Better Call Saul concluded.
March 2022: Additional filming in Leo Carrillo State Beach
In March 2022, additional filming was done in Leo Carrillo State Beach, California, for the opening teaser of the season six episode "Point and Shoot".
April 18, 2022: Season 6 premiere
On April 18, 2022, the sixth and final season was split into two halves, with the first half premiering with back-to-back episodes.
April 19, 2022: TV Series Finale
On April 19, 2022, information on the sixth season can be found on "Better Call Saul: Season Six Ratings". TV Series Finale.
April 21, 2022: Retrieved April 21, 2022
On April 21, 2022, TV Series Finale was retrieved.
May 23, 2022: Season 6 first half conclusion
On May 23, 2022, the first half of the sixth and final season concluded.
July 11, 2022: Season 6 last half premiere
On July 11, 2022, the last half of the sixth and final season premiered.
August 15, 2022: Better Call Saul Series Finale
On August 15, 2022, Better Call Saul concluded its six-season run on AMC, totaling 63 episodes.
September 2022: Listed as 32nd greatest show of all time by Rolling Stone
In September 2022, Rolling Stone listed Better Call Saul as the 32nd greatest TV show of all time, in its updated list from 2016.
October 18, 2022: Series began airing on TG4 in Ireland
On October 18, 2022, Better Call Saul began airing on Irish TV network TG4 in Ireland.
December 6, 2022: Complete series released on Blu-ray and DVD
On December 6, 2022, the complete series of Better Call Saul was issued on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1, which spanned 19 discs and included 70 hours of bonus features.
2022: Paul Donachie as cinematographer
In 2022, Paul Donachie served as a cinematographer on the episodes "Carrot and Stick" and "Hit and Run".
2022: Streaming availability on AMC+
In 2022, during the final season's run, each episode would be available to stream the day they premiered on AMC+.
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