History of Breaking Bad in Timeline

Breaking Bad follows Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with lung cancer, who partners with former student Jesse Pinkman to produce and sell methamphetamine. Driven by a desire to secure his family's financial future, Walter, played by Bryan Cranston, transforms from a mild-mannered teacher into a ruthless drug kingpin. The series explores themes of morality, family, and the consequences of ambition, set against the backdrop of Albuquerque's criminal underworld. Other key actors include Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, RJ Mitte, Betsy Brandt, Giancarlo Esposito, Jonathan Banks, and Bob Odenkirk.

2005: Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005

In 2005, the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act was passed, resulting in pseudoephedrine being listed as a controlled substance. DEA spokesperson Barbara Carreno attributed the drop in methamphetamine use to this act.

2006: Meth use levels in 2006

DEA spokesperson Barbara Carreno noted that methamphetamine usage had not reached the 2006 levels as of 2014.

2007: Writers Guild of America Strike Limits Breaking Bad Production

In 2007, the Writers Guild of America strike limited the production of Breaking Bad's first season to seven episodes and delayed the start of production for the second season. The strike also allowed Gilligan and his team to readjust the pacing of the show.

January 20, 2008: Breaking Bad Premieres on AMC

On January 20, 2008, Breaking Bad premiered on AMC. The show follows Walter White as he transforms into a meth lord.

2008: Breaking Bad premieres opposite NFL playoffs

Breaking Bad premiered on the same night as both the NFC and AFC Championships in the 2008 NFL playoffs, an intentional decision by AMC. The pilot had only about 1.4 million viewers.

2008: Breaking Bad wins Peabody Award in 2008

Breaking Bad won a Peabody Award in 2008.

2008: Bryan Cranston wins Emmy and Satellite Award in 2008

In 2008, Bryan Cranston won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and the Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series: Drama for his portrayal of Walter White.

2008: Breaking Bad Listed as Top TV Series

In 2008, The American Film Institute listed Breaking Bad as one of the top ten television series.

2008: Breaking Bad Series Timeline

In 2008, the events of Breaking Bad begin. The series follows Walter White as he transforms into a meth lord.

February 2009: Fallacies Music Video Released

In February 2009, the music video "Fallacies" for Jesse's band "TwaüghtHammër" was released as a webisode, leading to the second season and featuring the image of a damaged teddy bear.

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2009: Breaking Bad wins Satellite Award in 2009

In 2009, Breaking Bad won the Satellite Award for Best Television Series – Drama.

2009: Bryan Cranston wins Emmy, TCA and Satellite Awards in 2009

In 2009, Bryan Cranston won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, the TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama and the Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series: Drama.

2010: AMC Considers Cancelling Breaking Bad

Around 2010, AMC considered ending Breaking Bad after the third season, but Sony shopped the show to FX and Netflix, which led AMC to renew it. Netflix made Breaking Bad available after the airing of the fourth season, which led to a surge in viewership.

2010: Aaron Paul wins Emmy and Saturn Awards in 2010

In 2010, Aaron Paul won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television.

2010: Breaking Bad wins TCA and Satellite Awards in 2010

In 2010, Breaking Bad won the TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama, the Satellite Award for Best Television Series – Drama, and the Saturn Award for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series.

2010: Bryan Cranston wins Emmy and Satellite Awards in 2010

In 2010, Bryan Cranston won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and the Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series: Drama.

2010: Breaking Bad Listed as Top TV Series

In 2010, The American Film Institute listed Breaking Bad as one of the top ten television series.

2010: Breaking Bad Series Timeline

In 2010, the events of Breaking Bad conclude. The series follows Walter White as he transforms into a meth lord.

July 2011: Gilligan Plans to Conclude Breaking Bad

In July 2011, Vince Gilligan indicated that he intended to conclude Breaking Bad at the end of its fifth season.

August 14, 2011: AMC Renews Breaking Bad for Final Season

On August 14, 2011, AMC renewed Breaking Bad for a fifth and final season consisting of 16 episodes.

August 2011: Negotiations for Breaking Bad's Final Season

In early August 2011, negotiations began between AMC and Sony Pictures Television over the fifth and possible final season of Breaking Bad. AMC proposed a shortened season, but the producers declined.

2011: Breaking Bad wins Saturn Award in 2011

In 2011, Breaking Bad won the Saturn Award for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series.

2011: Season Four Receives Critical Acclaim

In 2011, Season four of Breaking Bad won near-universal critical acclaim. Time listed Walter White's "I am the one who knocks" line as one of the best television lines of 2011.

2011: Breaking Bad Listed as Top TV Series

In 2011, The American Film Institute listed Breaking Bad as one of the top ten television series.

April 2012: Fifth Season Split into Two Halves

In April 2012, Bryan Cranston revealed that the fifth season of Breaking Bad would be split into two halves, with the first eight episodes airing in 2012, and the final eight in 2013.

2012: Aaron Paul wins Emmy Award in 2012

In 2012, Aaron Paul won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

2012: Breaking Bad wins TCA, WGA and Saturn Awards in 2012

In 2012, Breaking Bad won the TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama, the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Dramatic Series, and the Saturn Award for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series.

2012: Bryan Cranston wins Critics' Choice and Saturn Awards in 2012

In 2012, Bryan Cranston won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series and the Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television.

2012: Breaking Bad Listed as Top TV Series

In 2012, The American Film Institute listed Breaking Bad as one of the top ten television series.

August 2013: Anna Gunn publishes "I Have a Character Issue" in The New York Times

In August 2013, Anna Gunn published an op-ed in The New York Times titled "I Have a Character Issue," discussing her experience playing Skyler and the audience's vitriol towards her character.

September 2013: Gilligan Thanks Netflix at Emmy Awards

In September 2013, after the series' conclusion, Vince Gilligan thanked Netflix at the Emmy Awards for the show's popularity, saying Netflix "kept us on the air".

September 29, 2013: Breaking Bad Concludes on AMC

On September 29, 2013, Breaking Bad concluded its five-season run on AMC. The series finale was among the most-watched cable shows on American television.

October 4, 2013: Breaking Bad Fan Group Obituary

On October 4, 2013, a Breaking Bad fan group placed a paid obituary for Walter White in the Albuquerque Journal.

October 19, 2013: Mock Funeral Procession and Service

On October 19, 2013, a mock funeral procession and service for Walter White was held at Albuquerque's Sunset Memorial Park cemetery, including a hearse and a replica of Walter's meth lab RV. The event raised nearly $17,000 for Healthcare for the Homeless.

November 26, 2013: Complete Breaking Bad series released on DVD and Blu-ray

On November 26, 2013, the complete Breaking Bad series was released on DVD and Blu-ray in a collectable box shaped like one of Walt's money barrels.

2013: Anna Gunn wins Emmy Award in 2013

In 2013, Anna Gunn won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

2013: Breaking Bad Enters Guinness World Records

In 2013, Breaking Bad entered the Guinness World Records as the most critically acclaimed TV show of all time. The show also won multiple Primetime Emmy Awards.

2013: Breaking Bad wins Outstanding Drama Series Emmy in 2013

In 2013, Breaking Bad won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. It also won a Peabody Award in 2013.

2013: Breaking Bad wins TCA and WGA Awards in 2013

In 2013, Breaking Bad won the TCA Award for Program of the Year, the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Dramatic Series and was named No. 13 in a list of the 101 Best-Written TV Series of All Time by the Writers Guild of America.

2013: Breaking Bad named highest-rated TV series by Guinness World Records

In 2013, Guinness World Records named Breaking Bad the highest-rated TV series of all time, citing its season 5 Metacritic score of 99 out of 100.

2013: Kelley Dixon Wins Emmy Award

In 2013, Kelley Dixon won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series for her work on Breaking Bad. She edited many of the series' "meth montages".

2013: MythBusters Special Examines Breaking Bad Scenes

In 2013, MythBusters featured a Breaking Bad special where they attempted to validate or disprove scenes from the show. The scenes depicted in the show were shown to be physically impossible.

2013: Breaking Bad Listed as Top TV Series

In 2013, The American Film Institute listed Breaking Bad as one of the top ten television series and TV Guide ranked it as the ninth greatest TV series of all time.

2013: Accusations of normalizing meth creation

In 2013, members of law enforcement and legal communities accused Breaking Bad of normalizing and glorifying methamphetamine creation and usage.

2013: Final Episodes of Breaking Bad Air

In 2013, the final eight episodes of Breaking Bad's fifth season aired, concluding the series.

2014: Bryan Cranston wins Emmy Award in 2014

Bryan Cranston won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2014.

2014: Breaking Bad wins Outstanding Drama Series Emmy in 2014

In 2014, Breaking Bad won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.

2014: Toys "R" Us pulls Breaking Bad action figures

In 2014, Toys "R" Us removed four collectable Breaking Bad action figures from its stores due to complaints about the inclusion of toy drug money and toy meth. Bryan Cranston responded with a joke on Twitter.

2014: Crystal meth use blamed on Breaking Bad

In 2014, a "leading academic" blamed Breaking Bad for a "shocking" increase in crystal meth use, as reported in a Telegraph article.

February 8, 2015: Better Call Saul Debuts on AMC

On February 8, 2015, Better Call Saul, a prequel/sequel series to Breaking Bad, debuted on AMC, featuring Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, and Giancarlo Esposito reprising their roles.

May 2015: New Mexico Law Review Publication

In May 2015, the New Mexico Law Review published a collection of eight articles by legal scholars, each dedicated to dissecting legal issues presented by Breaking Bad.

2015: Breaking Bad Named Favorite Show by The Hollywood Reporter

In 2015, a survey by The Hollywood Reporter named Breaking Bad as their #2 favorite show.

2015: Vince Gilligan asks fans to stop re-enacting pizza scene

In 2015, series creator Vince Gilligan publicly requested fans to stop re-enacting the pizza-throwing scene from "Caballo sin Nombre" after complaints from the home's owner.

2016: Breaking Bad Ranked Third by Rolling Stone

In 2016, Rolling Stone ranked Breaking Bad third on its list of 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

2018: Vince Gilligan defends Skyler and Anna Gunn at a reunion

At a 2018 reunion, Vince Gilligan defended Skyler and Anna Gunn, expressing confusion over the animosity directed towards Skyler and praising Gunn's performance.

2018: Anna Gunn reflects on her experiences on the show in 2018

In 2018, Anna Gunn reflected on her experiences on the show, discussing the way people connect to Walter and older ideas of what a woman or wife should be.

2018: Rian Johnson shares behind-the-scenes memories.

In 2018, director Rian Johnson shared memories from behind the camera, discussing tone meetings with Vince Gilligan and learning about working with actors from Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul.

2018: Aaron Paul comments on audience reaction to Skyler

In a 2018 cast reunion, Aaron Paul questioned why the audience did not sympathize with Skyler, played by Anna Gunn, and expressed feeling for Gunn due to the criticism she received.

September 2019: The Guardian Ranks Breaking Bad Fifth

In September 2019, The Guardian ranked Breaking Bad fifth on its list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century.

October 11, 2019: El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie Released

On October 11, 2019, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, starring Aaron Paul, was released on Netflix and in theaters.

2019: Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant concept secured by Family Style, Inc.

In 2019, Family Style, Inc., secured rights from Sony and with Vince Gilligan's blessing to sell chicken dinners through Uber Eats under the name and branding "Los Pollos Hermanos" in a three-year deal.

2021: Breaking Bad Ranked Second by Empire and Third by BBC

In 2021, Empire ranked Breaking Bad at number two on their list of The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. It was also voted the third-best TV series of the 21st century by the BBC.

July 2022: Bronze Statue Donation

In July 2022, Gilligan and Sony Pictures Television commissioned and donated a bronze statue of Walter and Jesse to the city of Albuquerque, which is on display at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

August 15, 2022: Better Call Saul Concludes

On August 15, 2022, Better Call Saul concluded. The show is a prequel/sequel series featuring Odenkirk, Banks, and Esposito reprising their Breaking Bad roles.

2022: Breaking Bad Ranked Third by Rolling Stone

In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked Breaking Bad third on its list of 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

2022: Statues of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman erected in New Mexico

In 2022, statues of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman were erected in New Mexico, drawing criticism from some Republican figures. Albuquerque Democratic Mayor Tim Keller defended the statues, highlighting the revenue and economic activity that the series had brought to the area.

2022: Vince Gilligan reflects on animosity towards Skyler White

In a 2022 interview, Vince Gilligan reflected on the animosity towards Skyler White, acknowledging the show's storytelling bias through Walt's perspective.

2023: Breaking Bad Ranked Best TV Series by Rotten Tomatoes

In 2023, Breaking Bad was ranked as the best TV series in the last 25 years by critics in a poll conducted by Rotten Tomatoes.

2023: Variety Ranks Breaking Bad as Fifth-Greatest TV Show

In 2023, Variety ranked Breaking Bad as the fifth-greatest TV show of all time. It was also ranked as the best TV series in the last 25 years by Rotten Tomatoes.

2025: Drug raid described as "Breaking Bad on steroids" in Florida

In late 2025, authorities in Florida seized 92,000 pounds of kratom-derived substances in a drug raid that Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey described as "Breaking Bad on steroids".

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