There’s no denying that Breaking Bad was one of the most addictive television shows to ever grace our living room screens. It had a flawed protagonist in Walter White, cartel drug lords, meth addicts, dark humor, and impeccable writing and acting. What more could you ask for?
It’s not easy to move on after finishing a show like that. After getting the full Breaking Bad experience, the bar is set higher than ever and you can’t settle for just anything. That’s why we’ve compiled 10 shows that we’re certain will fill that Breaking Bad-sized hole in your heart.
Better Call Saul
Stick around the Breaking Bad universe for a while longer with this creative AMC spinoff. In Better Call Saul, we follow Jimmy McGill six years before he meets Walter White and see how this small-time lawyer slowly mingles with evil until it’s too late to turn back and he ends up as one of TV’s most notorious criminals ⏤ Saul Goodman!
The show has a lot of humor ⏤ much more than Breaking Bad ⏤ so if you loved Breaking Bad’s drama but could’ve used a laugh or two along the way to lighten things up, then this show is perfect for you. It’s undoubtedly a can’t-miss for all Breaking Bad fans.
Ozark
The closest show to Breaking Bad currently on television is Ozark. Let’s just say it shares a couple of similarities, some of which involve the cartel, and others that involve the overall ambient quality that reminds us all too well of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Mr. White’s meth predicament.
In this carefully-crafted series, Marty Byrde (played by Jason Bateman) finds himself involved in a money-laundering scheme gone wrong. He moves his family to Ozark, Missouri, where he and his wife work to pay off their substantial debt to a Mexican drug cartel in order to keep their family safe. What could go wrong, right? If dark crime thrillers with a touch of family dynamics are your jam, then this is definitely a show worth checking out.
The Sopranos
If quality television is what you’re looking for, then quality television is what you’ll get with The Sopranos. This HBO original follows Tony Soprano (the late James Gandolfini), a mob boss who struggles with psychological issues and the stress of running a criminal empire.
Every episode is chock-full of award-winning writing and acting. In fact, The Sopranos became one of the most celebrated shows in television history when it premiered in 1999, winning 21 Emmys during its run. Now, 15 years later, it continues to be hailed as one of the greatest dramas ever made due to its deep character development and immersive storytelling.
The Wire
Speaking of The Sopranos, The Wire is arguably one of the strongest dramas to hit HBO since we met Tony Soprano. Like Breaking Bad, its storyline revolves around drugs, but unlike Walter White and his Albuquerque gang, The Wire gets eye-level with the street-savvy drug players and the law enforcement that races to bring them down.
The Wire might not look as flashy as Breaking Bad from afar, but don’t let that dissuade you. It will captivate you just as tightly as Breaking Bad did, and is a masterpiece that will have you riveted by the characters and their storylines, which vary from season to season, with each one focusing on a different section of Baltimore. We speak for all Breaking Bad fans when we say that this is one drama you don’t want to miss.
Weeds
Breaking Bad and Weeds are two very different shows, but their differences come from how they handle their genre. In Breaking Bad, you have Walter White doing everything he can to keep his family out of financial burden. The drama takes place in real time with plenty of violence to keep things interesting. On Weeds, however, Nancy Botwin is an upper-class suburban mother who starts selling marijuana to local soccer moms in order to financially support her family after the sudden death of her husband, with plenty of ensuing drama to keep things interesting.
Did you know that Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad, said he might never have made Breaking Bad if he’d already known Weeds was a show? In an interview, he said, “If I had known of Weeds weeks or even days prior to that meeting, it’s likely I wouldn’t have had the will to go on, I would have said to myself (and I’ve said this a lot), ‘Damn! All the good ideas are already taken!'”
What we have now are two very different, yet still similar enough, shows. But while one goes down like whiskey on the rocks, the other is more of a bottle of fizzy champagne. Can you guess which is which?
Sons of Anarchy
Breaking Bad and Sons of Anarchy might not share as many similarities as other shows on this list, but what they do share is a common thread connecting them to what people call the “Golden Age of Television.” These are shows that feel more like movies that have been cut into smaller segments. If what you loved about Breaking Bad was its five-season arc, in which the ending felt like a huge crescendo building on every episode until the thunderous climax, then Sons of Anarchy will scratch that same itch for you.
The show is about an outlaw motorcycle club and explores themes like brotherhood, loyalty, betrayal, and redemption. It stars Charlie Hunnam as Jax Teller, the leader of the club. Anarchy delves into his startling discovery of a manifesto left behind by his late father⏤who ran the club before Jax⏤which now has Jax questioning the intentions behind the club. If you like watching criminals do what criminals do best, as we’re sure you did with Breaking Bad, then you need to jump on the Sons of Anarchy bandwagon ASAP.
Orange is the New Black
Have you ever wondered what would’ve happened if Walter White had ended up in prison? We have a feeling it would’ve looked an awful lot like Orange is the New Black. This award-winning show centers around Piper Chapman, a woman sent to prison for being involved with a money laundering and drug trafficking scheme. It’s there that she meets an eclectic group of women who quickly steal the audience’s hearts with their humor and eccentricities while also teaching a great deal about the world we live in outside of the show. If you love great drama with a stellar cast ⏤ and some outstanding humor thrown in for good measure ⏤ then you’ll love sinking your teeth into Orange is the New Black.
Fargo
Can’t find the perfect chaser for Breaking Bad? Look no further than Fargo. The stakes were already high for Fargo when it was announced that it would be made into a television series, given that it’s loosely based on one of the best movies of all time. Luckily for everyone, it stuck the landing and received a perfect 10. Like Breaking Bad, it follows one man, Lorne Malvo (played by Billy Bob Thornton) as he transforms from an everyday man into one who thinks he’s above the law.
Breaking Bad had a lot of dark humor, so if that’s what you’re looking for in your next show, then Fargo will be a perfect match. It was also nominated for nearly every award possible, winning 16 in 2014 alone! It was even called “one of America’s best small cable networks” by The New Yorker. Need we say more?
Mindhunter
Breaking Bad had some serious villains over the course of its run. Some of them were downright vicious! If you enjoyed that aspect of the show, then Mindhunter might be the perfect follow-up for you. This American crime drama and psychological thriller takes you inside the FBI as they interview some of America’s most vicious serial killers. As a viewer, you get introduced to these depraved individuals who enjoy killing people for fun and learn more about what makes them enjoy it.
The show stars Jonathan Groff as Holden Ford, who works alongside his partner Bill Tench to interview the serial killers in order to solve other cases across the country. The first season has ten episodes that focus on two main storylines and has a plethora of subplots that will keep you rooted to your couch.
Dexter
One could argue that Breaking Bad’s top quality is how bingeworthy it is. So if binge you want, binge you shall have with Showtime original Dexter. It follows Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a blood splatter analyst at the Miami Police Department, on his quest to avenge the murderers who have escaped the justice system. The catch? He hunts down the murderers and kills them himself. Yep, he’s your friendly neighborhood vigilante and goes through eight seasons of heart-racing storylines that will not only keep you on the edge of your seat, but also have you gasping at regular intervals (need we mention the season four finale?).
Let’s face it ⏤ it’s not easy to move on to something new after watching an intense drama like Breaking Bad. It can take a while before you’re ready to commit again. We feel you! If you need to binge the series one more time before you pick your next show, it’s available to stream on Netflix. But when your friends start coming over for dinner and ask what TV show you’re binge-watching, let these 10 options be your guide! Whether you choose Dexter, Better Call Saul, Weeds, or all of the above, we’re positive that at least one (but probably more) will quench your Breaking Bad thirst and become your next new favorite.
