When Breaking Bad, which tells the story of a chemistry teacher who, after contracting cancer, goes into the drug business and starts producing the drug known as meth so that his family can live financially after his death, began on AMC in 2008, no one could have foreseen that it would turn into a masterpiece that would mark the next five years. In 2013, when the series concluded after six seasons, there was no doubt that Breaking Bad was one of the best shows in television history. The series, which brought unforgettable characters such as Walter White, Jesse Pinkman, Gus Fring, Saul Goodman to the world of television; Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Bob Odenkirk, Giancarlo Esposito, etc. were also engraved in my mind with the magnificent performances of actors such as. The series, created by Vince Gilligan, continues to be talked about even years after its finale.

In this 15-item list, you can find the details you need to know about Breaking Bad, from what happened during the production process to the important changes made in the script.

Channels such as HBO, TNT and Showtime rejected the series

In 2005, Vince Gilligan presented the Breaking Bad project to many channels. Channels such as HBO, TNT, Showtime evaluated the project and rejected it. FX stepped in and began preparations for the pilot. However, they later gave up on Breaking Bad and instead approved Dirt, which they believed would bring in more female viewers. Years later, it was AMC that brought the project to life.

Names Considered for the Role of Walter White

Although it is not possible today to imagine the character of Walter White with an actor other than Bryan Cranston, when the series was being prepared, the channel management was not very warm to Cranston. At that time, Cranston, who was mostly known for Malcolm in the Middle, was thought to be unsuitable for the character as he was known for his roles in comedy series. Matthew Broderick and John Cusack were also considered for Walter White. However, Gilligan finally got his way and Cranston was signed.

Vince Gilligan and Bryan Cranston met on The X-Files

Vince Gilligan is one of the most important writers in television today, but his entry into the world of television was not easy. However, when he wrote an episode for The X-Files on his own initiative, without any contract, and sent it to the producers of the series, he was included in the scriptwriting team of the series. This is how Gilligan's career began, and this is also where he met Bryan Cranston. Cranston's performance in the episode Drive of The X-Files impressed Gilligan so much that years later he wanted to work with Cranston again for the role of Walter White. To convince AMC executives about Cranston, he made them watch this episode.

Jesse Pinkman was actually going to die in Episode 9

Jesse Pinkman, one of the two main characters of the series along with Walter White and memorable for Aaron Paul's performance, was originally written as a side character who would not even see the end of the first season. When the first season was first written, the character died in episode 9. Walter reveals his evil side in the first season finale by kidnapping the drug dealer who killed Jesse and torturing him in the basement of his house. However, the famous writers' strike in Hollywood began and the first season was cut short. This is actually the reason why the first season was only seven episodes. Before season 2, Gilligan had the chance to work on the scripts again during the break and decided not to kill the character because he was impressed with Aaron Paul's interpretation of Jesse Pinkman.

The role of Gus Fring was originally much smaller

Like Jesse Pinkman, the character of Gus Fring was originally written to appear in a much smaller number of episodes. The character was planned to appear in three or four episodes. The main villain of the series was planned to be Hector Salamanca. However, Gus Fring, played by Giancarlo Esposito, came to the fore over time and replaced Hector as the main villain of the series.

Like Hector, Tuco was actually going to play a bigger role in the show

The character of Tuco was also instrumental in Hector Salamanca losing his place as the main villain of the series to Gus Fring. Vince Gilligan, who liked Raymond Cruz's performance as Tuco, wanted to make Tuco the main villain of the second season. However, since Cruz had a previous contract with The Closer, he could not take part in the second season. His vacancy was filled by making the role of Gus Fring a bit bigger. This paved the way for Gus to overshadow Hector in the following season.

The real Walter White

Breaking Bad is not directly inspired by an event, but it does have some parallels with real life. In 2008, before the series began, an arrest warrant was issued in Alabama for a meth producer named Walter White, and posters with his picture were put up around the city. Walter White was not a chemistry teacher like in the show, but he had initially ♥♥♥♥♥♥ into the business to support his family. "I made the best meth in Alabama for 10 years," White said in an interview with Vice, bragging about his product like his series counterpart.