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'Breaking Bad' creator's next series will stream on Apple TV+
And it will star 'Better Call Saul' actress Rhea Seehorn.
Who knew I’d get obsessed with a spreadsheet game?
And despite the fact that it’s basically a spreadsheet game, I’m hooked, it’s exactly the sort of time-sink game that shelter-in-place orders call for. It’s not the clicking that’s addictive, although the more work you put in, the more attached to your empire you do become.
Netflix's 'El Camino' trailer shows a deeply scarred Jesse Pinkman
The first trailer for the upcoming Breaking Bad movie, El Camino, is here at last, offering the most in-depth look yet at what's in store for Jesse Pinkman after the events of the series. Unsurprisingly, it's pretty dark.
What’s coming to Netflix in October: The 'Breaking Bad' movie
As you'd expect, Netflix is planning plenty of seasonal thrillers for October. The theme this year is that the kids are not okay. You'll meet Eli, a child with a mysterious illness who has to be secluded from the world and is battling "nightmares." Raising Dion is sci-fi look at the horrors of parenting. In Fractured, a man is searching for his daughter who vanished from an ER. In Daybreak, a teenage outcast is navigating a post-apocalyptic world full of zombies. Rattlesnake stars a single mother who will do anything to save her daughter, and In The Tall Grass -- based on a novella by Stephen King and his son Joe Hill -- stars a pregnant woman who gets lost in a field of tall grass when she tries to answer a boy's cry for help.
The 'Breaking Bad' movie comes to Netflix on October 11th
At last, Netflix's Breaking Bad movie has a name -- and importantly, a release date. The service has released a teaser revealing that El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie will premiere on October 11th, 2019. The clip (which revolves around a questioning with Skinny Pete) unsurprisingly doesn't say much, but does confirm that the plot will revolve around Jesse Pinkman escaping captivity. Authorities weren't exactly kind to him, to put it mildly.
The 'Breaking Bad' movie could debut on Netflix before it hits AMC
It's not clear when the long-awaited Breaking Bad movie will arrive, but you might be able to watch it on Netflix before it hits AMC. Deadline reports the service could get first dibs in what would be a role reversal from the series, which initially aired on AMC before it arrived on Netflix.
BT grabs 'Walking Dead' spin-off exclusivity in AMC channel deal
While Sky finances its own original TV content, it also imports blockbuster US series including Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire and Silicon Valley for its Sky Atlantic channel. BT's tried to keep up by offering Netflix on its set-top boxes, but its latest deal could give it much sounder footing. The company has teamed up with AMC, maker of Breaking Bad, Mad Men and The Walking Dead, to launch a new UK AMC channel on BT TV.
The 10 most-tweeted commercials from Super Bowl XLIX
It was a great night for Rob Gronkowski and the New England Patriots, but it wasn't so good for our friend Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks. It also was a great night for brands trying to hold your attention for seconds with ads to get you talking on Twitter. From the usual highbrow suspects selling soda and beer, to toe fungus medication and superglue, here's our take on the most-talked about spots from last night's big game.
Judge allows Apple class action lawsuit over Breaking Bad "Season Pass" to continue
Last September, Apple was hit with a class action lawsuit after one user discovered that the US$22.99 he shelled out via iTunes for a "Season Pass" of Breaking Bad season 5 only covered the season's first 8 episodes. In light of that, Apple did the right thing and told affected users that they'd be entitled to a full $22.99 refund. Nonetheless, a judge this week issued a ruling allowing the lawsuit to proceed with the plaintiff asserting a claim of false advertising -- which, in my opinion, is exceedingly bizarre given that A.) there are no damages to speak of and B.) the root of the problem lies with AMC and Sony, not Apple. Here's a brief recap of how this problem came to be. As a Breaking Bad fan who was borderline-obsessed with the show, I'll proudly admit that I've listened to every episode of the official Breaking Bad podcast -- all 62 episodes. As a result, I know a thing or two about a thing or two and distinctly recall show creator Vince Gilligan saying that the final 16 episodes were meant, in his eyes and in the eyes of the writing staff, to comprise a single season. At the same time, Gilligan didn't want to rush to finish his masterpiece too quickly. Figuring out how to end the Emmy award-winning show was no small task, and Gilligan and his team wanted to take their time with the final eight episodes to ensure that they were befitting of the series. Hence, there was a production delay between filming the first eight and second eight episodes. Looking to capitalize on the delay, the decision to treat the final 16 episodes as two distinct seasons was made by AMC and Sony, not Apple. Specifically, the "Breaking Bad" listings on iTunes were based on how Sony wanted them viewed. What's also strange is that the plaintiff in the original lawsuit wasn't suing for millions, but rather just for $20, just a simple refund. And yet, with Apple granting refunds to affected users who felt duped, the lawsuit is slogging on regardless. via Gigaom
AMC's plans for an internet TV service leak out, but don't expect 'Mad Men'
AMC's cable TV channel has evolved from the home of old movies to hosting TV series, topped by Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead. Now, the infamous "people with knowledge of the situation" have revealed that it's working on a new subscription internet service. First reported in The Information, the rumors suggest AMC will launch websites focused on specific categories, like documentaries or horror, possibly with the help of a web video startup it's invested in called DramaFever. That's one way to go of course, instead of the "some of everything" route currently dominated by Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. A Bloomberg report says it won't host licensed shows like Mad Men (already tied up in licenses to the other services) so it's unclear exactly what content they might have to start. AMC has two video on-demand channels already, and its cable experience should serve it well in the suddenly crowded internet market. If this is as good as it gets for the traditional cable bundle -- and AMC can't increase rates for its channel -- trying its hand on the internet could be a way to grow. Update: These sites probably won't have Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul either, but AMC just announced that while the series' premiere is delayed until 2015, it has already picked the show up for a second season. [Image credit: Jordin Althaus/AP Photo/AMC]
You can watch the Spanish-language version of Breaking Bad on Hulu Plus right now
Sure, via Netflix (in 4K, soon) or on Blu-ray is a good way to watch the entire Breaking Bad series, but what if we told you there was a way to experience the show all over again for the first time? There's a Latin American version of the show called Metástasis, and while the meth adventures of Walter Blanco are airing nightly in the US on Univision networks, it's also available on streaming via Hulu -- but there's a catch. On broadcast TV and internet, there's no option for English subtitles, so while native speakers and telenovela fans may breeze right through, if your last "Que?" was during a high-school elective you're out of luck. To find out what you're missing (Colombia instead of Albuquerque, schoolbus instead of RV), check out an English-subtitled trailer for Metástasis after the break.
Breaking Bad in 4K coming to Netflix in June
Curious to watch all of the grisly deaths in Breaking Bad, but in a higher resolution? You've only got a month or so to wait, as Netflix has confirmed that it'll begin streaming the show in 4K and Dolby 5.1 at some point in June. The company also affirmed its commitment to screening all of its original shows in 4K, and is also currently experimenting with DVD-style extras. At present, tests are being carried out on Behind the Bars, a series of branching interviews with the cast of Orange is the New Black which will could in and out of the episodes when required. That said, the feature may not be ready for our second trip to federal prison, which begins on June 6th.
'Breaking Bad' spin-off 'Better Call Saul' will be a Netflix exclusive in Europe and Latin America
Despite its popularity and critical acclaim, Breaking Bad had difficulty finding a broadcaster that respected the show on the other side of the pond. For the final season, however, Netflix began releasing the episodes shortly after their US broadcast, and suddenly people began to take notice. Following that trend, it'll be the streaming service that has won exclusive broadcast rights to Breaking Bad's follow-up in Europe and Latin America, rather than a fusty old TV network. Prequel show Better Call Saul will feature the exploits of Walt and Jesse's lawyer before he got involved with the pair, and we expect it to follow a similar pattern of becoming available the day after its US broadcast -- which is expected to begin at some point next year.
Clicking Bad is the darker side of Cookie Clicker [Update]
The latest strangely enticing phenomenon, Cookie Clicker, rewards players with cookies for every click of the mouse. Among the list of things more addicting than cookies is methamphetamines, the drug central to the plot of the popular, recently ended TV show Breaking Bad. Capitalizing on both properties is Clicking Bad, a free browser game in the same style as Cookie Clicker that has players cooking up drugs and selling them to upgrade their equipment. Clicking Bad launched its public beta roughly a week ago and just recently hit version 0.6, which added more manufacturing and selling tiers as well as changing the cost structure. The game tasks players with managing their drug creation business by either manually clicking "buy" and "sell" buttons or using in-game money to purchase upgrades like sleazy lawyers and abandoned trailers, each providing a boost to sales or production. The upgrades may also impact the odds of authorities catching on and seizing your meth-cooking labs as well as the purity levels of your drugs. The game's Twitter account notes that an achievement system "may or may not make it in this week," indicating that more updates are on the way. We're waiting for the right moment to introduce Clicking Bad to our own Richard Mitchell, who recently opted to stream his Cookie Clicker obsession for all to pity. We're worried about him enough as it is. Update: The game has just been updated to version 0.7, and sure enough, it now includes achievements.
Apple offers refund to folks who bought Season Pass for fifth season of Breaking Bad
Two weeks ago we reported that a man sued Apple after finding out that the US$22.99 he paid for a season pass of Breaking Bad was only good for the final season's first eight episodes. In truth, the final season of Breaking Bad is 16 episodes long but was divided up into two installments of eight episodes as a means to grant the show's creators ample time to map out an exciting and creatively satisfying conclusion for the Emmy award-winning series. In light the mix-up, Apple late on Monday began informing folks who purchased a season pass for the fifth season of Breaking Bad that they are entitled to a refund in full in the form of a $22.99 iTunes credit. The email sent out by Apple reads: Dear Customer, We apologize for any confusion the naming of "Season 5" and "The Final Season" of Breaking Bad might have caused you. While the names of the seasons and episodes associated with them were not chosen by iTunes, we'd like to offer you "The Final Season" on us by providing you with the iTunes code below in the amount of $22.99. This credit can also be used for any other content on the iTunes Store. Thank you for your purchase. Detailed instructions for redeeming the code can be found athttp://support.apple.com/kb/ht1574. It's a classy move by Apple, especially when they could have just as easily passed the blame onto AMC and / or Sony. It's also worth pointing out that show creator Vince Gilligan and everyone associated with the show have always referred to the final eight episodes of this season as being part of the show's fifth and final 16-episode long season. Consequently, it's easy to see why fans who purchased a season pass felt ripped off. Apple's refund offer notwithstanding, keep in mind that the final 16 episodes of Breaking Bad are still divided up into two separate seasons on iTunes, but per Apple's email above, it's clear that this isn't Apple's call. The final episode of Breaking Bad is set to air next Sunday and promises to be a 75-minute doozy. If you're a fan of the show, you might also be interested to read how Apple's innovation, like Gus Fring, often hides in plain sight. Thanks to Josh P for the tip!
Apple sued for false advertising after dividing up the final 16 episodes of Breaking Bad into two seasons on iTunes
Last night's episode of Breaking Bad was one of the most intense in the series' history, but for those who haven't seen it yet, don't worry, I won't be putting out any spoilers. You see, today's Breaking Bad news has nothing to do with Walter White's slow transformation into Scarface, but rather with a legal suit filed against Apple by a Breaking Bad fan. In a lawsuit that many saw coming, an Ohio man named Noam Lazebnik recently filed a class action suit against Apple upon finding out that the US$22.99 he forked over for a "Season Pass" of Breaking Bad was only good for the first eight episodes of the show's final season. Perhaps the next time a studio tries to split up a TV season into two parts, they might be advised to heed the words of White and "tread lightly." You see, the fifth and final season of Breaking Bad contains 16 episodes, but was broken up into two separate installments of eight episodes. That being the case, iTunes treats the show's final installment of eight episodes as an entirely new sixth season. Naturally, some fans of the show feel swindled. Gigaom reports: In a class action suit filed in San Jose, California, Noam Lazebnik says Apple engaged in false advertising by providing only 8 episodes to consumers even though its "Season Pass" page explains that viewers will get "every episode in that season." For folks like myself who follow the show closely, the show's producers have long held that the final 16 episodes of the series comprise a single season. Indeed, I recall listening to a Breaking Bad podcast where show creator Vince Gilligan explained that the final season of the series was split up into two parts as to ensure that the final episodes received the attention to detail they deserved. In other words, Gilligan and others involved with the show did not want to rush the creative process. The complaint stresses that when the final season of Breaking Bad was announced, "it was referred to as the 'Final Season' and was slated to include 16 episodes." Consequently, customers who purchased a Season Pass for the final season understandably assumed that their purchase would include all 16 episodes. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Hence, the allegations of false advertising. Incidentally, I checked out the going rate for a Season Pass for some other popular Television shows and it seems that $22.99 for eight episodes is about the worst deal around. The complaint reads in part: The iTunes informational page regarding the "Season Pass" option explained (and still explains, as of the date of the filing of this Complaint) that "purchasing a Season Pass gets you every episode in that season and at a better price than if you were to purchase it one at a time. Therefore, customers who purchased a "Breaking Bad: Season 5" Season Pass from iTunes reasonably believed that they would receive access to all 16 episodes of Season 5, as announced and promoted by AMC, the network responsible for producing and airing the program on "live" TV, just as Apple had promised. The complaint further notes that consumers who purchased the first eight episodes "were specifically informed in writing that they were paying for 'all current and future' episodes of Season 5." In an age of frivolous lawsuits, I was glad to read that the plaintiff in this case isn't suing for millions of dollars and attorneys fees. Rather, the plaintiff believes he is entitled to $20, a simple refund for a transaction he would have presumably not entered into had he been presented with all the facts. The full lawsuit can be read in its entirety below:
Lego Breaking Bad is surprisingly safe for work
It's no secret WB's Traveller's Tales is running out of fresh licensing ideas for the Lego series, so here's the bold new direction of Lego Breaking Bad by animator Brian Anderson.
Dish Network settles Voom HD lawsuit, AMC comes back on the air tonight
Dish Network customers have been without AMC and its family of channels since July 1st, but thanks to a settlement between the satellite company and Cablevision's former Voom HD unit, AMC will be back on the air starting tonight. The possibility of a settlement leaked out late last week via a court filing, and it looks like Dish CEO Charlie Ergen will avoid taking the stand Monday after all. According to the terms, Dish will hand over $700 million in cash plus its 20 percent stake in Voom, and receive 500MHz of video and data spectrum licenses in 45 areas. In a separate deal, Dish and Cablevision spinoff AMC Networks have a new multiyear deal that should bring back AMC (on channel 131) in time for The Walking Dead to air tonight, and all of its other channels (IFC, WE tv, Sundance and for the first time, Fuse) starting November 1st. While Dish had previously claimed the channel deal was being held up by AMC's distribution of its shows via iTunes, Netflix and Amazon, now that lawsuit is over those concerns seem to have faded away.
Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul playing lead in Need for Speed movie
It looks like Dreamworks' Need for Speed movie is on the fast track to production: Aaron Paul, who plays Jesse Pinkman in AMC's Breaking Bad, is slated to play the lead. Paul has won two Emmys for his role in Breaking Bad, and has also starred in The Last House on the Left and HBO's Big Love.Scott Waugh, a veteran stuntman and director of Act of Valor, is directing the movie, George and John Gatnis are writing the screenplay, and EA vice president Patrick O'Brien is one of the producers."The film adaptation will be a fast-paced, high-octane film rooted in the tradition of the great car culture films of the 70s while being extremely faithful to the spirit of the video game franchise." the press release reads. "In Need for Speed, the cars are hot, the racing is intense and the story keeps players at the edge of their seat."While we don't want Paul to be typecast, it'd be pretty cool if he drives an RV for part of the movie. Or even just a blue car. Can you give us that, Dreamworks?
Must See HDTV (August 27th - September 2nd)
This is it, the crossover where summer and fall programming mix. College football is back in action, and we say good bye to some of our favorite summer TV shows like Breaking Bad. TV fans should also keep an eye out on the disc releases, as many shows boxed sets are hitting shelves before the new season begin airing soon. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames. Breaking Bad This weekend the first half of the fifth and final season of AMC's Breaking Bad comes to a close, before viewers wait for the second half to air in summer 2013. You won't find any spoilers here, but the path Walter White has taken has certainly arrived at places few would have predicted when the show began. The only question now is how many surprises are left before it all comes to an end. (September 2, AMC, 10PM) Doctor Who Also fresh this weekend is a new series of Doctor Who episodes, kicking off with Asylum of the Daleks. The better news as of late has been BBC America closing the gap in airing new episodes and that DirecTV is carrying the channel in HD at last. If you can't wait for new shows, check out the Pond Life preview clip embedded after the break. (September 1, BBC America, 9PM) College Football While preseason week four of the NFL season is skippable pigskin action, the return of college football this weekend will have us planted firmly in front of our HDTVs. The Hawaii/USC and Michigan/Alabama matchups Saturday night should start the season off with a bang and we can't wait. Looking for your favorite team in the listings? We've got many of the nationwide broadcasts covered, but reader Jose Perez reminds us of this comprehensive TV schedule at LSUFootball.net that should let you know who is playing where all season long. (August 30th - September 1st)
