AMC's Breaking Bad - The series that was banned in the uk!


Remember when you were twelve, fresh out of elementary school and rip-roaring and ready to get a taste of the utter cool you’ve heard so much about, the cool of being a teenager? You might have even convinced your parents to let you stay up late enough to catch those “grown-up” TV shows the older kids on your street bragged about. In retrospect you realize you had no freaking idea what was going on during those shows, but you just knew, like you were born knowing, that this–this was cool. What’s more, when you went back and watched those shows as an adult, you might even have found you enjoyed them more as a kid than you did as an adult.


Prepare for that period in your life to flash before your eyes momentarily as you watch “internetainers” Rhett & Link’s first contribution to YouTube’s Geek Week, “Breaking Bad: The Middle School Musical.” Let us first direct your attention to the fact that a Breaking Bad that was actually about the Purest Blue Rock Candy in All the Land might have actually been a better show than one about crystal meth.


“I wish I could say something more sensational, like we found them at a rundown musical theatre in a small Midwest town, or we found them in the desert hunting for tarantulas while on motorcycles,” Rhett McLaughlin told WIRED, “but the reality is, we found the kids the old-fashioned, L.A. way: through casting and auditions. We cast the initial core group for our Star Trek middle school musical [video], and we’ve used mostly those kids each time.”
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What Breaking Bad Would Look Like as a Middle School Musical | Underwire | Wired.com

Brilliant. :p
 
Yesterday evening the second part of Breaking Bad’s fifth and final season premiered in the U.S. Within hours of airing the show became available in the UK, Australia and several other countries, but despite these legal options hundreds of thousands of people decide to pirate it via BitTorrent instead. Are these people simply too cheap to pay, or are there other factors that can explain this piracy craze?
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Breaking Bad Sparks Global Piracy Craze | TorrentFreak

I love way the Register puts the matter on this excellent drama. I watched it last night, and it was as good if not better than the previous eight episodes - as to me this one year pause had given enough of time to think about the matter. And that is: Walt is in a real **** with Hank knowing his business and he had no other choice but to voice the ultimatum.


Netflix dares UK freetards: Watch new Breaking Bad NOW or torrent it?

Will Brit addicts cough up fiver to watch it or pirate it anyway?
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http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/08/12/breaking_bad_tard_challenge/
 
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Poor time slots/odd scheduling don't really count as banning more that TV companies don't quite know what to do with critically acclaimed programs that don't fit their standard image of a 9pm audience. The Wire for example was shown at odd times on BBC3 over a very short period. The Sopranos was all over the place until the later series. And I'm not even sure if/when The Shield was shown.
 
Null_Zone said:
Poor time slots/odd scheduling don't really count as banning more that TV companies don't quite know what to do with critically acclaimed programs that don't fit their standard image of a 9pm audience. The Wire for example was shown at odd times on BBC3 over a very short period. The Sopranos was all over the place until the later series. And I'm not even sure if/when The Shield was shown.
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What would you call it? Suppression perhaps? To me this is outright banning of the program when TPTB decide its somehow against their policies on what people can watch. There's only limited hours in the day and broadcasting companies know very well how to deliver best shows. In the UK Breaking Bad was mostly unknown subject before people like me started bringing it up or do you disagree?
 
ctg said:
What would you call it? Suppression perhaps? To me this is outright banning of the program when TPTB decide its somehow against their policies on what people can watch. There's only limited hours in the day and broadcasting companies know very well how to deliver best shows. In the UK Breaking Bad was mostly unknown subject before people like me started bringing it up or do you disagree?
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I would call it TV producers having a mindest for what TV shows work well at certain timeslots and being unable to change that for non traditional formats. Critically acclaimed shows are rarely the ones that get the best ratings, which is the driving factor for schedulers, 8-10 million people watch Eastenders on any given day, is it the best show on BBC? No, but a TV company won't just say screw those 10 million. Rating are what matter.

But you seem to be casting yourself and some brave freedom fighter working against the system. I hate to break it to you but Breaking Bad has been discussed in the mainstream media in the UK since series one. Newpaper articles, magazine articles, chat shows. Not showing something you like at a primetime slot isn't oppression and claiming it so comes across as a victim complex. People like you have done nothing to raise awareness.
 
Okay if you say so. But I have a better idea. Why don't you prove it through your statistical ******** that says bloggers counts for absolutely nothing. You seem to know your way and you seem to be in control so say that nobody reads what I write and these threads doesn't inform anyone. Show that I don't get views over the years and through the threads I started have done nothing to the audience of this website or to the other I frequent.
 
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Oh dear, you really are taking this personally.

Look you like something and think it is the best thing ever. Great, I am happy for you, but a sense of entitlement that the rest of the world showing a resounding Meh must be some grand conspiracy to ban things you like is just commical. Breaking Bad does ok in veiwing, good in DVD sails and great in acclaim but that does not mean TV companies must put it on at primetime.

Have I ever claimed that bloggers count for nothing? No, I have pointed out that Breaking Bad gets an awful lot of positive mainstream press and is not being ignored. Your statement of

In the UK Breaking Bad was mostly unknown subject before people like me started
bringing it up or do you disagree?
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is complete rubbish. Series One was widely publisised as the next great TV series in those bastions of tradition The Time and Telegraph. Yes that probably takes away from your sense of being special and standing up to The Man. But sorry, that's the way life is. Why don't you try blogging on how Star Wars is a great series of films, then you can claim success for that as well.
 
How the effing hell you are turning this to personal? It's you who said that people like me has nothing to do with anything. Almost as if you're saying that there's nobody out there reading stuff I or others like me write. In fact that is what you're saying. Let me quote: "People like you have done nothing to raise awareness."

Do I have to underline that? Or are you just trolling for the sake of it?
 
Oh goody, we have reached the "someone is disagreeing with me, they are trolling stage" of the dicussion. Your line on
Why don't you prove it through your statistical ********
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shows that you have taken a purely personal reaction to the point that mainstream media has reviewed and acclaimed Breaking Bad and that there is no reason for stuff you consider to be good be be on at a time you demand when there is no suggestion that is what the market wants.

You keep making claims to raising awareness by blogging, for a TV show that gets reviewed everywhere from The Times, Private Eye, Total Film, Radio Times. Are you claiming to have a wider influence in UK viewing habits than any of those publications or that your brave fight to raise awareness influenced them?

Another voice howling in the wilderness of the internet making claims that are simply wrong or someone who can influence the recommendations of national media. Because after all this was your claim
In the UK Breaking Bad was mostly unknown subject before people like me started
bringing it up or do you disagree?
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Wow. What a ride! A friend introduced me to Breaking Bad about halfway through the third series, and I've been following it ever since.

I'm so glad Gilligan got to end it the way he wanted, without pressure from AMC to stick to a timetable they drew up, and it really shows in the finale - the questions are answered, the loose ends are tied up, and the character arcs are given satisfying endings... and above all the finale is true to itself, and true to the show. It was perfect.

I'm going to miss Breaking Bad.
 
We've just watched the last episode on Netflix, and it wasn't a disappointment, although it could have been more (not sure exactly how).

An amazing series, I think that the final series has been the weakest of all of them, still strong but the story arcs all had to come together and end which forced the writing into a certain direction.

I think this is/was a great TV series, Brian Cranston was amazing and overall a very very good series, sometimes its a shame they have to finish these things, but usually it is better that they finish them properly rather than fizzle out or get cancelled.
 
Both myths were busted but also counter argued by Gillian. Check the episode if you can it's worth it.
 
Thought I'd resurrect this thread.
A couple of my work colleagues kept ranting and raving about how this was the best series ever made so (eventually) I bought series 1-3 box set. After watching, I immediately bought the rest. I'm now about 2/3rds through season 4 and all I can say is WOW!

Brilliant series. Best ever? Dunno (never know what the future holds) but it's pretty damn close. Can't recommend highly enough to anybody yet to see this:)
 
*is not reading above posts to avoid spoilers!!*


Have just started watching this on Netflix - after hearing consistently positive comments about it, thought I'd give it a go.

Even though I'm familiar with the premise, I presumed this would be a dark and serious drama.

However, the first couple of episodes have been absolute studies in dark comedy. I never expected to laugh out loud to this! But some of the scenes - it seems laughter in the only possible reaction. I mean, seriously, the incident with the bath?

Anyway, we're watching this now and enjoying it so far. Only early days in Season 1, but looks like we'll carry on watching this for a while.
 
NO SPOILERS!

Oh, it's truly-truly wonderful, I envy you both for not having finished the series! The places the story lines go, you'll be amazed looking back. I think there was more humor the first series, than it the later ones, but it's relentless storytelling, really. I hope you keep finding it enjoyable! CC
 
Well, I'm still part-way through the second season.

It seems to have lost the dark humour of the first season, and individual episodes are beginning to feel like exercises in tension.

It is a very well produced and written show, but I'm feeling somewhat distanced from the story, and no longer feel anything for the characters.

Am I just being hyper-critical?
 
I said:
Well, I'm still part-way through the second season.

It seems to have lost the dark humour of the first season, and individual episodes are beginning to feel like exercises in tension.

It is a very well produced and written show, but I'm feeling somewhat distanced from the story, and no longer feel anything for the characters.

Am I just being hyper-critical?
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I found it to be a very slow burner and, of course, it's only my opinion but I'd advise sticking with it. The feelings I had for the characters seemed to see-saw in the later seasons (3 onwards) between characters.

What have you got to lose (except maybe a few hours viewing time in your life:D)
 
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