Pasadena, Calif. — The creators of AMC’s Better Call Saul don’t want to mislead Breaking Bad fans tuning in.
“In the spirit of full disclosure, Walt and Jesse will not appear in season one,” series cocreator Peter Gould said Saturday during the 2015 Winter TCA Press Tour. “We want this to really stand on its own.”
Gould was joined on stage by cocreator Vince Gilligan and series stars Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Parick Fabian, Michael McKean, Jonathan Banks and Michael Mando.
Gilligan did hint that other Breaking Bad character appearances is possible.
“I have to admit that a big part of the fun for us…in setting the series as a prequel, as six year earlier, is that it allows the sky to be the limit in the sense that all the characters who are deceased in Breaking Bad could theoretically show up,” he said.
Despite Breaking Bad’s immense following and the excitement surrounding Better Call Saul, Gilligan said he had some reservations when he started working on the prequel.
“I was scared the whole time,” said Gilligan. “I’m still anxious about how it will be received.”
“It is a goddamn good show,” he added.
Better Call Saul will premiere as a two-part event starting at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Feb. 8 with the second episode airing Feb. 9.
Other highlights from the panel included:
—In Better Call Saul, Gilligan and Gould give the series a different feel by using a more static camera as opposed to the hand-held camera that was used in Breaking Bad.
—Color was a big part of Breaking Bad and Gould said that it will play a role in Better Call Saul as well. “We try to think of ways to use color in this show that has a slightly different element.”
—Fabian and McKean fielded a question about whether they were fans of Breaking Bad.
Fabian: “I did not imagine I would be a part of it to tell you the truth. I was thrilled. It’s a thrill to be a part of it.”
McKean, who gave a shoutout to The X-Files as the first show to do TV as a movie: “I was a huge Breaking Bad fan.”
—Odenkirk joked about coming on to the Saul set: “Every time I come into the office in this show I say, ‘Has Walter White called yet?’” In seriousness he added that there is a ton of overlap inherent in the series.
—Odenkirk opened up about what it was like on the first day of set: “It felt a lot like Breaking Bad. It didn’t feel strange. It felt very comfortable.”
—Banks, who also appeared in Breaking Bad, said he made a discovery when he started working Better Call Saul: “We were in something new and it was really good.”
—Saul Goodman was a slippery character in Breaking Bad but Gilligan suggested that Saul wants to be good. “It’s an interesting examination of why we choose to be good,” he said. “I think Saul wants to be.”
