The Slate

Fans rejoiced when they heard Breaking Bad was not going to end this month. After five long teeth clenching, action packed seasons, Walter White’s meth empire will come crashing down September 29th. But the RV doesn’t stop there. A spin off “Better Call Saul” was announced by AMC on September 11th. The new series will follow the exploits of the colorfully comical lawyer with dirty connections Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) set to take place chronologically before Breaking Bad.

Vince Gilligan, creator of Breaking Bad, will contribute to the creative process of its spinoff “Better Call Saul”. The main idea is to follow one of the shows most belovedly devious side characters and see what makes him tick. Whether we’ll finally see Saul in court or just dealing with more drug dealers has yet be announced. The project is being spearheaded by Peter Gould, veteran producer of Breaking Bad and writer of 11 episodes.

Five days later, on September 16th, AMC announced another spin off. This time a completely independent series of The Walking Dead. No title has been announced but, according to Variety, AMC is calling it more of a companion series rather than an actual spin off. It is planned to follow a new storyline with new characters with no relation to the comic books the original series is based off of. Comic book creator Robert Kirkman and executive producers Gale Anne Hurd and Dave Alpert are set to develop the new series.

Spin offs are a familiar sight but a completely new companion series is a fresh concept. AMC has garnered a reputation for taking brave chances on unique shows that have paid off in their bottom line figures. Could companion series be a fad or possibly a new way to work on developing a series?