Better Call Saul

Better Call Saul was developed by Vince Gilligan (left) and Peter Gould.

Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould began planning a television spinoff of Breaking Bad as early as 2009. While filming the Breaking Bad episode "Full Measure", Gilligan asked Bob Odenkirk, the actor of Saul Goodman, what he thought of a spinoff of the show.[11] In July 2012, Gilligan hinted at a possible Goodman spinoff,[12] stating that he liked "the idea of a lawyer show in which the main lawyer will do anything it takes to stay out of a court of law", including settling on the courthouse steps.[13] During his appearance on Talking Bad, Odenkirk noted that Saul was one of the most popular characters on the show, speculating that the audience likes the character because he is "the program's least hypocritical figure", and "is good at his job".[14]

Gilligan noted that over the course of Breaking Bad, there were a lot of "what if"s their team considered, such as if the show won a Primetime Emmy Award, or if people would buy "Los Pollos Hermanos" T-shirts. The staff did not expect these events to come to fruition, but after they did, they started considering a spin-off featuring Saul as a thought experiment. Furthermore, Saul's character on Breaking Bad became much more developed than the staff had planned, as he was originally slated to appear in only three episodes. With the growth of Saul's character, Gilligan saw ways to explore the character further.[15]

In April 2013, Better Call Saul was confirmed to be in development by Gilligan and Gould; the latter wrote the Breaking Bad episode that introduced the character.[16][17] As of July 2013, the series had yet to be greenlighted.[18] Netflix was one of many interested distributors, but ultimately a deal was made between AMC and Breaking Bad production company Sony Pictures Television.[19] Gilligan and Gould serve as co-showrunners, and Gilligan directed the pilot.[20] Former Breaking Bad writers Thomas Schnauz and Gennifer Hutchison joined the writing staff, with Schnauz serving as co-executive producer and Hutchison as supervising producer.[21] Also on the writing staff are Bradley Paul, as well as former writer's assistant (for Breaking Bad) Gordon Smith.[20]

As Sony and AMC began to commit to a spinoff, Gilligan and Gould worked on what it would be about. They initially considered making it a half-hour show where Saul would see various clients – celebrities in guest roles – in his strip mall office, a format similar to Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, but they had no idea how to write for this type of format, and fell back onto planning for hour-long episodes.[22][16][13] Since they had done this format with Breaking Bad, which Gilligan said was "25-percent humor, 75-percent drama", the two considered reversing that for Better Call Saul.[22] While the intent was to add more humor, the show remained heavy with dramatic elements, with Odenkirk calling the first season "85 percent drama, 15 percent comedy."[23] Additionally, while several of the characters are lawyers in the show, Gilligan and Gould did not want to write a legal show, but instead a crime show but one that would necessitate some legal elements. To help in these areas, the writers did speak to real lawyers and spent time observing cases at Los Angeles Superior Court, observing that the bulk of the activity in these cases was downtime on waiting for others to complete actions.[24]

Gilligan and Gould found that the character of Saul Goodman was not sufficient to carry the show by himself, with Gilligan calling the character of Saul "great flavoring" for a show but not the substance.[22] They came to realize that Saul, in the Breaking Bad timeframe, was a man that had come to accept himself, and recognized the potential to tell the story of how Saul got to be that person.[22] Gilligan and Gould had already committed to the Better Call Saul title, so that going this route, they believed they had to quickly get from Jimmy McGill to Saul Goodman or otherwise would disappoint their audience. However, as they wrote the show, they realized "we don't want to get to Saul Goodman … and that's the tragedy".[22] Gilligan and Gould had learned several lessons related to foreshadowing without writing the foresight for it from Breaking Bad,[25] and so with Better Call Saul, gave themselves more flexibly in how the show's plot would develop over its run, and had no firm idea where it will end up outside the connection to Breaking Bad.[22] For example, Rhea Seehorn's performance as Kim Wexler during the first season significantly altered how the writers used her character in later seasons as well as slowed down the pacing of how fast they transitioned Jimmy into Saul, as they gave more focus to the Jimmy–Kim relationship. Gilligan compared this to the impact Aaron Paul's outstanding acting had on Breaking Bad's ultimate pacing.[26]

In writing for Better Call Saul, Gilligan and Gould recognized they were including overlaps with Breaking Bad, and had ideas of characters they would include, such as Gus Fring, though on no set timetable within the show's development. Gilligan described the writing approach as if developing two separate shows, one that centers on Jimmy/Saul, Kim, Chuck, and Howard, and a second on the more familiar Breaking Bad characters like Mike and Gus with some overlap, as if they were giving the audience two shows for one.[22] Where possible, they had written in minor Breaking Bad characters in smaller parts or as Easter eggs to fans, but for major Breaking Bad characters like Walter or Jesse, Gilligan preferred only to include them if their inclusion did not feel shoehorned in and feel less satisfactory to both the production team and to audiences.[22] Because of the closeness to the Breaking Bad storyline, one of the writers was tasked at the start of each season to rewatch all 62 episodes of the show and verify the scripts for the Better Call Saul season did not introduce any conflicts.[27]

Bob Odenkirk stars as lawyer Jimmy McGill (known as Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad). In January 2014, it was announced that Jonathan Banks would reprise his Breaking Bad role as Mike Ehrmantraut and be a series regular.[28]

New cast members include Michael McKean as McGill's elder brother Chuck. McKean previously guest-starred in an episode of Odenkirk's Mr. Show and Gilligan's X-Files episode "Dreamland".[29][30] The cast also includes Patrick Fabian as Howard Hamlin, Rhea Seehorn as Kimberly "Kim" Wexler, and Michael Mando as Ignacio "Nacho" Varga.[31] In October 2014, Kerry Condon was cast[32] as Stacey Ehrmantraut, Mike's daughter-in-law. In November 2014, it was announced that Julie Ann Emery and Jeremy Shamos had been cast as Betsy and Craig Kettleman, described as "the world's squarest outlaws."[33]

Going into Season 3, it was announced that Giancarlo Esposito would return to play his Breaking Bad character Gus Fring.[34]

Tony Dalton was announced as Lalo Salamanca for Season 4;[35] Lalo had been a character mentioned only by name, alongside Nacho, in the Breaking Bad episode "Better Call Saul".[36]

Dean Norris, another Breaking Bad alumnus, stated he could not be part of the earlier seasons, partly due to his involvement in the CBS series Under the Dome,[37] but was announced as a guest star reprising his role as Hank Schrader by Season 5.[38]

Other Breaking Bad actors have spoken of the potential of being on Better Call Saul. Both Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul said, as of Season 3, they are both open to reappearing on the show as Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, respectively, if asked, believing that Gilligan would have a sufficiently good reason to bring them in.[39] Paul had previously mentioned the possibility of a cameo during Season 1 but this fell through.[40][41] Anna Gunn also mentioned a "talk" with Gilligan over possible guest appearances as Skyler White.[42] Gilligan said that by Season 3 that show had been on long enough that any reuse of Breaking Bad characters would require more than "just a cameo or an Alfred Hitchcock walkthrough", and that their appearances would need to be essential for the story.[39]

Like its predecessor, Better Call Saul is set and filmed primarily in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico.[43] Notable locations include the Twisters restaurant used previously in Breaking Bad for Gus's Los Pollos Hermanos, a parking lot kiosk at the Albuquerque Convention Center for where Mike worked in the first few seasons, the Old Bernalillo County Courthouse as the local courthouse, and two nearby office buildings in the North Valley, include Northrop Grumman's, that collectively are used for the HHM office spaces. Jimmy's back office is located in an actual nail salon, which the producers accommodated by working with the owners, while the Salamanca's restaurant is also a real business in the South Valley that production modified a bit for the show, but which otherwise remained open. The scenes set in Omaha are actually filmed at Cottonwood Mall in Albuquerque; production worked with Cinnabon to bring in the period-specific equipment and service items for the segments, and the extras in the store during these scenes are Cinnabon employees.[44] Additional filming took place at Albuquerque Studios.[45] The New Mexico Film Office reported that the first four seasons of Better Call Saul had brought in over US$120 million into the state, and has hired 1,600 crew for each season and a cumulative 11,300 extras.[46]

Filming for the pilot started on June 2, 2014.[47]

Better Call Saul also employs Breaking Bad's signature time jumps.[48] Notably, each season's opening episode has started with a black and white flash-forward to a period in the years after the finale of Breaking Bad where Saul has been relocated to Omaha, Nebraska, as "Gene", a manager of a Cinnabon store, remaining paranoid about anyone discovering his past identity.

The first teaser trailer debuted on AMC on August 10, 2014, and confirmed its premiere date of February 2015.[49] In November 2014, AMC announced the series would have a two-night premiere; the first episode aired on Sunday, February 8, 2015, at 10:00 pm (ET), and then moved into its regular time slot the following night, airing Mondays at 10:00 pm.[50]

In June 2014, prior to the series' launch, AMC had renewed the series for a second season of 13 episodes to premiere in early 2016;[20] however, it was later reduced to 10 episodes.[51] In May 2015, Gilligan confirmed that more of the prominent characters from Breaking Bad would be making guest appearances in season 2, but remained vague on which characters were likely to be seen.[52] The second season premiered on February 15, 2016.[53]

In March 2016, AMC announced that Better Call Saul was renewed for a 10-episode third season which premiered April 10, 2017.[54][55] Following the season's end in June 2017, AMC renewed the series for a 10-episode fourth season which premiered on August 6, 2018.[56][57]

The series was renewed for a fifth season on July 28, 2018, just prior to the airing of the fourth season.[58] The fifth season was not expected to air until 2020; according to AMC's Sarah Barnett, the delay was "driven by talent needs".[59] Filming for the fifth season started in April 2019, and finished in September 2019.[60][61] AMC later affirmed the ten-episode fifth season will start airing with a special Sunday broadcast on February 23, 2020, with following episodes to air on Mondays.[62]

In January 2020, AMC renewed the series for a sixth season that is scheduled to air in 2021,[63] though will depend on whether they will be able to film in the last part of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[64] Gould confirmed it will be the show's final season, and will consist of 13 episodes rather than the usual 10. This will bring the show's final episode count to 63, equal to the combined total of Breaking Bad and El Camino. Gould stated: "From the beginning when we started this, I think all our hopes and dreams were to be able to tell the whole story ... and make it to be a complete story from beginning to end. We're going to try like hell to stick the landing of these 63 episodes".[63]

• Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman / Gene Takavic, a lawyer and a former scam artist, who becomes involved with the criminal world.
• Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut, a former Philadelphia police officer working as a parking lot attendant at the Albuquerque court house, and later a private investigator, bodyguard and "cleaner".
• Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler, a lawyer who Jimmy met and became close friends with as she worked her way through the ranks at the Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM) law firm; in the present, she serves as Jimmy's confidante and later the two develop a more romantic relationship.[65][66]
• Patrick Fabian as Howard Hamlin, the managing partner at Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill, first appearing as Jimmy's nemesis, until it becomes clear that he was acting under Chuck McGill's orders.
• Michael Mando as Nacho Varga, who works in his father's upholstery shop and is also an intelligent, ambitious member of Hector Salamanca's gang.
• Michael McKean as Chuck McGill, Jimmy's elder brother and a founding partner of HHM who is confined to his home by electromagnetic hypersensitivity and expresses disdain for his brother's legal abilities. (seasons 1–3, recurring season 4)
• Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring, the owner of the fast food restaurant chain Los Pollos Hermanos that he uses as a front for distributing cocaine for the Mexican cartel in uneasy cooperation with the Salamanca family, with larger desires to switch the drug trade to the more profitable methamphetamine that would eliminate his dependence to the cartel. (seasons 3–present)
• Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca, nephew of Hector and cousin of Tuco, Leonel, and Marco, who helps run the family drug business after Hector's stroke. (season 5–present, recurring season 4)[35]

• Kerry Condon as Stacey Ehrmantraut, Mike's widowed daughter-in-law and the mother of Kaylee Ehrmantraut.
• Faith Healey (season 1), Abigail Zoe Lewis (seasons 2–4) and Juliet Donenfeld (season 5) as Kaylee Ehrmantraut, Mike's granddaughter.
• Eileen Fogarty as Mrs. Nguyen, owner of a nail salon which houses Jimmy's law office in its utility room.
• Peter Diseth as Bill Oakley, a deputy district attorney.
• Joe DeRosa as Dr. Caldera, a veterinarian with ties to the criminal underworld.
• Dennis Boutsikaris as Rich Schweikart, a partner at Schweikart & Cokely.
• Mark Proksch as Daniel "Pryce" Wormald, a drug company employee who begins supplying Nacho and hires Mike as security.
• Brandon K. Hampton as Ernesto, Chuck's assistant who works at HHM.
• Josh Fadem as Camera Guy, or Joey Dixon, one of the three University of New Mexico (UNM) film students who help Jimmy film various projects.
• Julian Bonfiglio as Sound Guy, one of the three UNM film students Jimmy hires for various film projects.
• Jeremy Shamos and Julie Ann Emery as Craig and Betsy Kettleman, a county treasurer and his wife, accused of embezzlement.
• Steven Levine and Daniel Spenser Levine as Lars and Cal Lindholm, twin skateboarders and small-time scam artists.
• Míriam Colón as Abuelita Salamanca, Tuco's grandmother and Hector's mother.
• Barry Shabaka Henley as Detective Sanders, a Philadelphia cop who was formerly partnered with Mike on the force.
• Mel Rodriguez as Marco Pasternak, Jimmy's best friend and partner-in-crime in Cicero, Illinois.
• Clea DuVall as Dr. Cruz, a doctor who treats Chuck and suspects his electromagnetic hypersensitivity condition is psychosomatic.
• Jean Effron as Irene Landry, an elderly client of Jimmy McGill overcharged by the Sandpiper Crossing elder care home.
• Steven Ogg as Sobchak, a petty crook for hire.

• Ed Begley Jr. as Clifford Main, managing partner at Davis & Main where Jimmy worked during season two.
• Omar Maskati as Omar, Jimmy's assistant at Davis & Main.
• Jessie Ennis as Erin Brill, a lawyer at Davis & Main who is ordered to shadow Jimmy.
• Juan Carlos Cantu as Manuel Varga, Nacho's father who owns an upholstery shop.
• Vincent Fuentes as Arturo Colon, a criminal associate of Hector Salamanca (seasons 2–4).
• Rex Linn as Kevin Wachtell, chairman of Mesa Verde Bank and Trust and a client of HHM and Kim.
• Cara Pifko as Paige Novick, senior legal counsel for Mesa Verde Bank and Trust and a friend of Kim.
• Ann Cusack as Rebecca Bois, Chuck's ex-wife.
• Manuel Uriza as Ximenez Lecerda, an associate of Hector Salamanca.
• Hayley Holmes as Drama Girl, one of the three UNM film students Jimmy hires for various projects.

• Bonnie Bartlett as Helen, Irene's friend and member of the affected class in the Sandpiper lawsuit.
• Kimberly Hebert Gregory as Assistant District Attorney Kyra Hay.
• Tamara Tunie as Anita, a member of Mike and Stacey's support group.

• Rainer Bock as Werner Ziegler, an engineer hired by Gus to plan and oversee construction of his meth "superlab".
• Ben Bela Böhm as Kai, a rebellious member of the crew Werner Ziegler assembles for the construction of Gus's meth "superlab".
• Stefan Kapičić as Casper, a member of Werner Ziegler's team.
• Poorna Jagannathan as Maureen Bruckner, a specialist from Johns Hopkins who flew to Albuquerque to treat Hector after Gus arranged for a "generous grant."

• Sasha Feldman and Morgan Krantz as Sticky and Ron, two petty crooks that are among "Saul Goodman"'s first clients.
• Barry Corbin as Everett Acker, an old man living on leased property belonging to Mesa Verde who becomes a legal matter for Kim to evict to make way for the bank's new call center.

• Raymond Cruz as Tuco Salamanca, a ruthless, psychopathic drug distributor in the South Valley. (seasons 1–2)
• Cesar García as No-Doze, Tuco's henchman. (season 1)
• Jesús Payán Jr. as Gonzo, Tuco's henchman. (season 1)
• T.C. Warner as Nurse (season 1)
• Kyle Bornheimer as Ken, an arrogant, self-absorbed stockbroker (season 2)
• Stoney Westmoreland as Officer Saxton, an Albuquerque Police Department officer (season 2)
• Jim Beaver as Lawson, a black market weapons dealer in Albuquerque (season 2)
• Maximino Arciniega as Domingo "Krazy-8" Molina, one of Tuco's distributors (seasons 2–present)
• Mark Margolis as Hector Salamanca, Tuco's uncle and high-ranking member of the cartel (seasons 2–present)
• Debrianna Mansini as Fran, a waitress at Loyola's Diner (seasons 2 and 4)
• Daniel and Luis Moncada as Leonel and Marco Salamanca, Tuco's cousins and Hector's nephews who are hitmen for the cartel (seasons 2, 4–present)
• Jennifer Hasty as Stephanie Doswell, a real estate agent (season 2)
• Tina Parker as Francesca Liddy, Jimmy's receptionist (seasons 3–4)
• Jeremiah Bitsui as Victor, Gus's henchman (seasons 3–present)
• Ray Campbell as Tyrus Kitt, a henchman on Gus Fring's payroll (seasons 3–present)
• JB Blanc as Dr. Barry Goodman, a doctor on Gus Fring's payroll (seasons 3–present)
• Steven Bauer as Don Eladio Vuente, the head of the Juarez drug cartel (seasons 3 and 5)
• Javier Grajeda as Juan Bolsa, a high-level member of the Juárez drug cartel (seasons 3–present)
• Lavell Crawford as Huell Babineaux, a professional pickpocket hired by Jimmy (seasons 3–present)
• Laura Fraser as Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, a Madrigal Electromotive executive and associate of Gus Fring (seasons 3–present)
• Eric Steining as Nick, a member of Gus's security team, later managed by Mike. (seasons 4–present)
• Franc Ross as Ira, a burglar Jimmy hires; in Breaking Bad, he is the owner of Vamonos Pest who appears in "Hazard Pay". (season 4)
• David Costabile as Gale Boetticher, a chemist who is consulted by Gus (season 4)
• Robert Forster as Ed Galbraith, a vacuum cleaner store owner who relocates people running from the law and gives them new identities. (season 5)[67]
• Dean Norris as Hank Schrader, a DEA agent and Walter White's brother-in-law (season 5)[63]
• Steven Michael Quezada as Steven "Gomey" Gomez, Hank's DEA partner and best friend (season 5)[63]
• Nigel Gibbs as Tim Roberts, a detective with the Albuquerque Police Department (season 5)
• Norbert Weisser as Peter Schuler, a Madrigal Electromotive executive and associate of Gus Fring (season 5)

Tired of public defender work, Jimmy works to represent the Kettlemans, who are accused of embezzlement. Jimmy cares for his brother Chuck, who is housebound without electricity because he believes he has electromagnetic hypersensitivity. While pursuing an elder law career, Jimmy discovers clients being defrauded by the Sandpiper retirement home and begins a class action lawsuit with Chuck. When the case grows, Chuck suggests giving it to his law firm, Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill, but secretly arranges with Howard, a partner at the firm, to cut Jimmy out. The case continues growing and HHM brings on Davis & Main. Unhappy at Howard's treatment of him, Kim recommends Jimmy to D&M.

Jimmy works at D&M but quits after being reprimanded for his client outreach methods. Kim is demoted because of Jimmy's actions. To reclaim her status, she secures Mesa Verde Bank as a client for HHM but Howard denies her credit. Kim quits at HHM, and she and Jimmy begin separate private practices in a shared office. Jimmy secretly causes Chuck to make an error that delays a new branch construction, so Mesa Verde drops HHM to hire Kim. Nacho hires Mike to remove Tuco from the Salamanca organization. Mike goads Tuco into fighting and Tuco is imprisoned. Hector is suspicious so Mike prepares to assassinate him but is interrupted.

Chuck discovers Jimmy's fraud and tricks him into confessing, leading to suspension of Jimmy's law license. Chuck's ouster at HHM leads to his suicide. Gus stops Mike from killing Hector. Mike attacks Hector's trucks and steals $250,000 from one. Mike asks for help laundering the money. Gus arranges for Mike's hire as a contracted security expert at Madrigal and payment of monthly consulting fees. Hector plans to take over Manuel's business so Nacho attempts to kill Hector by changing his angina medication for a placebo. Hector suffers a stroke and Gus' first aid saves him, though he remains comatose.

Jimmy regains his outgoing demeanor after Howard shoulders blame for Chuck's death. Jimmy manages a cell phone store but makes more reselling prepaid phones. His law license reinstatement request is denied over lack of remorse for Chuck. After faking mourning, he successfully appeals, but reveals he is going to practice as Saul Goodman. Gus learns Nacho attempted to kill Hector and blackmails him into undermining the Salamancas. Mike escorts engineers who evaluate the laundry's potential as a meth lab and Gus hires Werner to oversee construction. Hector recovers mentally and can move his right index finger. Lalo Salamanca arrives to run Hector's business.

Jimmy's new business as Saul Goodman draws him into the drug trade within the city of Albuquerque, and is conflicted when Howard, to make up for his past treatment of Jimmy, offers him a position at HHM. Kim herself balances her Mesa Verde and pro bono work with her own feelings for Jimmy, and finds herself toying with the same conman-style tactics Jimmy employs within her casework. Lalo's presence forces Gus to halt the superlab construction, and both Nacho and Mike become pawns in the ongoing feud between the Salamancas and Gus.

These episodes discuss season two of Better Call Saul.

These episodes discuss season three of Better Call Saul.

Better Call Saul has received critical acclaim and is considered to be an outstanding example of how to successfully produce a prequel and spinoff work which defies expectations.[97] Many critics have called Better Call Saul a worthy successor to Breaking Bad and some have deemed it superior to its predecessor.

The first season received critical acclaim, particularly for its acting, writing, and directing. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a rating of 97%, based on 68 reviews, with an average rating of 8.03/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Better Call Saul is a quirky, dark character study that manages to stand on its own without being overshadowed by the series that spawned it."[87] On Metacritic, the first season has a score of 78 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[88]

The second season, like the first, also received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has a score of 97%, based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Better Call Saul continues to tighten its hold on viewers with a batch of episodes that inject a surge of dramatic energy while showcasing the charms of its talented lead."[89] On Metacritic, the second season has a score of 85 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[90]

The third season received critical acclaim, particularly for the character development of Jimmy McGill. On Rotten Tomatoes, the third season has an approval rating of 97% based on 39 reviews, with an average rating of 8.78/10. The site's critical consensus is, "Better Call Saul shows no signs of slipping in season 3, as the introduction of more familiar faces causes the inevitable transformation of its lead to pick up exciting speed."[91] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 87 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[92]

The fourth season received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a 99% approval rating with an average score of 8.93 out of 10 based on 36 reviews. The site's critical consensus states, "Well-crafted and compelling as ever, Better Call Saul deftly balances the show it was and the one it will inevitably become."[93] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 87 out of 100, based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[94]

The fifth season revieved widespread crtical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 99% based on 40 reviews, with an average rating of 8.89/10. The website's critical consensus is, "Grounded by Bob Odenkirk's endlessly nuanced, lived-in performance, Better Call Saul's fifth season is a darkly funny, vividly realized master class in tragedy."[95] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 92 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[96]

Since season three, AMC has released three separate ten-episode short series that feature a mix of live action and animated segments. Season three featured Los Pollos Hermanos Employee Training with Esposito portraying Gus, season four featured Madrigal Electromotive Security Training with Banks as Mike, and season five featured Ethics Training with Seehorn as Kim and side-voiceovers from Odenkirk as Jimmy. These were released over the course of each season on YouTube and through AMC's social media. Los Pollos Hermanos Employee Training received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series,[154] and while Madrigal Electromotive Security Training had been nominated for the same the following year, the Academy had the pull the nomination after discovering the show was too short (less than two minutes), though stated the pull was "in no way a diminishment of the quality of Better Call Saul Employee Training or Mr. Banks' performance in it".[155]

AMC has released two digital comic books for Better Call Saul. The first, titled Better Call Saul: Client Development, released in February 2015, in advance of the series premiere, details the history of Saul and Mike, acting as a spin-off of the Breaking Bad episode that introduced Saul.[156] In February 2016, in advance of the second-season premiere, AMC released Better Call Saul: Saul Goodman and the Justice Consortium in the Clutches of the Judgernaut![157]