‘Breaking Bad’ shopped to other networks as AMC renewal talks drag on

Breaking Bad, coming soon to HBO! Or not.

With renewal talks dragging out between Breaking Bad studio Sony Pictures Television and AMC, the acclaimed drama has been shopped to a few other networks, sources confirmed.

AMC firmly wants to bring the show back for a fifth season — that’s the good news. Breaking Bad recently returned to 2.6 million viewers — a series high. But shows get more expensive as they age and AMC is looking for ways to reach a financially effective deal. The network proposed a shortened fifth season (six or eight episodes instead of the usual 13) which producers rejected (thankfully).

Now, the actual odds of Breaking Bad actually jumping networks? Very slim. Often studios will shop a show around to get some leverage on the network they’re haggling with, but committing to a divorce divorcing is a nuclear option that seldom gets detonated.

The bigger legitimate question is whether season five will be the last for Breaking Bad. Creator Vince Gilligan has suggested he wants to end the show after the next season, but AMC executives indicated to me last week they’d prefer to keep it around a little longer if possible. Stay tuned…