Slippin' Jimmy
Animated prequel spin-off of Better Call Saul.
Slippin' Jimmy is an American animated short-form series that serves as a spin-off of *Better Call Saul*, which itself is a spin-off of *Breaking Bad*. The show centers on the youthful exploits of Jimmy McGill and his friend Marco Pasternak in Cicero, Illinois. Its debut on AMC+ was timed to match the release of the final episode of *Better Call Saul*'s sixth season's first half.
The series was first reported by *Variety* in March 2021, noting that AMC was developing an animated spin-off prequel focused on Jimmy's younger days in Cicero. Ariel Levine and Kathleen Williams-Foshee, who had worked on the live-action web series, developed the show. Voice actors include Chi McBride, Laraine Newman, and Sean Giambrone as Jimmy. On February 10, 2022, it was officially revealed as a short-form series, alongside the next season of the *Better Call Saul Employee Training Video* series and *Cooper's Bar* starring Rhea Seehorn. Each episode adopts the style of classic 1970s cartoons and pays homage to a specific movie genre, such as Spaghetti Westerns, Buster Keaton, and *The Exorcist*. Starburns Industries produced the series, with writing by Levine and Williams-Foshee.
The first teaser clip arrived on February 10, 2022, when the series was officially unveiled. A release date was set during *Better Call Saul*'s sixth season. All six episodes of *Slippin' Jimmy* were made available on AMC+ on May 23, 2022, coinciding with the mid-season finale of *Better Call Saul*, "Plan and Execution".
The main cast includes Sean Giambrone as Jimmy McGill, Kyle S. More as Marco Pasternak, and Will Vought as Trent Titweiler. Recurring voice actors include Beth Grant, Jasmine Gatewood, Chi McBride, Gideon Adlon, Gary Anthony Williams, Laraine Newman, Carlos Alazraqui, Brian Sommer, Zac Palladino, and David Herman.
Critical reception was negative. Noah Villaverde of /Film considered the series non-canonical to the *Breaking Bad* universe and a stain on the franchise, noting its humor "fails to land in every way" and questioning the decision to use childish comedy for a show tied to a prestige adult drama. Alex Ashbrook from Comic Book Resources described the animation as "crudely drawn" and hastily assembled compared to its predecessors, adding that executive producer Peter Gould's skills were absent.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Comedy
- Based On
- Better Call Saul · Vince Gilligan · Peter Gould
- Writer
- Ariel Levine / Kathleen Williams-Foshee
- Director
- Zac Palladino
- Voices
- Sean Giambrone / Kyle S. More / Will Vought
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Num Seasons
- 1
- Num Episodes
- 6
- Executive Producer
- Peter Gould / Melissa Bernstein / Gordon Smith / Ariel Levine / Kathleen Williams-Foshee / James A. Fino
- Producer
- Jenny Mika
- Animator
- Starburns Industries
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series was developed by Ariel Levine and Kathleen Williams-Foshee, who previously worked on the associated live-action web series. Told in the style of classic 1970s-era cartoons, each episode is an ode to a specific movie genre—from Spaghetti Westerns and Buster Keaton to The Exorcist. The series was produced by Starburns Industries and written by Levine and Williams-Foshee.
Reader's Guide
Slippin' Jimmy was poorly received by critics. Noah Villaverde of /Film considered it non-canonical to the Breaking Bad universe and a blemish on the franchise, stating the humor 'fails to land in every way' and that the decision to use childish comedy pandering to a demographic unlikely to catch the series due to its ties to a prestige adult drama was baffling. Alex Ashbrook from Comic Book Resources said the series is 'crudely drawn and seems to have been hastily put together compared to how beautifully crafted its predecessors were.' Mark Donaldson from Screen Rant criticized the concept, saying the animated spinoff undermines storytelling and feels like a misstep. Despite Peter Gould appearing as an executive director, his skills were reportedly absent. The series remains a footnote in the Breaking Bad franchise, notable for its experimental format and poor reception.
More in Characters & Personas
Elsewhere in Better Call Saul
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