Albuquerque, New Mexico

The New Mexico city where Breaking Bad is set.

Albuquerque, New Mexico serves as the gritty, sun-scorched backdrop for the television series Breaking Bad, transforming a typical American metropolis into a landscape of moral decay and high-stakes criminal enterprise.

Reader's Guide

The franchise includes supplementary media released between the main seasons. Breaking Bad: Original Minisodes featured 17 short clips released from 2009 to 2011. Five minisodes were released on February 17, 2009; ten more focused on Saul Goodman before season three; and two additional clips appeared before season four.

The Core Narrative and Setting

Set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White, a 50-year-old chemistry teacher diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He cooks crystal meth with former student Jesse Pinkman to secure his family's inheritance. The show ran for five seasons, totaling 62 episodes from January 20, 2008, to September 29, 2013.

Expanded Universe Through Minisodes

Breaking Bad: Original Minisodes consisted of 17 one- to five-minute clips released over three years. Five were released on February 17, 2009; ten focused on Saul Goodman before season three; and two were released before season four.

Cinematic Continuation and Resolution

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie was released on Netflix on October 11, 2019, written and directed by Vince Gilligan. It continues the story of Jesse Pinkman after his escape in the series finale. The film aired on AMC on February 16, 2020, accompanied by a three-minute short film, Snow Globe: A Breaking Bad Short, released on YouTube on February 17, 2020.

Production Timeline and Broadcast History

The pilot of Breaking Bad aired on January 20, 2008. The series finale aired on September 29, 2013. During the run, 62 episodes were broadcast over five seasons. Supplementary content included 17 minisodes released between 2009 and 2011, El Camino in October 2019, and Snow Globe in February 2020.