The "Breaking Bad" mobile publicity unit at one of the major studios last week, preparing to make a swing up the California coast...
This post might sound like a re-run from last week, but no -- yet another, much longer and infinitely better interview with Vince Gilligan (showrunner of "Breaking Bad") has materialized from the digital ether. As readers in the SF Bay Area already know, Tim Goodman (ace TV critic for the San Francisco Chronicle) writes a very lively and interesting blog on the paper's website. When the opportunity arises, he posts extended podcast interviews with people who matter in the TV biz --and right now, nobody matters more in television than Vince Gilligan.
Not Conan, Leno, Simon Cowell, Kate and Jon, or even the disturbingly ubiquitous Kardashian family.
Granted, I'm a partisan here -- I got hooked on "Breaking Bad" thirty seconds into the pilot episode, and remain addicted to this show, my television drug of choice. Still, this is a terrific interview. Goodman does an excellent job of asking pertinant questions and moving the conversation along without stepping on Gilligan, who comes across as a surprisingly humble, thoughtful, and likable guy -- needless to say, it's too bad there aren't a lot more showrunners like him in our business. At a full hour, the podcast is long enough for a relaxed and fascinating discussion of the genisis and evolution of "Breaking Bad" over the first two seasons, with some great stories and insights into the process of making the show. Industry veterans will appreciate the many levels of this discussion, while civilian fans will get some idea of just how hard it is to make a television show. Even a bad television show is a grueling ordeal to get in the can, which makes "Breaking Bad" nothing less than a miracle.
No spoilers are revealed regarding the upcoming Season 3, so do not fear -- just find a comfortable chair, lean back, and fall under the spell of Goodman and Gilligan.
If you're a fan of "Breaking Bad," you'll be glad you did.
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