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Vince Gilligan wasn’t just cooking up chemistry with Breaking Bad; he was secretly preparing for the worst, convinced that his gritty series was one awkward plot twist away from cancellation after Season 2 or 3. But fate had a hidden ace up its sleeve—a game-changing technology that not only kept Breaking Bad alive but transformed how we watch TV.

Vince Gilligan | Image by Magnus Manske, licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Gilligan knew he had a diamond in the rough, but even he couldn’t predict how revolutionary viewing habits would become his greatest ally.

How Streaming Saved Breaking Bad: Vince Gilligan’s Close Call with Cancellation A still from Breaking Bad | Credit: AMC

Vince Gilligan thought Breaking Bad was on the chopping block after Season 2. Yep, he didn’t think the wild ride of Walter White would even make it to “I am the one who knocks!

If not for "Breaking Bad," then Albuquerque, New Mexico would still be most famous in popular culture as the site of Bugs Bunny's wrong turns. If you've been sleeping comfortably under a rock, "Breaking Bad" centers on Albuquerque science teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston), who puts his chemistry skills to use cooking meth after he's diagnosed with cancer. With the show set in the U.S. southwest, the story made semi-frequent dips into Mexico itself and many of the series' criminal subplots and characters had ties to fictional drug cartels.

With a 500,000+ population, Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico. This is definitely a big fish in a small pond situation; the state has a wide-spreading land area but a sparse population of about 2 million. (It ranks 37th out of 50 in population for all U.S. states.) Why set a television series there compared to more famous regional neighbors like Dallas,...