Breaking Bad Gets Final Season

AMC has picked up 16 final episodes of Breaking Bad, a last batch that could run as a single season or two shorter seasons, Entertainment Weekly reports. “It’s a funny irony—I’d hate to know the date of my own last day on earth, but I’m delighted to know what Walter White’s will be (episodically speaking),” said series creator Vince Gilligan. “This is a great gift to me and to my wonderful writers. It’s knowledge which will allow us to properly build our story to a satisfying conclusion.”

It was reportedly a tense negotiation period, with series maker Sony even contacting other networks to see if they'd want to grab the award-winning show if AMC bowed out. AMC was apparently looking to trim expenses and had been seeking a shorter run of episodes, due in part to the hefty expenses incurred by Mad Men. (More Breaking Bad stories.)