Breaking Bad writer says studio executive told them to remove Saul Goodman entirely

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A network executive had requested that the character of Saul Goodman be cut from the show.

In the second season of the popular AMC crime drama, Saul, played by Bob Odenkirk, was a ruthless yet charismatic lawyer who partnered with Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, and Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul - two up-and-coming meth producers.

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TV critic Alan Sepinwall quoted writer Peter Gould saying that when the character was first introduced, television network executives initially reacted.

Gould remembered thinking: "As I was writing the episode, I became extremely nervous."

I was nervous because I was concerned we'd ruin the show if we created a character that was too goofy – that he'd be too over the top for a show that I thought was very down-to-earth in its own way.

This concern was then "enhanced" in a first "note-taking session" with one of the network executives, who Gould refuses to identify.

"Vince Gilligan and I were on a conference call together, and there was a discussion about a character that we didn't like so much," he said, before referring to rewriting the episode's storyline.

“Vince said, 'No,' firmly standing behind the script and character. He's advocating for his vision, and the people on the conference call showed respect and trust in him, backing down. You could imagine an alternate reality where they still had to scrap the episode.”

The star was originally the top preferred option.

The show aired for five seasons from 2008 to 2013. The series earned 16 Emmy Awards during its run and is frequently included on lists of the greatest television programs ever produced.

The events of Better Call Saul took place both before and after the events of Breaking Bad, and followed Jimmy McGill as he pursued his earlier aspirations to become a successful lawyer, before becoming Saul Goodman.

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