Breaking Bad’s combination of anxiety-inducing suspense, engrossing characters, and awe-inspiring cinematography make it an unforgettable TV experience. Walter White seems like your everyday science teacher . . . that is, until a cancer diagnosis eats away at his psyche and forces his ego into doing things that he’s wanted to do his entire life. Heisenberg became the biggest drug lord in the United States, but the cost is deadly for so many innocent people.
After finishing creator Vince Gilligan’s crime drama, many fans feel lost. How can any show ever recapture the magic of Breaking Bad? The short answer is that nothing can. The longer answer is that similar crime shows with complex criminal characters have mimicked this formula before and since. We have the best shows like Breaking Bad to watch if you need more bad people blundering their lives and destroying others along the way!
The Sopranos (1999)
Ozark (2017)
Ozark takes the nerd-to-criminal arc right from Breaking Bad’s pages, but Marty Byrde isn’t quite the same as Walter White. Marty is an intelligent man who gets involved in a money laundering scheme with the Mexican cartel, but the people running the drug game eventually force Marty and his family deeper into the game against their will. Ozark possesses a dark color palette that juxtaposes the peacefulness of the American Midwest.
Dexter (2006)
Dexter doesn’t seem like he should have any redeeming qualities; he is a serial killer after all. And yet, Dexter Morgan has a lot more good in him than his actions might indicate. Grappling with the trauma of his past and the complexity of his present, he tries to balance vigilantism and fatherhood throughout the series. Those who love many of the true-crime series that have swept across streamers in recent years will enjoy Dexter, but also those who want something much more fictional and suspenseful.
Better Call Saul (2015)
Better Call Saul follows the life of Breaking Bad’s comedic relief character, Saul Goodman, during his time before the events of the parent show when he still identified as Jimmy McGill. Better Call Saul is a slower-paced but astoundingly fascinating character study that deals with family issues, morality, and even romance. Some Breaking Bad fans even find out they prefer Better Call Saul’s approach more. One thing is for certain: fans of one must watch the other to tie the crime universe together!
Weeds (2005)
Griselda (2024)
Griselda is loosely based on the life of drug lord Griselda Blanco. Sofia Vergara is fantastic at playing the sinister character who climbs the ranks of Colombian crime, a world usually dominated by men and toxic masculinity. Griselda operates both as a fun, feminist companion to Breaking Bad and a biopic of one of the 21st century’s most fascinating criminals. The show fits nicely into Netflix’s collection of crime series.
Narcos (2015)
Narcos dramatizes the controversial and violent life of Pablo Escobar and the destruction he caused through his overwhelming control of the Colombian cartel. Pedro Pascal continued to elevate his presence within the TV industry by playing one of the agents who tried to put a stop to the crimes committed by Escobar and his men. Narcos doesn’t have the same character drama as Breaking Bad, but it most closely resembles its engagement with drug crimes.
The Walking Dead (2010)
The Walking Dead might not seem similar to Breaking Bad at first glance, but the character archetypes and storylines run parallel. Both shows examine what happens to supposedly good people when dire circumstances come crashing down on them. They also helped propel AMC to the top of the cable TV ratings in the first half of the 2010s which allowed other great shows to get greenlit on the network.
Sons of Anarchy (2008)
Sons of Anarchy follows the interpersonal problems of a motorcycle club in California that sacrifices its morals to follow a code of conduct specific to the gang. Drug crimes are part of many plot threads throughout the series, and multi-faceted antiheroes are put to the test and evolve when faced with adversity. Ron Pearlman and Katey Sagal are two of the standout performers.
