The most disappointing record from Better Call Saul’s run – its total lack of Emmy wins – looks even worse when it’s compared to Breaking Bad’s impressive accomplishments. When a Breaking Bad spin-off about Walter White’s lawyer was first announced, it seemed like a shameless money grab that simply didn’t need to exist. But Better Call Saul ended up being hailed as a TV masterpiece. It’s at least as great as the flagship show and may be even greater as its character development is subtler and it doesn’t rely so heavily on action scenes.
But in spite of Better Call Saul earning just as much praise as Breaking Bad, it failed to garner as much success at the Emmys. Better Call Saul received a ton of Emmy nominations throughout its six-season run, but none of those nominations led to an actual win. The latest Emmys ceremony – the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards – was Better Call Saul’s last chance to win an Emmy, and once again, it lost every award it was nominated for.
Better Call Saul Sets Incredible Record After One Of The Worst Emmy Award Runs In History
Better Call Saul sets an unfortunate record following the show’s recent Emmys loss, nonetheless placing the AMC drama alongside excellent company.
Breaking Bad Won 12 Emmy Awards Compared To Better Call Saul’s 0 Wins
Emmy nominations | Emmy wins | |
Breaking Bad | 30 | 12 |
Better Call Saul | 53 | 0 |
Breaking Bad won a whopping 12 Emmy Awards out of its 30 nominations. This makes Better Call Saul’s zero wins against 53 nominations seem even more egregious. Better Call Saul amassed nearly twice as many Emmy nominations as its predecessor – meaning it had twice as many opportunities to win – and it never received a single award. Breaking Bad itself won Outstanding Drama Series a couple of times, and Moira Walley-Beckett won an Emmy for writing arguably the show’s greatest episode: season 5, episode 14, “Ozymandias.”
Most of Breaking Bad’s awards were won by its lead actors. Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and Anna Gunn all won multiple Emmy Awards for their performances as Walter White, Jesse Pinkman, and Skyler White, respectively. Bob Odenkirk was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series nearly every year the show was on the air, but he lost every time. The same goes for Rhea Seehorn and Jonathan Banks, who became a staple of their respective categories but never won the actual award.
Why Better Call Saul Didn’t Win Any Major Awards
While Better Call Saul enjoyed victories at some of the smaller Hollywood award ceremonies – like the WGA Awards, the Saturn Awards, and the Critics’ Choice Television Awards – it walked home empty-handed from all the major award events, like the Emmys and the Golden Globes. It may have been unfairly maligned for its spin-off status, but Frasier is a spin-off and that show won dozens of Emmys. Better Call Saul’s biggest problem at the Emmys was facing tough competition from similarly great shows like Succession, The Crown, and The White Lotus. They can’t all win, so a lot of really well-made TV ends up falling by the wayside.
