Let’s be true and accept the fact that the American Crime-drama Breaking Bad is one of the best shows ever made.
We’ll fall short of words if we attempt to describe how good it was. Well, there isn’t anything we can say about Breaking Bad that has not been saying.
But still, it is a psychological thriller featuring a timid Mexican teacher turning up as a meth kingpin due to their devotion to his loved ones & to sustain his family.
No other show comes even close to it, let alone the matter of substituting it.
But now, as it has ended, could there be any other shows with a familiar tone? Well, yes, there are shows with similar narratives that we have listed for you below to consider giving a try.
Though not as good as Breaking bad, they do make a place of their own somewhere in a nearby premise to it.
Ozark
A 4-season gripping & virtuous crime-drama series with the lead falling into a volatile situation due to a money-laundering scheme going wrong, and consequently, the drug-cartel angel getting introduced.
The family dynamic involved is the foundation of the show.
Tangent of the storyline, the family knits into a stronger bond after shifting to Ozark.
Every passing episode sets a tense tone for the upcoming one.
The series is named over a rural Arkansas and Missouri set of mountain ranges.
A dark & turbulent narrative full of manipulations and twists and turns no one would have expected.
Aired back in 2017, a masterpiece from the creators of the ‘judge.’
Ozark, among breaking bad fans, is popularly called the breaking bad of money laundering.
All performers had superlative performances. The plot is surreal and cathartic at the same time.
Weeds
An American tv show, pretty darn close to breaking bad in the plot, is to be considered.
Weeds’ acting, writing, and direction are on par with Breaking Bad.
We acknowledge Breaking bad must have got you a knack for narcotics-themed series.
Then here you got one more. A humble widower Nancy Boturn reluctantly initiates selling marijuana to keep her family’s soul and body together.
In doing so, she has to maintain secrecy regarding the drugs in an upscale calf neighborhood.
She buys the drug from a hysterical black family and sells it in a community of Agrestic.
The series is full of sly twists and turns and dry humor. Characters have also given convincing performances.
The plot involves a moral quagmire with the progression of the plot.
Better Call Saul
It would be downright criminal to make a list of breaking bad recommendations and not include better call saul.
A prequel to breaking bad. If you’re a bad breaking fan, this isn’t something you’re allowed to miss.
Better Call Saul is a continuation of the breaking bad legacy and in no way hampers the latter’s plot.
Though watching Breaking bad before this isn’t a prerequisite.
A spin-off series of breaking bad starring the shady lawyer Bob Odenkirk unlike its predecessor, featured him to be just a comic relief.
It stretches out to comprehensively explain the Albuquerque criminal underworld.
This series includes nodes of dark comedy, just like breaking bad.
Bob’s characters have given a third-dimensional perspective in this series about how he winds up into loops of destiny.
The addictive storyline has been nominated for a bunch of awards. Ten on ten on cinematography & soundtrack.
A dark narrative about Jimmy in order to pace his legal career falling prey to another plan destiny has for him.
It ends on a heartbreaking note, just like breaking bad.
A subtly slow plot configuration from Vince Gilligan involving excellently conceived relationship dynamics.
Narcos
2015 aired, biographical front structured must watch.
A true account of drug dealers, this captivating story has a plot including themes such as smuggling, cartel, CIA agents, etc.
This series provides a mature perspective into recent accounts of the past being respectful to its source material.
The good and bad relativism and revenge theme are fundamental to the show.
If Drug lord/mafias shows are your thing, you have found your ideal match.
Trade configurations in 80s Columbia being the main plot, it is a show about illicit consortium thriving interwoven to a socio-political sub-plot.
The Shield
Aired in 2002, a crime-drama series set in Los Angeles has its lead being detective Vic Mackey in a police department, dealing with rising criminal activities in a pretty strange manner.
The cop ladder downs to the level of rebels to reinstate peace.
It Starring Michael Chiklis, Walton Goggins, Kenneth Johnson, and David Rees Snell, each being great at their deliveries.
From the very start, you’ll find yourself rooting for the anti-heroes as they deal with gangs.
Nobody
A non-happening man in his 40s is getting his fate tangent to a burglary invading his peace and planning revenge consequently.
Well, the write-up is pretty straightforward, but acting is definitely something you can vouch for.
Aired in 2021 from the writer of John wick, it is a ridiculously good show.
Fargo
An American tv-series released in 2014 and executively produced by the Coen brothers, who were the directors of the movie of the same name from 1996.
It is magnificent storytelling that had a follow-up season right after the success of the first season.
Fargo will surely quench your thirst for dark humor.
This black comedy drama anthology is a compelling watch with a bunch of amazing performers.
This crime show comprises some eccentric characters, with every episode being a miniseries in itself.
The audience much appreciated the performances, with special mention to Billy Bob Thornton and Martin Freeman.
Billy is starred as a malicious serial killer in the show.
Fargo won a primetime Emmy award for outstanding limited series.
Fargo owes its achievement to the delightful standout performance and crisp dialogues involved.
The Sopranos
You can be charged for calling yourself a breaking bad fan and not knowing about ‘The Sopranos.’
The Sopranos is a scintillating American tragedy featuring the story of a mobster with anxiety issues.
As the show develops, the episodes build a sense of vagueness.
This 6-seasoned show premiered first in 1999. The lead, Tony Soprano, is juggling over with psychic issues due to excessive stress and takes help from psychiatric counseling.
This show is bound with mafia intertextuality.
The Wire
This series stars Dominic West, John Doman, Frankie R. Faison, Wood Harris & Domenick Lambardozzi and discusses the drug scene in Baltimore.
Released between 2002-2008, this show has enraptured audiences.
The show covers the story of Baltimore City on the drug, law enforcement, education, politics, red tape & other fronts.
As we wind our sails through the show, we see more layers of the characters it showcases.
Even the shipyard workers of Baltimore are shown in depth in the show.
Dominic West and Idris Elbows are ridiculously good at their parts.
It showcases two rebellious detectives, Jimmy McNutty and William Moreland, digging into a black inner-city housing deal.
Themes such as human trafficking and prostitution and also been discussed.
Metastasis
Drama cravers, this show is for you!
A mundane teacher becomes a drug kingpin. Does this sound familiar? If yes, well it’s because this show is a Colombian production recreation of Breaking Bad.
Set in Colombia, home of Pablo Escobar, it’s more authentic to the premise it offers.
Metastasis is a recreational copy of Breaking Bad with a much worse production.
Though Diego Trujillo is absolutely amazing on his part.
For many, it is a pathetic attempt to parasite upon the success of Breaking Bad. This recreational series is said to have screwed Breaking Bad badly.
The production is disappointing and even is a parody of breaking bad to some extent for some people. Its performance makes it an adaptational disaster.
Metastasis is set over a Latin American front.
Bloodline
This downright engaging thriller first premiered in 2015 is a “must” watch for Breaking Bad fans. Kyle Chandler was amazing throughout.
If the character’s display and storyline are concerned, this show is nothing short of spectacular.
Bloodline has twists hard to gulp.
Based on Florida keys, this series sheds light upon a family’s conflicts and nuances.
The leads were applaudable and the dialogues written were murky.
The show will reel you from the very start.
The struggles of the family are gut-wrenching to watch.
If female objectification sets you off, this might not be for you. Bloodline features lots and lots of nudity (which is subjected to a particular gender).
Themes such as violence and retributions are also touched on in the show.
The setting is appealing, with a picturesque backdrop and a plot in contrast to that.
The show talks about the idyllic Key West community. The Rayburn family has many skeletons in the closet, which you come to terms with as the show Bloodline moves forward.
The flashbacks to the past make it more gripping.
The show Bloodline has been nominated for 18 nominations now.
Animal Kingdom
The themes you can expect to counter are infidelity, homosexuality, murder, alcohol, nudity, drugs, and other explicit themes.
Basically, the story is about a morally corrupt family owning a successful rental brokerage business who are involved in various crimes and live an opulent lifestyle financed by it.
With its Oceanside locations and South California-based settings, It was aesthetically pleasing to watch both on the exterior and interior fronts.
The sub-plot angle of an unhappy & turbulent gay storyline was much appreciated by the viewers.
Episodes are left with a cliffhanger at the end of them, purposefully.
The characters are despicable yet have sly charms.
All in all, this show is worth giving a try.
Seinfeld
Your love for dark humor is very obvious to us as you love Breaking Bad, so here is a quite relative sitcom from 1989.
Viewers find it as flat-out hilarious as it was in the 90s when it premiered first. It’s one of the best sitcoms ever made in T.V. history.
The show with 9 glorious seasons was built around Seinfeld, a comedian from New York.
In this series, you will find Jerry Seinfeld playing Jerry Seinfeld.
The side characters include his ex-girlfriend, a childhood friend, and a neighbor.
This show added uncountable catchphrases to the dictionary and any other English show known.
This series is a classic ensemble work by the whole team.
The lead is mining every detail of usual living scenarios, which comes up as situational comedy.
Mindhunter
Not just a show but a gamut of stellar performances and fine plotting.
When it comes to the action-crime thriller genre, FBI agents’ plots serve the purpose very well. The enthralling psychological plot of this series ought to glue you to the screen.
This joe Penhall creation circumferences a plot where two FBI agents thoroughly study the upside-down psyches of serial killers to catch them. Well, this explains the title.
This two-seasoned series was directed by an Oscar-nominated director David flincher.
The 70s setting is very natural. Watching this would be no less an immersing & psychologically intriguing experience for the audience.
The production of this complex series is very detail-oriented.
Succession
A Three-seasoned Emmy nominated T.V. series released first in 2018 with memorable performances to live by.
A critically acclaimed series worthy of being watched in a go due to the storyline being highly intriguing.
Succession has the best devilish plots you’ll ever see. A mini masterpiece is featuring narcissists & shallow characters.
Excluding the fact that the twists involved are a bit obvious the story is otherwise good.
It focuses on a family of billionaires, every member of which is morally corrupt.
The members of the family hold cut-throat behavior toward each other.
Initiating with a proper intro to what motivates these characters to have, this show does have a slow pace in the first few episodes.
With the head of the family suffering a stroke, a cold war between the children for inheritance starts. Quite an interesting plot, right?
Yellowjackets
This show meanders around a story about a group of soccer players who fell into a mishap of an air collision and their polarising experiences.
The episodes are full of red herrings.
This horror suspense themed-show was released first in Nov of 2021.
One character, Lattie, suffers from precognitive abilities, and another character Taissa is a Clairvoyant.
The character of Tassie gets frequent flashbacks when under stress which her mother suspects she has gotten from her grandmother.
The show runs on two distinct timelines.
While some of you might find the 25 years of interplay this show complicated.
Set in the 90s this is a compelling watch with a psychic backdrop.
Scenes of this nail-bottin’ drama change swiftly.
This is a supernatural occult horror initiating with a glimpse of cannibalism themes, so be prepared if you’re interested.
The show involves the same kind of anxiety as Breaking Bad.
Barry
This 3-seasoned drama has an engaging storyline and is a gripping watch all and all.
The plot goes like an assassin finding his passion for acting and how he is ready to get over his past life for that.
Our titular character Barry is influenced by his newfound love for acting and bizarrely is geared to take his passion for acting forward.
The comedy punches are accurate and are on time. The leads handle the violent matter with comedic rhythms.
This dark comedy show is a brilliant, binge-worthy watch.
The Americans
This chilling crime drama series was set in 1980-1987, the cold war era between America and the USSR.
The plot is intriguing and will keep haunting you for nights if not watched in a go.
This plot-driven watch has a certain degree of morose energy and somberness.
The characters are well-written, and the performances are applaudable.
This historical backdrop drama, with its ancillary character, is sure to pave its way among your favorites.
The finals are sure to make the corners of your eyes watery.
Deadwood
This 2004 released drama is based on the story of characters from the city of the same name.
It comprises three seasons with a realistic portrayal of the old West.
Basically, a Notorious & lawless town attracting fortune-seekers is at the center of the plot.
The show, though, has a Shakespearean eloquence, so even if you’re native, you’ll still find yourself too much dependent upon the subtitles.
The fictional mining of Deadwood takes us back to the U.S. post-civil war years.
The dialogue is theatrically profane, and quoting them as fabulous would be an understatement.
Boardwalk Empire
Got a knack for gangster shows, then Boardwalk Empire is for you.
Who would not love to watch a bunch of historic mobsters with a touch of partial realism?
This drama genre Tv-series tells the story of an Atlantic City gangster, Enoch “Nucky” Thompson( Steve Buscemi ), and his brother Elias’s (Shea Whigham) criminal activities in detail.
This story is placed in the prohibition era when these two brothers indulged in the distribution of alcohol and had partnerships with other notorious personalities from the age.
This show is imbibed with beautiful cinematography and mind-blowing performances.
The detailing of this HBO premiered show is something to die for.
This classic mafia storyline is concerned with the story of a treasurer from Atlantic City.