Saul – Bet AMC executives are glad they didn’t lose that Albuquerque lawyer’s number. Sunday night’s launch of Better Call Saul was the highest-rated series debut in cable history. The highly anticipated Breaking Bad prequel delivered 6.9 million viewers and a record-setting 3.4 adults 18-49 rating. That’s an enormous launch on a cable network where even hit shows tend to start modest and then gradally gather steam.

Of course, a show debuting after the mid-season premiere of The Walking Dead is a bit like a network airing an episode of show after the Super Bowl, and Better Call Saul has plenty of viewer recognition from Breaking Bad. Ratings for tonight’s second episode should provide a stronger sense of the show’s true performance (no spoilers, but Monday’s hour contains a desert-set scene that’s easily the best sequence the show’s first few episodes). 

Nothing makes a TV executive happier than good ratings, and ‘Better Call Saul’ is now the premiere cable ratings king. As the article states, it definitely helped that they had the best lead in on television, but while the ratings might have been helped by The Walking Dead, but show itself as well the second episode last night definitely delivered. While the show had a ‘Breaking Bad’ feel to it (Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan are doing the show, after all) there are enough new characters and stories to be told that should keep viewers coming back for more. The show starts off with a flash forward scene, a bleak look into Saul’s new life after everything that went down with Walter White. The rest of the show has been a flashback to his life before he was Saul Goodman (he was formerly attorney Jimmy McGill) with some classic Breaking Bad characters sprinkled in (Mike! Tuco!). If you haven’t yet, check out the first two episodes and keep coming back on Monday nights for more Saul Goodman madness.

– Ryan