Apple TV Plus just grabbed the next show from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan

Apple TV Plus logo shown on TV
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Now that Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul is over, focus has diverted to what series creator Vince Gilligan is going to do next. It turns out he’s making the move to Apple TV Plus, with the streaming service ordering two seasons of his next show — and Better Call Saul star Rhea Seehorn (Kim Wexler) is set to take the lead role.

This news comes from Deadline, which reports that the new show is a “blended, grounded genre drama." So those of you expecting Kim to get her own spin-off in the Breaking Bad universe are going to be sorely disappointed. But based on Gilligan’s track record (The Lone Gunmen aside), there’s plenty to be excited about here.

For starters Seehorn nailed the role of Kim Wexler, the lawyer slash would-be conwoman and partner in crime to Jimmy McGill before he turned into Saul Goodman. The second is that a guarantee of two seasons means we won’t be getting invested in a show that’s abruptly canceled — something we pray doesn’t happen to Netflix’s The Sandman.

Deadline notes that Gilligan’s next project was very much in demand, with 8-9 networks reportedly lined up to hear about it. Which is no surprise given how much of a success both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul were.

The site also notes that the project was looking for a series order (as opposed to a pilot), and a budget of around $13.5 to $15 million per episode. Apple is said to have “showed great enthusiasm” and “pursued it aggressively," Looks like that paid off for tech giant's streaming arm. 

Don’t expect the new show to be anything like Gilligan’s last two offerings, which were rife with drugs and crime. The new show has been likened to both the Twilight Zone and The X-Files, a series Gilligan was heavily involved in. According to a Deadline report from last month, the show “harkens back to Gilligan’s tenure on The X-Files," but will not be a sci-fi drama.

Instead the show will be “set in our world while putting a tweak on it, focusing on people and exploring the human condition in an unexpected, surprising way.” Other descriptions proclaim the show will be “thought-provoking but not a morality tale,” and “exploring similar themes of bending reality while holding a mirror to humanity.”

Unlike The Twilight Zone, this show is not expected to be an anthology, and instead it will have an overarching story. It's also not clear when it will arrive, or even what it’s going to be called. Only that Gilligan is said to be the showrunner, and Sony Pictures Television will once again be responsible for actually making the show. So watch this space, and we’ll bring you more news as we hear it.

Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.

Read more
Apple TV Plus
Everything new on Apple TV Plus in March 2025
Adam Scott as Mark S in Severance, in an elevator
New on Apple TV Plus in January 2025 — all the movies and shows to watch
Stranger Things; The Last of Us; Wednesday
I watch TV for a living — here are 10 shows I can't wait to stream in 2025
Jason Segel in Shrinking, Rebecca Ferguson in Silo and Garly Oldman in Slow Horses on Apple TV Plus
10 best Apple TV Plus shows of 2024 with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes
Mark (Adam Scott) holding blue balloons in "Severance" season 2
'Severance' director Ben Stiller offers huge season 3 update — what we know about the Apple TV Plus show's future
Apple TV Plus
29 best Apple TV Plus shows to watch now
Latest in Apple TV +
Adam Scott as Mark S and Britt Lower as Helly R in Severance, standing by an elevator
'Severance' season 2 finale — here's my wild theory based on episode 9
Adam Scott and Britt Lower in "Severance."
'Severance' season 2 episode 9 sets the stage for an epic season finale — here's why
Brian Tyree Henry in Apple TV Plus' "Dope Sick"
'Dope Thief' is one of my top 10 shows of the year so far — stream this Apple TV Plus crime thriller now
Adam Scott as Mark S and Britt Lower as Helly R in Severance, standing by an elevator
My 5 biggest 'Severance' questions heading into season 2 episode 9
Adam Scott in "Severance," now streaming on Apple TV Plus.
'Severance' season 2 finale runtime just revealed — expect a violent finale
Patricia Arquette as Harmony Cobel in Severance
'Severance' season 2 just dropped the biggest bombshell of the series so far
Latest in News
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Thursday, March 20 (#648)
A phone with the Plex logo in front of an out-of-focus background of movie posters
Yikes! Plex is getting a price hike and this key feature is going behind a pay wall
back of Iris Pixel 9a
Google Pixel 9a pre-orders delayed due to 'component quality issue' — here's when you can get one
An open lock depicting a data breach
Half a million teachers hit in major data breach with SSNs, financial data and more exposed — what to do now
Sony A95K QD-OLED TV in front of windows in a living room
This new TV breakthrough looks like a game-changer for OLED TVs
Apple iPhone 16 & 16 Plus hands-on.
Forget USB-C — a truly portless iPhone just got the all-clear from the EU