Created by Writer / Director Vince Gilligan ("X Files")
PASADENA, CA, January 12, 2007 – AMC is in production on the one-hour dramatic pilot Breaking Bad, written and directed by Vince Gilligan ("X-Files" writer/producer/director). Noted film and TV producer Mark Johnson (The Chronicles of Narnia, What Lies Beneath, Donnie Brasco, The Astronaut's Wife, The Natural) joins Gilligan as executive producer.
In the tradition of generations of films that chronicle the anti-hero, Breaking Bad follows the riveting story of a high school chemistry teacher who finds himself in an increasingly desperate situation. A man with nothing to lose, he resorts to dealing meth in order to ensure his family's survival. Breaking Bad is produced for AMC by Sony Television.
AMC's commitment to celebrate movies and high quality original programming has raised the network to new heights in ratings and delivery. Its new investment in stronger film titles, programming stunts and specials and original content had a tremendous impact in 2004 and 2005, providing AMC with its best year ever in the history of the network. In 2006, AMC continued its momentum. Bolstered by the success of the network's first-ever original movie event Broken Trail, as well as the critically acclaimed BBC drama Hustle and other top performances, June and July 2006 ranked as AMC's best performing months ever in primetime household and key demo deliveries. The network is up +19% in rating and +20% in household delivery July 06 vs. July 05*. AMC's premiere for its two-part original movie event, Broken Trail became the second most watched cable movie since 1995 and delivered the network all time record ratings with a stellar 7.7 HH rating, HH delivery (6.8 million) and total viewership (9.7 million)**.
Source: Nielsen Media Research. *July 06 M-Su 8-11p performance compared to previous monthly AMC performances April 2000 to date. **2006 (12/26/05-6/26/06) Rank based on HH delivery (000), A2+ delivery (000) among all individual telecasts on all measured cable networks (ad-supported, pay and other). 1/2/95-6/26/06 rank based on HH delivery (000) among all individual movie telecasts on all cable networks (ad-supported, pay and other).
About Sony Television
Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry's leading content providers. SPT produces and distributes top-rated, award-winning programming in every genre, including series, movies and family entertainment for network and cable television; first run syndicated series; off-network syndicated programs; and theatrical releases. SPT (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.
About AMC
AMC, a division of Rainbow Media's Entertainment Services, which also includes WE tv and IFC Companies, is a 24-hour, movie-based network, dedicated to the American movie fan. The network, which reaches over 90,000,000 homes, offers a comprehensive library of popular movies and a critically-acclaimed slate of original programming that is a diverse, movie-based mix of original series, documentaries and specials. AMC has garnered many of the industry's highest honors, including 14 Emmy awards. AMC is "TV for movie people."
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media creates and manages some of the country's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands including popular national and regional television channels AMC, fuse, The Independent Film Channel (IFC), WE tv, and two FSN affiliated regional sports networks managed by Rainbow Sports Networks. The company also manages Mag Rack and sportskool, two original on-demand networks; VOOM HD Networks, the largest and most diverse suite of high definition channels available anywhere; IFC Entertainment, its film distribution, production and exhibition division; Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales division; and Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company.