Vince Gilligan admitted that the characters of Chuck McGill and Howard Hamlin developed differently from what was originally planned. Chuck was to be a wise older brother who would give Jimmy advice, while Howard was to be the arch-enemy and obstacle in Jimmy's life. However, after a few episodes, the actors, producers and writers agreed that it would suit the story better for Chuck to be Jimmy's true enemy and for Howard to be a flawed but sympathetic friend who wants to help Jimmy. Gilligan said, 'Chuck was never going to be the bad guy, and Howard was always going to be the one causing problems in Jimmy's life. The great thing is working with a talented group of writers and actors who aren't afraid to make changes and are open to trying different scenarios. Chuck and Howard developing this way suits the show's theme much better and offers much more rewarding results than our original vision.'
Vince Gilligan said that the pleasure he took in creating the show made him open to the idea of making other spin-offs or shows set before or after Breaking Bad.
Vince Gilligan stated that the show would not go beyond six seasons because the timeline would sooner or later catch up to the time of Breaking Bad. In an interview, he said, 'Certain characters need to be introduced and certain events need to happen, but the writers have the freedom to develop how we get there in the time allotted.'
The series begins in 2002, six years before the start of Breaking Bad (2008), and goes back to seven years before Saul's first appearance.
It holds the title of the most-nominated series without winning a single Emmy; over its six-season run it was nominated for 53 Emmys.
In an interview, Vince Gilligan explained that his original plan was to shape the first season and then hand the show over to Peter Gould, who created the character of Saul Goodman. However, he said that making the first season was so creatively satisfying that he changed his mind and continued to run the show on a daily basis during the early seasons.
Better Call Saul, with its pilot episode aired on AMC, was watched by a total of 6.9 million viewers, achieving the second-highest debut rating in cable history. Fear the Walking Dead (2015), a series on the same channel, surpassed this record with 10.1 million viewers for its first episode.
AMC renewed the series for a second season in June 2014, more than seven months before the pilot episode aired.
The show's creator, Vince Gilligan, was discussing either a show revolving around the death of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) or a 30-minute comedy about the character Saul Goodman, played by Bob Odenkirk, but ultimately settled on Better Call Saul.
All episode titles in Season 1 end with the letter 'O' except for 'Alpine Shepherd Boy.' This episode's original title was 'Jello,' but it was not allowed to be used because it was a trademark.
Season 1 Timeline: 'Uno' May 13-25, 2002 (13 days), 'Mijo' May 25-June 15, 2002 (3 weeks), 'Nacho' June 15-16, 2002 (2 days), 'Hero' June 16-20, 2002 (5 days), 'Alpine Shepherd Boy' June 20-22, 2002 (3 days), 'Five-O' June 22, 2002 (1 day), 'Bingo' June 23-25, 2002 (3 days), 'RICO' June 26-28, 2002 (3 days), 'Pimento' June 28-30, 2002 (3 days), 'Marco' June 30-July 18, 2002 (3 weeks).
Every episode has a rating of 8.0 or higher.
Season 2 was initially planned to have 13 episodes but was reduced to 10 at the producers' request.
The law firm Davis and Main refers to the restaurant of the same name in Richmond, VA, which Vince Gilligan frequented often. The restaurant was at 2501 W. Main St. and, of course, was on the corner of Davis St., which is why it was called Davis and Main. The restaurant has closed and is now a Benny Ventano's pizzeria.
On July 28, 2018, before the fourth season aired, AMC renewed Better Call Saul for a fifth season. Filming for the fifth season began on April 10, 2019, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and ended in September 2019. Co-creator Peter Gould said the following about what to expect in the fifth season: 'It looks like Jimmy's first move will be to try to use all his connections in the world of selling drop phones. But remember, he also knows the vet [Caldera]... and the vet is a kind of Craigslist for the underworld in Albuquerque. So he could go pretty far. The question is: How will he make a name for himself not just as a criminal lawyer, but also as a lawyer for criminals? And what does that mean for him at this point? Because circumstances may force him to do certain things and turn a blind eye to things Jimmy McGill can't stomach.'
In July 2012, Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan hinted at a possible spin-off focusing on Goodman. Gilligan said he liked 'the idea of a lawyer show in which the main attorney would do anything to stay out of court,' including making deals on the courthouse steps. In April 2013, it was confirmed that the series was in development by Gilligan and Gould; Gould had written the Breaking Bad episode that introduced the character.
The show's name comes from the title of the Better Call Saul (2009) episode in which Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) first appeared (and also from his slogan in the TV commercials).