Between broadcast networks, cable channels, and streaming services, there's more TV available now than ever before, and not all of that TV is especially good. Critics mostly agree that AMC's Better Call Saul is a stellar series, and a lot of that has to do with the creative vision of showrunners Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. They both recently weighed in on what shows are the best on TV nowadays, and some of their picks may surprise you. Let's start with Vince Gilligan, who claimed these as his favorites:
Oh man, so many shows, so little time. However, I have to mention Silicon Valley. It's funny as hell, it's populated by wonderful, dimensional characters, and the density of the plotting is amazing to behold. And I'm absolutely loving Anne With an E. Moira Walley-Beckett [our Emmy-winning writer from Breaking Bad] has created something really special here. It doesn't feel like any other show on TV right now. The young woman who plays Anne is truly a find.
Vince Gilligan went with an HBO comedy and a Netflix family show for his picks of the best shows on TV. Silicon Valley actually isn't all that surprising; although neither Breaking Bad nor Better Call Saul can drop F-bombs like Erlich Bachman, there have been somewhat similar elements of humor in the various criminal enterprises of Gilligan's shows. I'm not saying I'm crossing my fingers for a crossover that features Erlich giving tech advice to Jimmy McGill, but I definitely wouldn't miss it. Given that Erlich will no longer be a part of Silicon Valley and Jimmy might be a little preoccupied with family business on Better Call Saul for a while, however, we might be getting fewer laughs out of both shows for a while.
The bigger surprise comes with Vince Gilligan's pick of Anne With an E as one of the best on TV. The Netflix series is certainly a different take on the classic novel Anne of Green Gables, and it's definitely a solid family drama, but it's not something many of us might expect to hear the Better Call Saul showrunner raving about to Variety. The odds are pretty good that he discovered Anne With an E due to former Breaking Bad writer Moira Walley-Beckett's involvement, and he sounds quite happy that he did.
The second Better Call Saul showrunner has different picks for the best of TV. Peter Gould counts these shows as his favorites:
I have a warm spot in my heart for Vice Principals which I had to watch peeking out between my fingers -- so funny, so horrifying. The writing is sharp as hell and that cast is truly outstanding; we were so happy to have the incredible Kimberly Hebert Gregory join us on Better Call Saul. Another favorite was Stranger Things which hit exactly the right notes of nostalgia and intrigue. Finally, I was lucky enough to share a writers' room with Sam Catlin for five years on Breaking Bad; we miss him on Saul but now I'm digging his twisted and hilarious Preacher.
Peter Gould evidently also has a soft spot for HBO comedies and streaming series. In fact, he seems to have liked Vice Principals so much that he recruited actress Kimberly Hebert Gregory to appear on Better Call Saul. Gould definitely isn't the only person who fell for the mystery and nostalgia of Netflix's Stranger Things, which promises to get even weirder in Season 2 this fall. Preacher seems to have even benefited from Breaking Bad! Who would have guessed?
I think it's probably safe to say that plenty of us would have Better Call Saul on our lists of top TV shows, especially after that crazy Season 3 finale. Hopefully we'll get word of a renewal for Season 4 sooner rather than later. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and take a look at our summer TV schedule to see what you can catch in primetime now and in the coming days.
