Shows Like · Better Call Saul (171)
Best Shows Like Better Call Saul, Ranked by IQ Score
The patient-character-study form Better Call Saul perfected, here are the shows that earn comparison. Ranked by IQ Score.
Better Call Saul (IQ 171, Masterclass) does something most spinoffs can't, it surpasses the original. Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould took six seasons to render the slow professional and moral corrosion of Jimmy McGill, applied a legal-drama institutional eye to it, and produced one of the most patient character studies in television history.
Closest matches: Breaking Bad (163) is the obvious one, same universe, same showrunner. Mad Men (174) is the parallel-track patient-character-study masterwork, applied to Madison Avenue rather than Albuquerque. The Americans (181) extends the same architectural patience to a Cold War marriage. Halt and Catch Fire is the underseen Better Call Saul-adjacent show, same patient pace, applied to 1980s computing.
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Questions about this ranking
What shows should I watch after Better Call Saul?
Mad Men (174), The Americans (181), and Halt and Catch Fire are the closest tonal matches, patient character studies that unfold over multiple seasons. If you haven't already, Breaking Bad (163) is the natural other half of the same universe.
Why is Better Call Saul scored higher than Breaking Bad?
Better Call Saul earns its 171/200 (vs Breaking Bad's 163) by sustaining its character study over six seasons without the structural compression Breaking Bad needed in its final seasons. The TVI rubric rewards patience; Better Call Saul has more of it. Both shows are Masterclass tier, the gap is real but narrow.
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