What shows should I watch after Breaking Bad?

Better Call Saul (171) is the obvious next watch — same showrunner, same universe, arguably the stronger structural work. After that: The Sopranos (176), Mad Men (171), Mr. Robot (164), The Americans (164). All four extend the antihero-character-study architecture Breaking Bad pioneered.

Is there a show better than Breaking Bad?

On TV Intelligentsia's structural rubric, yes — Better Call Saul (171) and The Sopranos (176) both outrank Breaking Bad (163). All three are in the Masterclass tier; the differences come down to the patience of the character study and the institutional context surrounding the protagonist.

Shows Like · Breaking Bad (163)

Best Shows Like Breaking Bad, Ranked by IQ Score

The antihero-as-character-study architecture Breaking Bad pioneered — here are the shows that most successfully extend it. Ranked by IQ Score.

Breaking Bad (IQ 163, Masterclass) is the gold-standard antihero-character-study show. Vince Gilligan's structural insight — that you can watch a person become a different person across five seasons if the camera is patient enough — defines what most modern prestige TV is trying to do.

Closest matches: Better Call Saul (171) is the obvious one — same universe, same showrunner, arguably better. The Sopranos (176) is the show that taught Gilligan the form. Mad Men (171) is the parallel-track antihero study; Don Draper and Walter White are the same architectural decision applied to different industries. Mr. Robot (164) treats psychological collapse and technical competence as the same cognitive material. Justified and Ozark are the Breaking Bad descendants that earned their lineage.

11 titles · ranked by IQ Score