Emmys: 'Breaking Bad' wouldn't exist without Netflix, creator says (original) (raw)

Fresh off their win for Best Drama on Sunday night, the Breaking Bad crew granted a reporter’s press room request to yell in unison: “Emmys, bitch!”

But creator Vince Gilligan remembers a time when the AMC drama wasn’t the belle of the ball. “Television has changed a lot in six years,” he said, surrounded by the show’s cast. “And I have to credit it, I’m no expert on the sociological elements of it, but I gotta think a big part of what has changed is streaming video on demand, specifically with operations like Netflix and iTunes and Amazon streaming and whatnot. I think Netflix kept us over here. Not only are we standing up here tonight and won for best show; I don’t think our show would have even lasted beyond season 2 if not for streaming video on demand, and also the social Internet component of it, where folks get to chat online with folks all around the world afterward really has helped. It’s a golden era of television, and we’ve been really fortunate that we’ve reaped the benefits of these two wonderful developments.”

Bryan Cranston, meanwhile, lost out for Lead Actor in a Drama to surprise victor Jeff Daniels, but he was ready to share the hardware with the rest of his cast and crew.

“This is the answer to a wish and a prayer of mine,” he said with a huge smile on his face. “I’ve been blessed in the past and this show has been nominated in the past, but what I really wanted was what we got: to celebrate the entire writing crew and cast. This is for all the crew that have worked so hard with us for these six years. This is the culmination of everything. It happened right now, at this time. This is one hell of a party. And I’m so excited to be a party of this. What a way to go out.”

Kevin Spacey, who was also nominated for Lead Actor in a Drama for House of Cards, talked to EW on the red carpet before the show about how Netflix has changed the TV landscape for his show and for shows like Breaking Bad. “I think that it’s sort of where the future is going,” he said. “Audiences are digging being in control. I think that the platforms that they’re finding and the ways in which stuff is going to get out there is going to shift and move continually and you know we are sort of the new kids on the block. It’s very exciting for the industry, and I also think that the Academy has shown a progressive and modern take in that they’re willing to move forward.”

— Additional reporting by Lindsey Bahr