‘Breaking Bad’ and Albuquerque: One year later
AMC’s critically acclaimed series “Breaking Bad,” created by Vince Gilligan, ran its very last episode one year ago. The show takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and although production has stopped, the town continues to experience an economic boom. Even tourism rates grew exponentially.
In 2013, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez signed what was called the “Breaking Bad bill” into law, a film incentive that increases subsidies for television crews from 25 percent to 30 percent in some areas of expenditure. The law increases New Mexico’s rebate for series television production to 30 percent of a producer’s total qualified spend in the state.
“We actually see people that will come here specifically to go and see the sites,” says Albuquerque mayor Richard Berry. “I have been as far as Beijing where people have asked me about ‘Breaking Bad,’ so, yeah, it surely has put us on the map internationally.”
Another positive outcome was the number of jobs the show produced. Actors and television producers weren’t the only ones to benefit job-wise from filming, Berry says.
“It’s electricians, the lumber yard selling lumber, and it is craft, and it is the local places that rent their businesses out to film,” says Berry. “It really hits our economy from top to bottom.”
“Breaking Bad” has a spinoff show called “Better Call Saul,” also created by Gilligan, and also set in Albuquerque. It is scheduled to premiere in February 2015.
The show has already been picked up for a second season.
“When ‘Breaking Bad’ filmed here, almost $70 million came into our economy,” says Berry. “We think that ‘Better Call Saul’ is going to be another great opportunity for us.”
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
