<P> As the series progressed, Gilligan and the writing staff of Breaking Bad made Walter increasingly unsympathetic . Gilligan said during the run of the series, "He's going from being a protagonist to an antagonist . We want to make people question who they're pulling for, and why ." Cranston said by the fourth season, "I think Walt's figured out it's better to be a pursuer than the pursued . He's well on his way to badass ." </P> <P> While still pitching the show to studios, Gilligan was initially discouraged when he learned of the existing series Weeds and its similarities to the premise of Breaking Bad . While his producers convinced him that the show was different enough to still be successful, he later stated that he would not have gone forward with the idea had he known about Weeds earlier . </P> <P> The network ordered nine episodes for the first season (including the pilot), but the 2007--08 Writers Guild of America strike limited the production to seven episodes . The initial versions of the script were set in Riverside, California, but at the suggestion of Sony, Albuquerque was chosen for the production's location due to the favorable financial conditions offered by the state of New Mexico . Once Gilligan recognized that this would mean "we'd always have to be avoiding the Sandia Mountains" in shots directed toward the east, the story setting was changed to the actual production location . It was shot primarily on 35 mm film, with digital cameras employed as needed for additional angles, point of view shots and time - lapse photography . Breaking Bad reportedly cost $3 million per episode to produce, higher than the average cost for a basic cable program . </P> <P> In July 2011, Vince Gilligan indicated that he intended to conclude Breaking Bad at the end of its fifth season . In early August 2011, negotiations began over a deal regarding the fifth and possible final season between the network AMC and Sony Pictures Television, the production company of the series . AMC proposed a shortened fifth season (six to eight episodes, instead of 13) to cut costs, but the producers declined . Sony then approached other cable networks about possibly picking up the show if a deal could not be made . On August 14, 2011, AMC renewed the series for fifth and final season consisting of 16 episodes . </P>

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