The results of an annual poll on the Television Subreddit, asking for fans' all-time favorite TV shows, has crowned Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul in its top two positions. The Breaking Bad universe, created by Vince Gilligan, began in Albuquerque in 2008 with high school chemistry teacher Walter White's lung cancer diagnosis, leading him on a bloody path to becoming a deadly meth kingpin. The 2015 prequel Better Call Saul focused on the rise of Bob Odenkirk's criminal lawyer, Saul Goodman, a fan-favorite from Breaking Bad.

The poll was carried out in 2022, with 4,077 respondents from the Television Subreddit each choosing up to 20 of their favorite shows, resulting in a total of 61,387 votes. The list does not include the best shows that premiered in 2022, such as House of the Dragon or Severance, as these received their own separate ranking.

Breaking Bad topped the poll with an astounding 1,222 votes, meaning over 25% of respondents included the crime show in their lists. Better Call Saul, which ended last year after six seasons, isn't far behind, with 941 tallies, firmly placing it in second.

Related: Better Call Saul's Tragic Ending Meant Kim Couldn't Die

Bryan Cranston as Walter White in the final Breaking Bad season wearing jacket in front of house

As the poll clearly shows, despite ending a decade ago as of this year, Breaking Bad remains many people's choice for their favorite show ever, and its popularity has hardly faltered in that time. This has only been aided by Better Call Saul's seven-year run, which has often recontextualized and further enriched the original show, such as through fan-favorite characters Nacho Varga and Lalo Salamanca, originally nothing more than throwaway lines in Saul's very first appearance in the Breaking Bad universe. Better Call Saul's own immense popularity, ending its run with an incredible final season, has only increased fans' love for the universe and kept it in conversations for 14 years.

Despite its universal acclaim, countless award wins, and incredible word-of-mouth traction in the years since ending, interestingly enough, Breaking Bad was a relatively unknown show during most of its run, which nearly led to its cancelation by AMC after season 3. A deal reached with Netflix was crucial in ensuring the show stayed afloat and may also be the reason for its prevailing popularity. The platform, which was at the time the unrivaled heavyweight of streaming, listed the existing three seasons of the show, lighting the flame for its imminent propulsion into pop culture. Though seasons 4 and 5A maintained relatively low viewing figures, season 5B exploded, with its finale receiving over 10 million viewers. The show has since been readily available on Netflix, to which it owes much of its fame.

Will The Breaking Bad Universe Ever Come Back?

Rhea Seehorn as Kim and Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy in Better Call Saul's series finale

With Better Call Saul's 2022 conclusion wrapping up the storylines of Jimmy McGill and Kim Wexler, there was a feeling of definitive closure for the Breaking Bad universe as a whole. With Walter White dead and Saul Goodman imprisoned seemingly indefinitely, Jesse remains the only free main character. However, the sequel film El Camino gave him an ending which itself felt final. Fans have speculated on potential ideas for future projects, the most popular of which seems to be a Gus Fring prequel showing his rise to prominence and conflict with the cartel. Gilligan has stated that though he would like to return to the universe at some point, he also appreciates that there comes a time when enough is enough, so for now, the Breaking Bad franchise looks to be done for good.

More: Breaking Bad's Spinoffs Changed Who The REAL Main Character Is

Source: TVModBot/Reddit