Another iconic era of television has come to an end with the conclusion of AMC's Better Call Saul, but the winning streak for its co-creator, Vince Gilligan, shows no signs of slowing down. From other legendary shows like Breaking Bad to even summer blockbusters like Hancock, Gilligan's storytelling has revolutionized television and brought much-needed originality to the movies.
For nearly three decades, Gilligan has created riveting stories and compelling characters for the big and small screen, but he's also contributed to other projects that many might not even be aware of. Luckily, IMDb has got plenty of them marked and tracked, so new fans of his work would easily be able to follow them and watch for themselves.
Home Fries (1998)- 5.0
Available To Watch On HBO Max
For anyone familiar with Vince Gilligan's work, a romantic comedy may be the last thing they'd ever expect from him, but Home Fries just so happened to be one of the first things he had ever written. The film starred Drew Barrymore as a young pregnant woman, who unknowingly falls in love with the stepson of the deceased father of her baby.
While it initially flopped in theaters and was forgotten about for years, it's recently become something of a cult film thanks to the attachment of Gilligan's name. Despite the film's flaws, the chemistry between Drew Barrymore and Luke Wilson is one of its strongest elements.
Wilder Napalm (1993)- 5.4
No Streaming Information Available
Gilligan's very first project, Wilder Napalm, was another comedy that most wouldn't have ever guessed was written by him. The film is a wacky dark fantasy that tells the story of a love triangle between a woman and two rival brothers with pyrokinetic abilities.
Much like Home Fries, it wasn't well received during its initial release, but its originality is something to be truly admired. With its over-the-top and surreal nature, along with a hilariously chaotic performance from Dennis Quaid, it's a flawed but fun time for anyone wanting a look at the earliest days of Gilligan's career.
Night Stalker (2005-2006)- 6.3
Available To Stream On ABC
While the current renaissance of revivals and reboots has managed to give older IPs a new life and introduce them to newer audiences, the 2005 reboot of Night Stalker was one that couldn't survive the competition of other mid-2000s programming. In the vein of Twin Peaks, the series combined crime drama with supernatural horror.
Gilligan's involvement with the show was limited, writing only a single episode. The show has been largely forgotten since its cancelation, but any die-hard crime drama fans are encouraged to give it a watch.
Hancock (2008) - 6.4
Available To Stream On Netflix
As one of the highest-grossing movies of 2008 (via NY Times), Hancock was definitely Gilligan's most successful film project. In the film, Will Smith plays a reckless superhero, who comes to terms with his past and faces personal growth when he forms a connection with a human resources specialist and his family.
Even though it was a financial success, the film had a mixed reception, with many criticizing its second half and unexpected tonal shift. With its witty dialogue, enjoyable action, and likable supporting performances from Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron, however, it maintains a strong fan base that continues to hope for a sequel.
Battle Creek (2015)- 7.2
Available To Buy On Amazon
Between the end of Breaking Bad and the start of Better Call Saul, Gilligan co-created another series, Battle Creek, along with House M.D. creator, David Shore. The comedic crime drama starred Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters and followed the conflicting partnership of an FBI agent and a police detective in Michigan.
Despite its positive reception, the show's ratings weren't quite as strong as CBS had been anticipating, leading to the network canceling it after only a single season. Despite its short run, it maintained the kind of quality that was exactly what would've been expected from two of the greatest showrunners in TV history.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)- 7.3
Available To Stream On Netflix
Serving as an epilogue to the story of Breaking Bad, the sequel film El Camino follows Jesse Pinkman on a high stakes run from the law as he looks to escape his criminal life in New Mexico in the aftermath of the series finale. Released both on Netflix and in theaters, the fans rejoiced at getting see a second ending to the series as well as the full completion of Jesse's character arc.
Even six years after the finale, the cast didn't miss a single beat in reprising their roles, and with Gilligan also directing the film, he managed to give it the grand cinematic visual scale that it deserved. Even when reduced to a two-hour runtime, it further proved the richness of Breaking Bad's characters and story and has since been regarded as one of the best movie continuations of TV Shows.
The Lone Gunmen (2001)- 7.4
Of all the TV characters deserving of spin-offs in the '90s, it seemed more than appropriate for the eponymous "Lone Gunmen" from The X-Files to be given their own series. It featured the titular trio in their bizarre conspiratorial investigations and was the very first series ever created and developed by Gilligan.
It much more comedic and lighthearted than its companion series, and despite its initial popularity, the decline in its ratings led to a premature cancelation that disappointed so many fans. Luckily, it still managed to have a proper conclusion, with its cliffhanger ending being resolved in another X-Files episode.
Breaking Bad: Original Minisodes (2009-2011)- 7.6
No Streaming Information Available
During the initial run of Breaking Bad, a series of 17 standalone "minisodes" featuring the characters were released between seasons 2 and 4. With an average runtime of around three minutes, these online shorts were much simpler in their execution and more comedic in their tone, from Saul Goodman commercials to humorous conversations between supporting side characters.
None of the shorts were directly tied into the show's ongoing story and were mostly produced as just fun bonus content for the fans. While they're not required viewing by any means, they're a pleasant time for anyone looking to briefly cleanse their palate from the show's far more serious and intense nature.
Robbery Homicide Division (2003-2003)- 7.9
No Streaming Information Available
With its gritty and intense portrayal of the LAPD and its investigations of the most shocking crimes in Los Angles, Robbery Homicide Division was an ambitious show very much ahead of its time. Like Night Stalker, Gilligan only wrote one of the show's thirteen episodes.
While crime dramas and police procedurals tend to be some of the most popular shows on TV, the show wasn't able to hold down an audience. Despite the acclaim from critics, it suffered in the ratings against Law and Order: SVU, and was canceled after only ten episodes, with three left unaired.
The X-Files (1993-2002; 2016-2018) - 8.6
Available To Stream On Hulu
Throughout its initial run, The X-Files became one of the biggest pop culture phenomenon's in the 1990s and has been considered to be one of the best Sci-Fi TV shows of all time. Following the paranormal and extraterrestrial cases of FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, the original series ran for 9 seasons, with Gilligan writing and co-writing 29 of its 202 episodes.
While Homes Fries and Wilder Napalm couldn't kickstart his career writing films, Gilligan's time on The X-Files certainly proved that his true strengths were in television, and his episodes in particular have been regarded by fans as some of the series' best. He had no involvement in the series' 2016 revival, however, which only lasted two seasons.
Better Call Saul (2015-2022)- 8.9
Available To Stream On Netflix
For 6 seasons, Better Call Saul managed to do the impossible by giving a comic relief character his own spin-off series that was just as good, if not better, than the original. Taking place both before and after Breaking Bad, the series showed Jimmy McGill's descent into his Saul Goodman persona as well Mike Ermantraut's journey through the criminal underworld.
While the series maintained the loyalty of Breaking Bad fans, it managed to also bring in newer fans, form its own identity, and have its own success. Against all odds, Gilligan and co-creator Peter Gould had landed another hit for AMC with one of the best TV spin-offs ever made.
Breaking Bad (2008-2013)- 9.5
Available To Stream On Netflix
Through the conception of Breaking Bad, Gilligan set the gold standard for serialized television. When a terminally-ill High School chemistry teacher teams up with a former student to cook meth as a way to provide for his family, it sets off a chain of events that forever changes the course of their lives and the lives of everyone around them.
It's extremely rare that a TV show never produces an episode considered "weaker" than the rest, but it can be argued that Breaking Bad is one of only a handful that had a flawless run. With its ingenious writing and strong performances from its cast, it's no wonder why it's ranked number 2 on IMDb's Top 250 TV shows.