The second season premiere of Breaking Bad scored huge ratings (relatively speaking, of course) for AMC, with a 42% bump from last season's average, and a full 50% increase for males 18-49, the show's target demo. A few factors here: good word of mouth. good choice of interviewers, a solid promotional campaign, and the fact that Bryan Cranston won the Emmy for Best Actor In A Drama Series. Between this and the vastly improved second season ratings for Mad Men (which should continue to rise in Season 3) AMC is starting to really build something substantial here.
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Island Q&A: Bryan Cranston of "Breaking Bad"
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Classyfied: Win A Walk-On Role To "Breaking Bad"