The Question, Sunday 8/11/13: Will Breaking Bad Have One Last Breakout?

Tonight brings the return of one of AMC's signature dramas Breaking Bad, a hotbed of critical acclaim that has also quietly become a significant ratings success in the last couple seasons (even if it's still overshadowed by network mate The Walking Dead). The hype seems bigger than ever for this show's last hurrah this summer, though it will go up against multi-pronged premium cable competition from stalwarts True Blood and Dexter. Will Breaking Bad have one last breakout? That's The Question for Sunday, August 11, 2013.

Breaking Bad Last Season

1.52 (premiere, 7/15/12, +38% y2y) 1.28 (average, +58% y2y) 1.32 (finale, 9/2/12, +32% y2y) The War of 18-49

I thought Dexter was only about a 50/50 proposition to hit a new series high in its own return six weeks ago, mostly because being in the summer against True Blood was a new thing for it. And it was a slight disappointment, dropping a tick year-to-year to a 1.2. I'm more confident that Bad will find a new height tonight. True Blood and Dexter are tough competition for a show that's usually been at 10:00 against the second-tier premium stuff. But Breaking Bad is used to the summer, AMC found a night without a preseason NFL game, and this show has been growing even faster than Dexter.

Over/Under: 1.75.

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