Breaking Bad is coming to UK terrestrial television in its entirety for the first time ever. Yup, the cult Emmy-Award winning drama starring Bryan Cranston, will drop on a new free-to-view channel launching on Freeview, Freesat and Sky.
Unbelievably seasons one and two were originally shown on FX and Five USA here in the UK before they were dropped because of poor ratings. Thankfully the show became an online phenomenon to continue for a further three series and became one of the most popular shows in US television history.
The Walking Dead's fifth season will also make its UK terrestrial debut on Spike and will be joined by LL Cool J's Lip Sync Battle, created by Jimmy Fallon's Eight Million Plus Productions, Stephen Merchant, John Krasinski, Matador and Casey Patterson. The channel also features Sons of Anarchy, which came to an explosive conclusion last year and will bring the British TV premiere of mythological series Olympus.
Breaking Bad to cook in its entirety on terrestrial teleision for the first time ever (AMC)
Spike will drop original commissions including: Police Interceptors Unleashed, starring footballer turned Hollywood big-wig Vinnie Jones, which already sounds awesome and painful reality series Tattoo Disasters U.K, which is pretty self-explanatory, produced by Channel 5 Productions. The station will also rework social media comedy Fail Army from the Internet for television.
And guess what. That's not the end of it. Oh yeah, get this: Spike will now be the hub of UK martial arts. With shows including Bellator MMA following the most badass of all badass fighters so we know and you know, that you'll be tuning in on the regs.
The Walking Dead season five to debut on Spike (AMC)
But what about reality television? Surely there's going to be heaps of reality television, right? RIGHT! US imports including Frankenfood and Catch a Contractor -already our new favourite show, obviously - will be added to the channel as well as some of Channel 5's most popular factual output.
“Spike is a driven, high-energy channel offering a point of view and programme mix I think is different from anything else on British TV right now. I can't wait to see our viewers embrace this exhilarating new channel," said Ben Frow, Channel 5's Programme Director.
Spike will launch in the UK on April 15.
