It worked for Breaking Bad, and it will work for you
I’m a huge fan of Breaking Bad. In fact, I might be labeled one of their “super fans”. I’ve watched every episode in order at least 5 times, and I’ve also listened to every podcast that they produced to discuss the show. (By the way, if you’re looking for a great podcast that will give an insider’s look into one of the best TV shows ever, listen to the Breaking Bad Insider’s podcast.)
What makes Breaking Bad so attractive to so many people is its flat-out intensity and shock value, while at the same time appearing to be completely ordinary. We’re completely sold on Walter White’s transformation, relating to and even sympathizing with his awful deeds – while watching two planes collide right over his house with a stuffed bear dropping right into his pool. Not very realistic, but the actors completely sell us with their performances and believability.
But one thing I heard Vince Gilligan (the show’s creator) say over and over in the podcast is how he wanted to show the dark side of human nature, often manifested with physical violence, but at the same time didn’t want to glorify it. You see the violence happen, and it’s absolutely shocking to watch, but you also see the consequences of the decisions that lead to the violence.
It’s the shock value that really draws us in, then the humanity of the characters that wins over legions of die hard fans. And while I personally don’t have the production budget of a Breaking Bad or some of the other popular shows and movies, we can learn a lot from the likes of Vince Gilligan and his thought processes.
Where other producers and show runners play it safe, fearing they’ll turn off their viewers, Gilligan turns up the intensity to unbearable levels. It definitely turns some people off, but it turns casual fans into die hard fanatics who almost want to get into a fistfight if someone even suggests there’s a better TV show in all of history.
It’s a little silly to even discuss such things, but that’s the way we’re wired, so we’ve got to roll with it.
This is one of the things we talk about in our new Podcasting 0-60 course. It’s great to have a web presence, to get visitors, but if you’re not entertaining them, they’ll go elsewhere, or worse pretend the problem you’re solving doesn’t even exist.
That’s enough education; now comes the pitch. We’re ramping up for a new offering of the course, and if you’re thinking of getting into podcasting in 2023, now’s the time to lay the groundwork so you can hit the ground running come January 1.
Here’s the link if you want to check out what the course is about, and as always hit me up via email if you have any questions about the course at all.