Slippin' Jimmy Explained

Genre:Comedy
Director:Zac Palladino
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:6
Producer:Jenny Mika
Animator:Starburns Industries
Runtime:8–9 minutes
Network:AMC+
Related:Better Call Saul

Better Call Saul Presents: Slippin' Jimmy, more commonly known as Slippin' Jimmy, is an American animated short-form series and a spin-off of Better Call Saul (itself a spin-off of Breaking Bad).[1] The series follows a young Jimmy McGill's misadventures in Cicero with his best friend Marco Pasternak. The show's release on AMC+ was set to coincide with the release of the final episode of the first half of Better Call Sauls sixth season.

Production

Development

Variety reported in March 2021 that AMC was developing an animated spinoff series of Better Call Saul, titled Slippin' Jimmy.[2] The series, a prequel based on younger Jimmy and Chuck's time in Cicero, Illinois, was developed by Ariel Levine and Kathleen Williams-Foshee, who previously worked on the associated live-action web series. Voice actors include Chi McBride, Laraine Newman, and Sean Giambrone as Jimmy.[3]

Slippin' Jimmy was later revealed as a short-form series on February 10, 2022, along with the next season of the Better Call Saul Employee Training Video series and Cooper's Bar starring Rhea Seehorn. Told in the style of classic 1970s-era cartoons, each episode is an ode to a specific movie genre — from Spaghetti Westerns and Buster Keaton to The Exorcist. The series was produced by Rick and Morty animators Starburns and written by Levine and Williams-Foshee.[4]

Release

The first teaser clip was released on February 10, 2022, when the series was officially unveiled.[5] A release date was announced to occur during the sixth season of Better Call Saul. All six episodes of Slippin' Jimmy were released on May 23, 2022, on AMC+ to coincide with the release of Better Call Sauls mid-season six finale "Plan and Execution".[6]

Cast

Starring

Recurring

Episodes

See also: List of Better Call Saul episodes.

Reception

Alex Ashbrook from Comic Book Resources said the series is "crudely drawn and seems to have been hastily put together compared to how beautifully crafted its predecessors were. Despite Peter Gould appearing as an executive director, his skills are nowhere to be found."[7] Mark Donaldson from Screen Rant criticized the concept, saying "the animated spinoff is being sold as a digital exclusive but this race to provide sellable content to audiences undermines storytelling ... the team behind both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul have proven themselves to be savvy storytellers that respect the journeys of their characters over cheap cash-ins. It's this integrity that makes Slippin Jimmy feel like such a misstep."[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Oddo . Marco Vito . May 24, 2022 . 'Better Call Saul' Animated Prequel 'Slippin' Jimmy' Arrives on AMC+ . September 2, 2022 . Collider . en-US . June 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220623215801/https://collider.com/slippin-jimmy-animated-better-call-saul-prequel-amc-plus/ . live .
  2. Web site: Steinberg . Brian . March 19, 2021 . AMC Networks Touts 'Dead,' 'Saul' Finales, 'Slippin' Jimmy' in Upfront Talks . September 3, 2022 . Variety . en-US . March 20, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210320173044/https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/amc-networks-tv-upfront-walking-dead-better-call-saul-finale-1234934360/ . live .
  3. Web site: Better Call Saul: Fat Albert-Style Animated Show 'Slippin' Jimmy' in Development at AMC . Cameron . Bonomolo . March 19, 2021 . March 21, 2021 . Comicbook.com . March 21, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210321161442/https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/better-call-saul-animated-show-slippin-jimmy-amc-breaking-bad-fat-albert-style/ . live.
  4. News: Maas . Jennifer . February 10, 2022 . 'Better Call Saul' Final Season Gets Premiere Dates for Both Halves . . live . February 10, 2022 . February 10, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220210170230/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/better-call-saul-season-6-premiere-1235174021/.
  5. Web site: Petski. Denise. 'Better Call Saul' Gets Premiere Dates For Both Halves Of Sixth & Final Season. Deadline Hollywood. February 10, 2022. September 15, 2022. June 10, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220610171745/https://deadline.com/2022/02/better-call-saul-premiere-dates-sixth-final-season-1234930761/. live.
  6. Web site: Roush . Matt . Our Prehistoric Planet, 'Saul' Midseason finale and Animated 'Slippin' Jimmy,' 'NCIS' and More Season Finales . September 3, 2022 . TV Insider . May 23, 2022 . en-US . May 24, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220524160654/https://www.tvinsider.com/1045418/prehistoric-planet-saul-ncis-neighborhood/ . live .
  7. Web site: Ashbrook . Alex . How Better Call Saul's Animated Prequel Ties Into the Breaking Bad Universe . August 27, 2022 . September 15, 2022 . . en-US . September 15, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220915202034/https://www.cbr.com/better-call-saul-slippin-jimmy-breaking-bad-amc/ . live .
  8. Web site: Donaldson . Mark . Better Call Saul: Slippin' Jimmy Is A Breaking Bad Spinoff Too Far . February 14, 2022 . September 15, 2022 . . en-US . September 15, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220915202144/https://screenrant.com/better-call-saul-slippin-jimmy-animated-breaking-bad-spinoff/ . live .