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 Saul's sixth season.
| Slippin' Jimmy | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Based on | |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Zac Palladino |
| Voices of |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Jenny Mika |
| Animator | Starburns Industries |
| Running time | 8–9 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | AMC+ |
| Release | May 23, 2022 |
| Related | |
| Better Call Saul | |
Production
editDevelopment
editVariety 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
editThe 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.[4] All six episodes of Slippin' Jimmy were released on May 23, 2022, on AMC+ to coincide with the release of Better Call Saul's mid-season six finale "Plan and Execution".[6]
Cast
editStarring
edit- Sean Giambrone as Jimmy McGill
- Kyle S. More as Marco Pasternak
- Will Vought as Trent Titweiler
Recurring
edit- Beth Grant as Ms. Retch & Mrs. Brockfrater
- Jasmine Gatewood as Bobbi & Sue
- Chi McBride as Father Karras
- Gideon Adlon as Dawn Marie
- Gary Anthony Williams as Demon
- Laraine Newman as Sister Beth
- Carlos Alazraqui as Cheech & Comic Store Worker
- Brian Sommer as Radio Host & Taxi Driver
- Zac Palladino as Trent's Mom
- David Herman (additional voices)
Episodes
edit| No. overall | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Fistful of Snowballs" | Zac Palladino | Ariel Levine & Kathleen Williams-Foshee | May 23, 2022 |
| 2 | "The Exor-sister" | Zac Palladino | Ariel Levine & Kathleen Williams-Foshee | May 23, 2022 |
| 3 | "After Bedtime" | Zac Palladino | Ariel Levine & Kathleen Williams-Foshee | May 23, 2022 |
| 4 | "City Flights" | Zac Palladino | Ariel Levine & Kathleen Williams-Foshee | May 23, 2022 |
| 5 | "Speed Date" | Zac Palladino | Ariel Levine & Kathleen Williams-Foshee | May 23, 2022 |
| 6 | "Cool Hand Jimmy" | Zac Palladino | Ariel Levine & Kathleen Williams-Foshee | May 23, 2022 |
Reception
editAlex 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]
References
edit- ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (May 24, 2022). "'Better Call Saul' Animated Prequel 'Slippin' Jimmy' Arrives on AMC+". Collider. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ Steinberg, Brian (March 19, 2021). "AMC Networks Touts 'Dead,' 'Saul' Finales, 'Slippin' Jimmy' in Upfront Talks". Variety. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
- ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (March 19, 2021). "Better Call Saul: Fat Albert-Style Animated Show 'Slippin' Jimmy' in Development at AMC". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
- ^ a b Maas, Jennifer (February 10, 2022). "'Better Call Saul' Final Season Gets Premiere Dates for Both Halves". Variety. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ Petski, Denise (February 10, 2022). "'Better Call Saul' Gets Premiere Dates For Both Halves Of Sixth & Final Season". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ Roush, Matt (May 23, 2022). "Our Prehistoric Planet, 'Saul' Midseason finale and Animated 'Slippin' Jimmy,' 'NCIS' and More Season Finales". TV Insider. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
- ^ Ashbrook, Alex (August 27, 2022). "How Better Call Saul's Animated Prequel Ties Into the Breaking Bad Universe". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ Donaldson, Mark (February 14, 2022). "Better Call Saul: Slippin' Jimmy Is A Breaking Bad Spinoff Too Far". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.