If Walter White was played by Giancarlo Esposito instead of Bryan Cranston, is BB as successful?

[RickyGQ]

I have a white friend who absolutely loves Breaking Bad but can't seem to really get into The Wire, which I feel is the superior show. I started to wonder if race has anything to with it, since we've come to learn through out the years that a lot of white people struggle to relate to (or thoroughly enjoy) television characters that don't look like them.

Which led me to wonder, if everything about Breaking Bad stayed the same, besides swapping Walt and Gus, and the Whites being an ethnic (or mixed race) family, every other character remaining the same, the script and plot remaining the same, is the show as heralded as it is?

 

[Pinyapplesuckas]

Breaking Bad wasnt even a hit at first...so if the story telling was compelling i think it would still be successful but not AS much.

Wasnt nobody checking for Bryan Cranston before that show hit...he was pidgeon holed as TV Sitcom Dad #100000000

 

[Canada Goose]

You should tell your friend to start with season 2 of The Wire

 

[GoddamnyamanProf]

I started to wonder if race has anything to with it, since we've come to learn through out the years that a lot of white people struggle to relate to (or thoroughly enjoy) television characters that don't look like them.

Except the Wire was and is almost universally heralded as the GOAT show by everyone, white people included, especially before BB and a few others came along.

To answer the question, I think yes. It would be different w Esposito and Cranston was one of a kind, but it would still be great.

 

[RickyGQ]

Except the Wire was and is almost universally heralded as the GOAT show by everyone, white people included, especially before BB and a few others came along.

To answer the question, I think yes. It would be different w Esposito and Cranston was one of a kind, but it would still be great.

It's a very particular white person that loves the wire though. I know too many people that still don't fukk with it.

 

[ryda518]

white people love the wire though

 

[NoGutsNoGLory]

white people love the wire though

Well yeah, white people made the wire.

To answer the question..........idk, I never really got into the show like that.

 

[hex]

I have a white friend who absolutely loves Breaking Bad but can't seem to really get into The Wire, which I feel is the superior show. I started to wonder if race has anything to with it, since we've come to learn through out the years that a lot of white people struggle to relate to (or thoroughly enjoy) television characters that don't look like them.

Which led me to wonder, if everything about Breaking Bad stayed the same, besides swapping Walt and Gus, and the Whites being an ethnic (or mixed race) family, every other character remaining the same, the script and plot remaining the same, is the show as heralded as it is?

Interesting thread.

Race might have something to do with it but the shows aren't similar at all. So there's a chance that a black....uh....White family would still interest your homeboy.

"The Wire" paid strict attention to the minutia of Baltimore....from the streets to the newspapers. The foremost concern was (for the most part) accuracy. Which is a lot harder to get into than the operatic nature of "Breaking Bad". It's the same reason people would rather watch "House Of Cards" than learn about actual politics.

Fred.