‘My name is Walter Hartwell White. I live at 308 Negra Arroyo Lane Albuquerque New Mexico 87104. This is my confession.’

That’s perhaps the most iconic line from the award-winning show ‘Breaking Bad’. Breaking Bad was filmed from 2008 to 2013 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Initially, director Vince Gilligan wanted to shoot in California, but after Sony bought the series, they requested a change of venue to get a 25% tax rebate on all filming expenses. In the end, this was a good choice, as Albuquerque proved to be the perfect location for the action-packed drama series about a high school chemistry teacher getting lost in the world of crime. The incredible success of the series and its spin-offs, Better Call Saul and El Camino, have put Albuquerque and New Mexico on the map internationally. In fact, according to Albuquerque’s former mayor, Richard Berry, the series brought in almost $70 million to the region, without including the direct effect of Sony’s filming expenditure. So what’s been the nature of this effect? And should filmmaking and TV target more undeveloped areas in the future?

Of course, the Breaking Bad Saga has improved Albuquerque’s tourism industry. According to New Mexico’s official statistics, Albuquerque’s revenues from the tourism sector and its number of tourists per year have increased steadily since 2011. It’s difficult to tell how significant the effect of Breaking Bad has been, as the increase in Albuquerque’s tourism has followed a nationwide upward trend. However, looking at specific areas and industries is evidence of Breaking Bad’s profound influence on the area. For example, Albuquerque has experienced a boost in candy sales, as a result of blue meth candy being produced to imitate Walter and Jesse’s signature product. Companies running Breaking Bad tours of the area are also regularly fully booked, as the specific locations used in the series are still open and available to visit. Also, methamphetamine sales themselves have reportedly increased, with the local police saying some products they’ve uncovered have even been dyed blue. Although this probably isn’t overly beneficial to society, it reveals just how significant this series has been to life in New Mexico.

In addition to the original series, the two spin-offs, Better Call Saul and El Camino were also filmed wholly, or partly, in Albuquerque. The filming for Breaking Bad cost over $3 million per episode, meaning a large portion of the $186 million total was poured into the local economy. For Better Call Saul, the production costs were a whopping $13 million per episode, and for El Camino, the budget was $6 million for the entire film. In total, the saga spent $192 million in Albuquerque, and thus produced hundreds of jobs for locals. However, in addition to these direct impacts, the additional effect of Breaking Bad being filmed in Albuquerque has meant that the region has become a popular filming site for other TV series and films. Before Breaking Bad, New Mexico hadn’t seen any major entertainment productions. Yet, in 2013 alone, it hosted 21 movies and 5 TV series. These additional productions have supported over $164 million in wages and 2,500 production related jobs, providing a considerable boost to the state’s economy. But the benefits aren’t just purely economic either. In fact, the cast of Breaking Bad has become so attached to Albuquerque that stars, Brian Cranston (Walter) and Aaron Paul (Jesse), continue to give back to the community in the form of charity work and auction. The local government was so appreciative of their work that they built bronze statues of both characters in the Albuquerque Convention Centre last year.

This case study suggests that the TV and film industry should look further into purposefully producing in underdeveloped and underused locations, instead of favouring production in Hollywood and other major cities worldwide. The effects of Breaking Bad on Albuquerque, and other series and films on their respective sites (such as the effects of Lord of the Rings in New Zealand) have been profound. It has meant that economically diminished areas have become hotspots for activity, allowing local areas to experience long term benefits following an initial production.