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Why more people care about Loose Women than the Breaking Bad finale

TV finale: US drama Breaking Bad is much-talked about but hardly watched

Yahoo's Entertainment Editor Paul Johnston explains why he refuses to buy into the Breaking Bad hype...

I had a dream about the finale of 'Breaking Bad' at the weekend. Which is strange because - spoiler alert - I've never watched a single episode.

The US drama, which ended last night, has felt inescapable over the past few weeks. That's despite the fact that it's not even screened on TV in the UK (it’s available to stream on Netflix) and is watched by an audience about a tenth of the size of those who tune into 'Loose Women'. On a poor ratings day.

Not since 'The Wire' (shudder) has a small number of people made so much noise about a TV programme.

[Breaking Bad fan picks FIVE BEST MOMENTS]

It's one of those shows that you 'have' to watch. 'What did you think of the latest episode of 'Breaking Bad'? Oh, you're a few episodes behind? Seriously, you haven't started watching it yet? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF IT?' It's social suicide in certain circles.

I refuse to buy into this hype. There's nothing more unappealing to me than someone telling me to watch something because 'It's not even like television, it's better than that'. No, it IS television. Well, apart from the fact it's not on television in the UK because it's so niche.

The thing about social media and certain areas of the press is that they have this habit of distorting what is popular. Yes, 'Breaking Bad' has had 7 million mentions on Twitter over the past couple of months (thanks, The Guardian) but the reality is that more people will have got up this morning wondering what is going to happen in the next episode of BBC daytime soap 'Doctors' than those wondering about the fate of Walter White in the last-ever Breaking Bad (I looked the name up).

[Breaking Bad RECREATED IN LEGO]

Why the need to bore on about how great a TV show is? I watched an excellent repeat of 'Murder She Wrote' yesterday but I didn't tell everyone on Facebook. It was a really good one too - Jessica went to visit a friend, someone got murdered and she solved it.

To this noisy minority 'Breaking Bad' is the best show of all time. Just like 'Mad Men' was. Just like 'The Wire' was. Just like 'The Sopranos' was. Just like something next year will be.

By all means enjoy your TV programmes but don't ram it down our throats and don't patronise the majority of us because we enjoy mainstream popular TV.

Got to dash, I think I hear the 'Holby City' music...