The Better Call Saul spinoff was not already in the works at this point. Bob Odenkirk just did such a great job playing that character they wanted to bring him back.
Better Call Saul is both a prequel and a sequel, filmed after BB finished, and you should 100% watch it after you finish this series. Any sooner & you’ll get major spoilers
No, the series wasn’t planned until after Breaking Bad wrapped. Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad, was a huge fan of the sketch comedy series Mr. Show (as am i!), which was lead by Bob Odenkirk & David Cross. If you’ve watched Arrested Development, you know David as Tobias.
Anyway, they made the character of Saul for Bob Odenkirk since Vince loved him. Bob is connected to pretty much everything funny from the past few decades in one way or another. This was his first foray into drama, and he’s phenomenal.
Just enjoy Breaking Bad for what it is. When it’s over you will want more. That’s when you watch Better Call Saul. It’s a prequal that was made after the success of Breaking Bad.
Better Call Saul is a prequel series to Breaking Bad (Except for the final season, there's a mid season finale and the episodes after that take place after the events of Breaking Bad and the El Camino spinoff movie)
It’s fun seeing this show really grow on you guys! There was a time where we had breaking bad, walking dead, and game of thrones all airing at the same time! Such a good time for TV.