AMC’s “Breaking Bad” ended its fourth season Sunday night with 1.9 million viewers — and, for the entire season, increased its ratings among adults 18-49 by a whopping 24 percent over last season.
Sunday night’s finale, which featured an explosive ending to the life of fried-chicken king/drug lord Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) — and a disturbing revelation in the closing seconds about series protagonist (antagonist?) Walter White (Bryan Cranston) — added another 1 million viewers in two repeat airings at 11 p.m. and midnight, delivering nearly 3 million viewers in all.
Meanwhile, I asked series co-star Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman) recently how winning the Emmy as Best Supporting Actor, in 2010, has affected his career.
“I’ve started to sit down and talk to and have meetings with a lot of people that I’ve looked up to my entire life,” he told me. “It’s exciting, it’s a crazy ride and I’m so unbelievably grateful.
“It’s made a huge difference in showing people that have known me for many years — or who don’t know me — that I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to try to do this as long as possible.
“It’s been really great.”
The fifth and final season of 16 “Breaking Bad” episodes is expected to premiere next summer.
* * *
ABC’s Chris Cuomo will host the Men’s Health Urbanathlon & Festival — which is expanding this year to encompass Chicago, New York and San Francisco.
Cuomo (“20/20”) will be there to help warm up the thousands of athletes competing in the event — a nine-mile competition which combines “traditional road race elements” with city-based obstacles. It unfolds Oct. 15 in Chicago, Oct. 29 here in New York (at Flushing Meadows Park) and Nov. 13 in San Francisco.
“Tudors” star Henry Cavill, by the way, is the cover subject for the November issue of Men’s Health (out on newsstands Oct. 18).
And . . . producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan (NBC’s upcoming series, “Smash”) will be feted on Sunday, Nov. 6 at the Hudson Theatre by The New York Music Festival. The Meron-Zadan team is producing Broadway’s “How to Succeed in Business” with Daniel Radcliffe — who’s being replaced by Nick Jonas in January — and it’s Radcliffe who will present them their award.
“Smash,” executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, show creator Theresa Rebeck, Meron/Zadan and several others, premieres Feb. 6 and stars Katharine McPhee, Debra Messing, Anjelica Huston and Megan Hilty. It’s being filmed here in New York (and Jonas will be a guest-star).
* * *
Back in the ’80s and into the early ’90s, it seemed like there was a comedy club on every corner in every major city — when people like Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Allen, Drew Carey, Richard Jeni, Roseanne Barr and Brett Butler were launching sitcom careers after being discovered at The Improv, The Laugh Factory, Dangerfield’s, Catch a Rising Star, etc.
Those days are long gone, but Steve Hofstetter is trying to change that — and, even better here in our own backyard.
Hofstetter, a standup comic (who’s appeared on Craig Ferguson’s “Late Late Show,” VH1, ESPN and many other venues), is targeting Dec. 15 as the opening date for The Laughing Devil, a new, 50-seat comedy club he’s opening in Queens (at 4738 Vernon Blvd.) with Jacob Morvay. Hofstetter and one of the club’s investors, Marshall Chiles, own three other comedy clubs between them — The Laughing Skull and Funny Farm in Atlanta and Morty’s Comedy Joint in Indianapolis — so they’ve got plenty of experience in the club world and an impressive Rolodex of celebrity clientele.
Hofstetter, by the way, was born and raised in Queens and currently lives on Vernon Blvd.; Morvay lives around the corner.
There’s an online petition (laughingdevil.com) where people can support the club as Hofstetter and Morvay go to the community board and ask for a liquor license.
Speaking of comedy, SiriusXM’s Jackie Martling will be at the Broadway Comedy Club this Thursday at 9 p.m.
And, 20 years ago today, stand-up legend Redd Foxx suffered a fatal heart attack on the set of his new CBS sitcom, “The Royal Family.”
* * *
All ears: Disney Channel and Radio Disney kick off the fourth season of their multi-platform “N.B.T.” (Next Big Thing) musical talent showcase this Sunday (Oct. 16). It will premiere during the results show for Disney Channel’s first-ever dance competition, “Make Your Mark: Dance Off — ‘Shake It Up’ Edition” (8:30 p.m.).
Over the next 10 weeks, Radio Disney and Disney Channel audiences can vote for their favorite “N.B.T.” artists at radiodisney.com or on the Radio Disney Facebook page (facebook.com/radiodisney), or they can text “NBT” to Disney (347639). The winner’s single will be released by Disney Music Group.
The “N.B.T.” platform has, in the past, launched the likes of Kicking Daisies, Coco Jones and Allstar Weekend.
Last, but not least:
* Former “SNL” musical director Katreese Barnes now leads the band on OWN’s “The Rosie Show” (see Linda Stasi’s review) . . . Ch. 4’s Tom Llamas emcees the 4th Annual Journey of Hope Gala tonight at the Prince George Ballroom . . . “Let Us in Nashville — A Tribute to Linda McCartney” takes place Nov. 7 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. It’s hosted by Jeff Daniels — who’ll co-star in Aaron Sorkin’s upcoming HBO series, “More As the Story Develops” . . . On DVD/Blu-ray: “Bored To Death: The Complete Second Season”; “In Treatment: The Complete Third Season.”
Contact The Starr Report: mstarr@nypost.com.