Before he took on one of the best characters inBreaking Bad, Dean Norris starred inTremors, a 2003 spin-off TV show of one of the most underrated horror franchises out there.Breaking Badis one of the greatest TV shows of all time, andDean Norris did stellar work as Hank Schrader, a DEA agent and Walter White’s brother-in-law. It often feels like Norris' performance inBreaking Badgets overshadowed alongside Bryan Cranston’s monumental turn as Walt, but Norris proved his talent time and again.
In fact, Norris is often one of the best additions to any cast of characters, including the 2003TremorsTV show, which is the only show in the long-running franchise, fitting intotheTremorsmovie timeline. For being a mostly direct-to-video horror franchise,Tremorsis a creature feature classic. The troubled production of theTremorsseries is fascinating, andNorris' performance throughout is one of the highlights of the short-lived show.
Dean Norris Played A Main Character In The Tremors TV Show Spinoff
Dean Norris Was One Of The Best Parts Of The Tremors Series
Premiering just five years before Dean Norris would play Hank inBreaking Bad,he starred as W.D. Twitchell in theTremorsTV series in 2003. His character was a federal agent who both helps and acts against the heroes in the show, often when it comes to having to go against variousmonsters from theTremorsfranchise. Of course, Norris does an admirable job playing the character, as he is able to channel both the cool and often silly aspects of Twitchell and the show as a whole.
Tremorspremiered on the Sci-Fi Channel (Syfy) on August 02, 2025, and broke a number of records for its debut at the time. Still, it was cancelled after only half a season, running for 13 total episodes. Furthermore,the episodes were released out of order during its run, with episodes 1 and 6 acting as the premiere, while the second episode was the final one shown. Because of this, other episodes needed to be re-edited, and it wasn’t until the three-disc DVD set in 2010 that the show was released in its entirety and in the correct order.
The Tremors Show Was A Direct Sequel To Tremors 3
The Tremors TV Series Is An Important Addition To The Franchise
Tremorsis a long-running franchise that began in 1990, and has consistently been underrated, even with the first film being one of the best creature features of all time. FollowingTremors 3: Back to Perfection, the franchise decided to branch off and include a TV series that was produced at the same time asTremors 4: The Legend Begins. TheTremorsserieswas released first and is a direct follow-up to the end ofTremors 3, whileTremors 4ended up serving as a prequel to the entire franchise at that point.
Tremorsis a long-running franchise that began in 1990, and has consistently been underrated, even with the first film being one of the best creature features of all time.
The 13-episode series follows the residents of Perfection Valley as they attempt to co-exist alongside El Blanco, an albino Graboid (the primary monsters inTremors), as well as deal with various issues that pop up as a result of mad scientists, real estate developers, and government experiments. Like the rest of the franchise, theTremorsTV series balances both the horror aspects and the comedic ones, making it a worthy addition alongside the films.
Dean Norris Isn’t The Only Notable Cast Member In The Tremors TV Show
The Tremors Series Featured Some Notable Recurring Actors And A Franchise Veteran
Despite being a relatively short series, airing only 13 total episodes, there was a lot of talent that popped up throughout. Alongside Dean Norris, one of the most notable main characters inTremorswasMichael Gross as Burt Gunner, who has played the character in every movie in the franchise, from the original 1990 film toTremors: Shrieker Islandin 2020, the seventh movie in the series. Marcia Strassman (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, MAS*H) is another notable main character, playing Nancy Sterngood for all 13 episodes.
Though it’s a long-running franchise consisting of seven films and a TV series, only the originalTremorswas released in theaters, with the rest being direct-to-video.
Beyond the main cast of theTremorsTV show, there were a number of notable actors who served in either recurring roles or in a guest spot for an episode, including Vivica A. Fox (Independence Day) and Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Walking Dead). Perhaps the most significant actor to have a role in the series is Christopher Lloyd ofBack to the FutureandTaxifame.
Despite being cut short and working on a relatively small budget compared to most productions now, theTremorsseries is a worthy addition to the franchise, and a pretty great role for Dean Norris prior to his time onBreaking Bad.
Tremors
Cast
Tremors, released in 2003, expands on the cult classic franchise where local communities adapt to living alongside Graboids, Shriekers, and Ass-blasters, now considered protected species.
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
