Mad Men Season 5 [** Spoilers **]

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AMC has confirmed that Mad Men will not return until 2012.

The hit show, which stars Jon Hamm, Christina Hendricks and Elisabeth Moss, focuses on a group of people working in a New York advertising agency in the 1960s.

Recent reports suggested that the show would be delayed because of negotiations between AMC and the series' creator Matthew Weiner.

AMC has now officially handed a fifth season to Mad Men but has confirmed that it will not air until 2012.

"AMC has officially authorised production of season five of Mad Men, triggering our option with Lionsgate," the network said. "While we are getting a later start than in years past due to ongoing, key non-cast negotiations, Mad Men will be back for a fifth season in early 2012."

Rumours had already claimed that the show would be unable to return this year as the production had been delayed for so long. AMC already has shows including The Walking Dead and Hell On Wheels to show in the fall.

The "non-cast negotiations" mentioned in AMC's statement are thought to refer to the network's talks with Weiner.

According to Deadline, AMC is trying to include product placement, wants to cut the episodes' running times to include more advertising and has proposed dropping two regular cast members for financial reasons. However, Weiner is said to be refusing to agree to the demands.

The whole show was an advertising revenue and now we have to wait until 2012 for any new episodes. Not impressed!

Havermeyer

A bit of a bummer, but fair played to Weiner for sticking to his convictions.

More product placement wouldn't bother me too much - though I wouldn't be too happy if they shorten the episodes.

pickarooney

In a show about advertising there's no reason product placement should stick out, but to hell with shortening the episodes and ditching characters.

mrsdewinter

"Has proposed dropping two regular cast members for financial reasons"? Wth? It's the rich characterisations which make it worth watching... I still miss Sal Romano and quietly harbour hopes that his story arc will be resolved some day. I couldn't bear it if, say, Roger Sterling were to up and die on us. I mean them...

pickarooney

mrsdewinter wrote: »

"Has proposed dropping two regular cast members for financial reasons"? Wth? It's the rich characterisations which make it worth watching... I still miss Sal Romano and quietly harbour hopes that his story arc will be resolved some day. I couldn't bear it if, say, Roger Sterling were to up and die on us. I mean them...

I've been clinging to that hope that Sal will come back too but I doubt it now. If they did have to get rid of two people, Cooper would surely be one and I guess I could live with that. I don't know what the situation with Ken is but I don't think he really ads much to the show and I'm not sure why they brought him back. I actually liked hating Paul and would have preferred to see him return.

JP Liz V1

Surely Mad Men is AMC's biggest show

KerranJast

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Surely Mad Men is AMC's biggest show

The Walking Dead smashed AMCs rating records in its short 1st season run so technically thats its most popular current show.

Richard Dower

^ Walking Dead makes way more money + sells internationally much more then Mad Men. MM is a niche show that appeals to a very small demographic, don't confuse critical acclaim with how much a show makes for AMC.

pickarooney

True, but I would wager that had it not been for Mad Men and Breaking Bad nobody would have heard of Walking Dead and it would have passed under the radar.

Aidric

mrsdewinter wrote: »

I still miss Sal Romano and quietly harbour hopes that his story arc will be resolved some day. I couldn't bear it if, say, Roger Sterling were to up and die on us. I mean them...

Ya, Sal was a real loss to the show. I think he was one of the easiest characters to empathise with and I always enjoyed his scenes.

mike65

Hi ho I don't have Sky Atlantic so this gives me more time to save for the box set.

KerranJast

pickarooney wrote: »

True, but I would wager that had it not been for Mad Men and Breaking Bad nobody would have heard of Walking Dead and it would have passed under the radar.

True without MM & BB, AMC wouldn't have had the money to purchase the rights for Walking Dead but it would have been bought by somebody either for a miniseries, TV series or film rights.
The graphic novels are hugely popular and with the success of 28 Days Later and Zombieland in films and Left4Dead in the gaming sphere zombie fiction is all the Rage (*badumtish* ).

PhiloCypher

I read on ign that the contract they are haggling over would see Weiner earn 30 million over 2 seasons if this is true surely he would be willing to take a paycut to maintain the creative integrity of his show .

Sad Professor

Weiner claims that AMC are trying to get him to give into their demands in exchange for a bigger paycheque.

Conor108

YES!! I have time to catch up on seasons 1-4 over the year. Bummer for everyone else though :cool:

pickarooney

Sad Professor wrote: »

Weiner claims that AMC are trying to get him to give into their demands in exchange for a bigger paycheque.

That seems strange - aren't the changes supposed to save/make them money?

Sad Professor

pickarooney wrote: »

That seems strange - aren't the changes supposed to save/make them money?

Yeah, but the total amount that they could save/make as a result of these proposed changes is probably a lot more than what it would cost to buy him. I mean, less cast-members, more advertising revenue from shorter running time and product placement - it's almost certainly a lot more than the extra 5 million or whatever that they are offering him.

Or then again, he could be full of it.

Dr. Nick

Is series 4 starting again anywhere anytime soon?

JP Liz V1

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a312198/mad-men-renewed-for-two-more-seasons.html

Mad Men has been renewed for a further two seasons, it has been confirmed.

It was reported earlier this week that the Emmy-winning drama would not return until 2012 because of ongoing discussions between AMC, Lionsgate TV and show creator Matthew Weiner.

Weiner later claimed that the network wanted to axe two cast members for financial reasons, as well as include greater product placement and cut the episodes' running time to make room for more adverts.

However, it has now been announced that talks between the parties have been resolved, and Weiner is to return as showrunner on the programme's fifth and sixth seasons.

In a statement, Weiner said: "I want to thank AMC and Lionsgate for agreeing to support the artistic freedom of myself, the cast and the crew so that we can continue to make the show exactly as we have from the beginning. I'm excited to get started on the next chapter of our story."

AMC president Charlie Collier added: "We've been proud to support this show from the day we read Matt's ground-breaking pilot script and have loved building it with Matt and Lionsgate into the cultural phenomenon it has become.

"For everyone involved in the show and its passionate fans, we are thrilled to announce that the series will continue on AMC under the exceptional vision of Matt Weiner."

Weiner has concurrently signed a long-term deal with Lionsgate, which includes the option of extending the show's run into a seventh season.

Due to the protracted negotiations, the next season of Mad Men is still not expected to air until next year.

Sad Professor

I'm not so sure about this. I was kinda hoping he would wrap it up with season 5. I don't want this to end up like The Sopranos.

metrovelvet

Sad Professor wrote: »

I'm not so sure about this. I was kinda hoping he would wrap it up with season 5. I don't want this to end up like The Sopranos.

I think it still has a good run ahead of it. Weiner was involved in the Sopranos too right?

Does anyone have any predictions for season 5?

I'm thinking Joanie never got an abortion and have the last laugh on the John Slattery guy [forgot the character's name].

Don will follow through with marrying Megan and then have an affair with Betty.

We are going to see more and more of Don's daughter.

KerranJast

Some important events that could be covered by the show if it goes to Season 7. Each season covers around a year of the 60s (or at least it has to date):

S5 - 1966: Race riots; Vietnam draft & protests; Brit invasion (Beatles, Rolling Stones etc); Reagan becomes Governor of California; Cigarette packet warnings;
S6 - 1967: Martin Luther King Jr leads antiwar & civil rights marches; Huge (~400k) antiwar march in NYC; Motown becomes huge; Summer of Love
S7 - 1968: Tet Offensive; MLK assassinated followed by riots; Bobby Kennedy assassinated; Richard Nixon elected president;

If it goes to 7 seasons they could probably do a timejump at some point to encompass 1969 too and finish the show at the turn of the decade.

Dymo

metrovelvet wrote: »

Does anyone have any predictions for season 5?

I'm thinking Joanie never got an abortion and have the last laugh on the John Slattery guy [forgot the character's name].

You haven't seen the last episode in season 4 have you?

metrovelvet

Dymo wrote: »

You haven't seen the last episode in season 4 have you?

I think I did. But I'm pretty sure I have early alzheimers. That was the california episode right? When Don proposes to Megan?

Antar Bolaeisk

Well that sucks

johnny_ultimate

Perhaps it will eventually provide diminishing returns, but I for one am delighted by the prospect of much more Mad Men. It's been getting better and better (technically speaking: from amazing to great and then back to amazing) and it's the only TV show I still find myself completely invested in, even with the wealth of great shows out there.

I'm curious about whether they'd go through with a big time jump to when Sally is older - there'd be some fascinating potential there.

pickarooney

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Perhaps it will eventually provide diminishing returns, but I for one am delighted by the prospect of much more Mad Men. It's been getting better and better (technically speaking: from amazing to great and then back to amazing) and it's the only TV show I still find myself completely invested in, even with the wealth of great shows out there.

I'm curious about whether they'd go through with a big time jump to when Sally is older - there'd be some fascinating potential there.

With another actress? I hope not, she's brilliant.

Sad Professor

From what Weiner is saying it would seem that there will indeed be 3 more seasons of the show. Also, the broadcast running time is being cut from 47 to 45 minutes for more ads. The extra 2 minutes will supposedly be restored for the DVDs.

pickarooney

Sad Professor wrote: »

From what Weiner is saying it would seem that there will indeed be 3 more seasons of the show. Also, the broadcast running time is being cut from 47 to 45 minutes for more ads. The extra 2 minutes will supposedly be restored for the DVDs.

Well I would be inclined not to watch it at all on TV and wait for the DVDs in that case. So much for increased ad revenue.

MagicMarker

I lost interest in this not long after Sal left.

Are all the characters still a bunch of asshats?

pickarooney

No, some of them are now cockbags and there's the occasional nadsack.

expectationlost

so they won't be able to add any regular cast, only lose cast for 3 more seasons?

metrovelvet

I bet they will kill of Joan's husband in Nam and she'll be a single mother.

DublinWriter

To be honest, it should have ended after S3.

Being Hollywood however, they'll milk the franchise 'till the cash-cow tumbles over, a la The Simpsons.

expectationlost

yeah i was kinda disappointed at the second half of season three, the whole season seemed to be setting up don for a big catastrophe and then it kinda fizzled out and he went back to hiding behind the family man visage with yer one.

JP Liz V1

http://www.tvline.com/2011/06/mad-men-season-5-delay/

“The scheduling of the show – not being on this year – that’s part of the network plan,” Weiner told a packed crowd at Wednesday’s LA Times: The Envelope Emmy panel in Los Angeles. “Breaking Bad was always going on in the summer. … That’s the way they do things.”
After protracted contract talks between AMC, production studio Lionsgate and Weiner, AMC announced that the series — which has premiered during the summer for the past four seasons — would not return until early 2012 “due to ongoing, key non-cast negotiations.” Weiner, however, insisted “that I have done everything in my power to get the show on this year.”
He described the contract negotiations as “bad, but it worked out… It was public, and there was no reason for that. But that’s what happens. The most important things for me are that after it’s over, I get to go back to work and that we get to do three more years of the show.”
As for what next season holds for Don Draper and the rest of his family and coworkers, Weiner was tight-lipped as usual. “We just started working [in the writers room] about three weeks ago,” he stated. “We have a bunch of ideas on the board that I was super excited about 48 hours ago and today we sat around talking about how crappy it is. So we’re right on schedule.”
Might a reunion for newly engaged Don and ex-wife Betty, who shared an unusually friendly moment in last season’s finale, be in the cards? “I don’t know what it is for them in the future,” he replied. “They had a rough year. Don was not good on his own. That’s part of why he proposed to Megan.” Star Jon Hamm added that Don and Betty are “inextricably linked” by family and history, adding,“They will never not be part of one another’s lives.”
Which, if any, historical events will shape the new season also remains a mystery. “The show is not a history lesson,” emphasized Weiner. “The show will be about the next part of these people’s lives and what’s going on in the world will impact them the way things impact us.”
One thing is for certain – Hamm will direct the Season 5 premiere, as TVLine first reported. Weiner feels confident that his leading man is the right guy for the job.
“Jon is already involved very much in every aspect of the show,” he said. “He’s on set as much as the camera is. I’m glad that he asked to do it, and we’re thrilled to have him do it.”

Flashgordon197

Will the next series of Mad Men (5) be on BBC4 and RTE as previously or has Sky Atlantic hoovered it up as well??

Fishooks12

Flashgordon197 wrote: »

Will the next series of Mad Men (5) be on BBC4 and RTE as previously or has Sky Atlantic hoovered it up as well??

Nope, from the same company as TWD and Breaking Bad so it won't be

Think it's out next summer

H8GHOTI

Sky Atlantic do have the rights to it. They are due to show it in March. (According to their Twitter)
I'm not sure what this means for RTE/BBC. Maybe they'll show it at a later date.
RTE is showing Blue Bloods after Sky screen it, so they might have some deal in place for Mad Men too.

darkdubh

The new series is set in 1967,makes you wonder will they finish it before it gets to the 70's.

Flashgordon197

Thats disappointing about it being locked into Sky Atlantic. The economics of it must add up for Sky because concentrating shows on a non-terristal channel must only increase illegal downloading.

boobar

Folks,

Anyone know when the new season of Mad Men is starting?

Boobar

Technocentral

boobar wrote: »

Folks,

Anyone know when the new season of Mad Men is starting?

Boobar

Can't wait for new season as its the best tv drama ever in my opinion. Because of disputes between Matthew Weiner and AMC its delayed until probably March this year in States so add a few months for broadcast here, plus I hope its not shown on Sky Atlantic first (I don't have it) as this may delay RTE/BBC broadcast. Probably September?

Riskymove

boobar wrote: »

Folks,

Anyone know when the new season of Mad Men is starting?

Boobar

March on Sky Atlantic

mike65

I for one will not be watching.

Technocentral

mike65 wrote: »

I for one will not be watching.

Apparently viewing it will be optional.

mike65

Not for me unless I subscribe to Satan.

Technocentral

mike65 wrote: »

Not for me unless I subscribe to Satan.

Em, optional means that no one will be forcing you to watch it, anyway what satan has to do with Mad Men is beyond me.

Dermighty

Technocentral wrote: »

Em, optional means that no one will be forcing you to watch it, anyway what satan has to do with Mad Men is beyond me.

Pedanticism!

mike65

Technocentral wrote: »

Em, optional means that no one will be forcing you to watch it, anyway what satan has to do with Mad Men is beyond me.

Satan - SKY! I don't subscribe so I can't just say "well I won't bother with series 5" as I can't see it!

/shakes fist at AMC/SKY

Immaculate Pasta

I for one can't wait for this. One of the best TV programmes I've ever watched.

I wonder what year the series will be. My guess will be if Series 4 was late 1964 to October 1965, I can assume series 5 will be roughly the same again so late 1966 to late 1967.

No series has directly followed on in time from the last one so I assume there'll be at least a six month gap for this season. I imagine the series will focus in the context of the Vietnam War but should include the Summer of Love in 1967.

Should be great