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.