After lengthy negotiations that entered the public sphere, AMC has finally inked a deal to keep Matthew Weiner on as the “Mad Men” showrunner.
Both the cable network and the executive producer issued public comments expressing happiness over the deal, which will keep “Mad Men” on the air through at least season six. While deals with the entire team are not yet in place for a seventh season, Weiner has been telling the media that he views that season as a desirable endpoint for the Emmy-winning series.
The show returns with its fifth season in March of 2012, a far lengthier hiatus than has been the norm for the series.
Contract terms were not disclosed publicly, but THR apparently confirmed with Weiner how some of the sticking points were resolved. According to the story, product placement deals will continue in their current form for the show. Some cast changes are expected as the show’s story unfolds, but they will be due to creative reasons rather than financial ones. The fifth season’s premiere and finale will run for the normal “Mad Men” length, but episodes 2-12 will be cut down to 45 minutes. Extended versions will be made available on the web eight days after the broadcast run.
Weiner’s press comment: “I want to thank all of our wonderful fans for their support…I also 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’s press comment, courtesy network president Charlie Collier: “AMC’s original programming began with a mission to create bold storytelling of the highest quality, and ‘Mad Men’ was the perfect expression of that commitment. 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.”