'Mad Men' delayed until 2012 due to ongoing contract negotiations

Due to continuing contract negotiations between "Mad Men" creator Matt Weiner and AMC, the series will not return until early 2012, the network said on Tuesday. AMC announced that it has officially authorized production of the show's fifth season, triggering its option with "Mad Men's" production company, Lionsgate, but confirmed that the show won't be back until next year. "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," the network said in a statement.

But according to The Daily and Deadline Hollywood, many issues have yet to be resolved between the parties, including  AMC's desire to integrate more product placement into the series, add more commercials and trim the running time by two minutes. Two years ago, Weiner had a similar dispute with AMC over those two minutes, and both sides eventually agreed to let the episodes run over into the 11 p.m. time slot so that extra commerical time could be added without making the scripts any shorter. AMC has been using product placement in the series since its first season.

Sources tell Deadline Hollywood that Weiner is threatening that negotiations may collapse as a result of AMC's demands. Poised to become the highest-paid showrunner on basic cable, he is also looking for a deal that would pay him $15 million a year, or more than $1 million per episode.

Someone call Don Draper in to buy everyone a dry martini and help them broker this deal!

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--Melissa Maerz

Photo: Roger Sterling (John Slattery), Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Bertram Cooper (Robert Morse) in a scene from "Mad Men." Credit: Carin Baer / AMC.

Comments

[Scott]

I absolutely love this show but it is so disheartening to hear that both parties are more interested in making money that keeping a show going.

[boil]

hey, make it 90 minutes and separate it into 3 acts, with commercial breaks, winning! dont do a 'deadwood' and kill the show to bring in 'john from Cincinnati!"

[t flaherty]

WE WILL FERGET MM BY 2012

[Milton]

GREED. Creative is lucky to have AMC and AMC is lucky to have MAD MEN!

Disgusting greed ... and most like a good deal of pride at stake.

[aclineo]

PHEW! It's not getting cancelled! I still can't believe the demands AMC is making to the one show which made the network relevant in the first place.

[emm305]

Scott, I absolutely agree.

How much do these people think they HAVE to have to live well?

And, once againI will take the opportunity to point out that if Mr. Weiner gets his $15M, he will pay Social Security FICA taxes on $106,800. That's all. The rest will be FICA tax free for him and AMC.

And, we wonder what we need to do to get the Social Security Trust Fund back on track? Eliminate the cap!! If people earning LESS than $106,800 have to pay FICA on 100% of their income, everyone making over that amount should have to, also.

When are Brangelina, Barbra Streisand, Tyler Perry, Ted Danson and every single entertainment and sports figure going to come forward on this crucial issue for the middle class and support the elimination of the FICA cap?

[vegasgirl]

Damn it! Please, Lionsgate, please AMC: resolve your differences and don't deprive us of the best show on television. Otherwise, summer is not the same without it.

[michael g]

No one cares, guys. It's just another over-hyped soap opera. Move on...

[CaliGal]

2012!!
Seriously?!

Forget! You'll loose me by then....

[Jonesy]

More product placement? Gee whiz..talk about milking the cow until its dry...
Greedy bastards arguing over a show about greedy media bastards..how apropo

[Jeff]

AMC would be known for showing reruns of lame movies if not for Mad Men, and now they want to cut it by two minutes and reduce the cast size? Ridiculous. My summer is going to feel a lot emptier without looking forward to Mad Men on Sunday nights and I hope they can negotiate with Matthew Weiner. He is the creative force behind that show.

[Frank Farkel]

I have always said that AMC stands for "a million commercials," and the network's demand for two more minutes of commercials per episode just validates my belief.

[ruby]

Errrm... so AMC wants more commercial breaks and a two minute reduction? Gee why not eliminate the show altogether, if all we'll get is a measly 25 mins of actual script and 35mins to go to the bathroom and make a sandwich while we ignore those commercials. If I were Weiner I would shop this money maker to a different network and blow off the greedy suits at AMC, whoever watched that dull network till Mad Men came along?

[Pt1]

What happened to AMC? They keep launching hit shows that disappear. Remember Breaking Bad? You know, that cool show that hasn't been seen or heard from again? At this rate, we'll be rejoining Draper & Co. in the 1990's...

[Jessica H]

NO!

:(

[Don Koelper]

Scott: "... it is so disheartening to hear that both parties are more interested in making money that keeping a show going."

Why do you find it so disheartening? Do you work for free, and wish to inspire others by your example?

[Justin]

Listeners of the Never Not Funny podcast knew this was happening. Rich Sommer was a guest, and gave the inside info. check episode 815. Pardcast.com.

[parkerpeople]

Fans will lose interest with a wait until 2012 so all sides lose with this.

[Edward C]

What???? Isn't the end of the world in 2012 too???

[Lety]

Mad Men put AMC on the map. They shouldn't be demanding anything.