14 DAY TRIAL // The hit series “Mad Men” is in danger of being canceled, online reports suggest. While AMC has already confirmed production on the fifth season, its air date has been delayed to March 2012, while the network and showrunner Matt Weiner duke it out behind closed doors.
According to Deadline Hollywood, AMC wants Weiner, the mind behind “Mad Men,” to concede a few things before renewing his contract.
The most important are the inclusion of product placement in the show, cutting out two minutes from each episode to make room for more commercials, and letting go or demoting two members of the cast in order to cut costs.
Weiner, in return, will not agree on any of this, since he believes he has the right to have the final say on the show since he is its creator.
Moreover, he wants $30 million for the next three seasons, which would literally make him the highest paid showrunner of the moment. Yet, money is not the issue, Deadline says.
“AMC has officially authorized production of season 5 of Mad Men, triggering our option with Lionsgate. 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,” a spokesperson for AMC says.
That is to say, the show will be back, even if later than scheduled. In the meantime, hopes are high AMC will convince Weiner to see things their way.
If not, the network is threatening to kill the show as it is, right here and now.
“Weiner is being completely screwed by AMC,” a source says for The Daily, as cited by The Huffington Post.
“No one would have heard of AMC if not for Matt Weiner and ‘Mad Men.’ But they will not renew the show unless he accedes to all their demands,” adds the spy.
There is also the possibility of doing “Mad Men” without Weiner – and it’s being considered by AMC as we speak, despite that Weiner and his show put the network on the original programming map.
Useless to say, fans are far from happy about it, with most saying AMC should just give Weiner what he’s asking for and let the man do his critically-acclaimed and popular show.
Stay tuned here for updates.