Rest your hearts, put down the pitchforks, and take a moment to catch your breath Mad Men fans. The apocalypse is not here. Mad Men has officially been renewed through season 6 and Matthew Weiner is on board for both seasons.
Weiner has inked a long-term deal with AMC and Lionsgate, while the Emmy-winning drama series itself has been renewed for not just one but two more seasons.
Weiner’s new pact keeps him on board as Mad Men‘s show runner through both Season 5 (to premiere in early 2012) and Season 6, and even a possible Season 7.
So what of the 3 requirements (cut cast, cut show time, product placement) that AMC wanted in order to renew the series? As for running time, the Season 5 premiere and finale will remain 47 minutes in length, while Weiner has the option to submit two cuts of the other 11 episodes. These include a 45-minute edit for broadcast and a 47-minute version for other platforms. What are the other platforms? My guess is for video on demand and/or DVD release. Product placement will be accommodated when organic to storyline and under Weiner’s complete creative control.
Weiner released a statement saying, “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.”
Season 5 of the drama will premiere in March of 2012.
