As of yesterday, “Mad Men” was no closer to returning with new episodes than Mubarak was to resigning as president of Egypt. Actually, the latter will probably happen first. According to sources, AMC and Lionsgate still have no deal with the show’s creator and head writer, Matthew Weiner. Hello? I mean, what is the deal here? Before “Mad Men” came along, AMC was showing old Westerns. And Lions Gate, really: Carl Icahn was trying to destroy them, and their claim to fame was that “Precious” star Mo’Nique was the first Oscar winner with an apostophe in her name.
(One thing I really don’t get: unlike other cable shows, “Mad Men” will make an easy transition to syndication. There’s very little that has to be changed, not much overt sex and little bad language. You’d think all parties would want to get to at least a marketable 78 epsiodes–which means two more seasons. That would take the show, I’d think, to a natural conclusion at the end of 1969.)
Weiner and his staff won’t start writing new scripts until he has a deal, that’s just the way it works. It’s now February 4th. Last year, “Mad Men” began on July 15th. That date doesn’t look so possible right now. “Mad Men” fans want to see what happens next to Don Draper and friends. We are not happy. Also, how is it that AMC could have blown both the Golden Globes and SAG awards, losing everything to HBO and “Boardwalk Empire.” Happy as we are for Steve Buscemi…Man up, AMC andLions Gate. Let’s get going already….
