“Mad Men” Aims for Late Summer Launch of 5th Season

As you know, I’ve been telling you for weeks (and apparently Deadline Yesterday has been reading it) that “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner still has no contract with Lions Gate or AMC. The show has been in limbo. For all intents and purposes it missed its possible July 25th premiere date because the companies couldn’t come to terms with Weiner. Well now it seems there’s some movement. Weiner’s been telling friends he feels “something good” is happening. By Friday there may be an announcement of a new agreement for season 5 and maybe even season 6. Weiner needs four months minimum to get scripts written and revised, as well as a good 30 days to think through the following season and how the series might end. We left the “Mad Men” crowd in late 1965 when Don and Megan were engaged, and Betty and her husband were moving to Rye, New York. Weiner could pick up in 1966 or even early ’67. Two things are certain: the series will not go past the end of 1969. And Don and Megan, as I reported long before, will marry. The main thing is that “Mad Men” could be on the air by mid to late August, which would make the dog days of summer so much more tolerable.