AMC Finalizes Mad Men Deal

Don Draper’s back. After a week of tense negotiations, Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner has nailed down an agreement with AMC to continue his hit show for up to three more seasons—to the tune of $30 million. Weiner and the network were able to resolve their main sticking points, such as the show’s running time, through compromise: Weiner’s preferred 47-minute installments will air during season premieres and finales (and possibly DVD sets), but other episodes will clock in at 45 minutes. That’ll mean more ad revenue for AMC, which also reportedly backed down a bit on their push for Weiner to trim his expensive cast. The talks have delayed Mad Men’s fifth season premiere to March 2012.