Mad Men Goes Mad on Purpose

Critics just happy Don Draper is back

(NEWSER) - Critics eager for the return of Mad Men weren't blown away by the first episode of the fifth season—but that doesn't mean the show has lost its magic. What they're saying:

• "I'm glad to have Mad Men back, but 'A Little Kiss' was not a great episode," writes James Poniewozik in Time . "There were moments that seemed tonally off" and "almost sitcom-like," but it's forgivable: With this show, return episodes "take their time and do a lot of table-setting."

Creator Matthew Weiner signs contract for 3 more seasons

(NEWSER) - Mad Men will be back with creator Matthew Weiner at the helm for two more seasons and possibly a third. After tough negotiations, Weiner has signed a deal with AMC and Lionsgate believed to be worth around $30 million, reports the New York Times . The cable hit's fifth season will begin in early 2012. The deal ensures a sixth season and has an option for a seventh, which Weiner says he expects will be the last. "That’s how long the show is," he says. "I'm just thrilled I get to finish it." More»

Negotiations with Matthew Weiner force delay

(NEWSER) - Shut the door and have a seat, Mad Men fans, because we’ve got some bad news: Thanks to tense negotiations between AMC and show creator Matthew Weiner, Season 5 will be pushed back from this summer to early 2012. AMC today announced that it had exercised its option with series producer Lionsgate to officially greenlight a new season, but that it would be delayed by “key non-cast negotiations.” More»

Conservatives, liberals see the show through different eyes

(NEWSER) - The fourth season of Mad Men starts Sunday, providing a political litmus test of sorts for viewers. The shift from the 1950s to the '60s fills conservatives with "apprehension" and liberals with "anticipation," writes Natasha Simons for the National Review . Each camp sees it through the prism of its choice: Liberals rejoice that the '50s—filled with "sexism, racism, and general prejudice"—will get their comeuppance, while conservatives fear the impending doom of the "Me Generation" and its hedonistic self-indulgence. More»

Creator doesn't see series, now shooting Season 4, lasting past Season 6

(NEWSER) - Season 4 of Mad Men is still shooting, but its creator already knows when the hit series will end, reports the Weekly Blend blog . It won't go past Season 6, Matthew Weiner said at an industry convention last week. That seems to be a sweet spot for 1-hour dramas, notes the Wall Street Journal —The Sopranos wrapped up after a half-dozen seasons, and Lost is in the process of doing likewise. More»