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AMC and Matthew Weiner have agreed to let the episodes run over into the 11 PM hour so extra commercial time can be added without having to shorten the scripts to accommodate the ads. I was the first to report this problem (AMC Squeezing ‘Mad Men’ In Season 3). The 3rd season of this Lionsgate TV series premieres August 16th. AMC had told the show’s producers to make allowances for another commercial break each hour — so that would have been 2 minutes less of actual programming. That might not sound like such a big deal, but it’s galling given how well the show has done critically, how carefully it’s put together, and how much money it’s already making AMC and parent company Cablevision (which recently announced a $20M 1st-quarter profit, while subsidiary Rainbow Media cited a 7.6% increase in ad sales). Naturally, the suits blamed the bad economy and said the show simply doesn’t bring in enough revenue. But AMC looked foolish for screwing its golden goose.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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How much of that Cablevision profit has to do with AMC and how much has to do with getting existing TV customers to sign for Internet and VOIP service?
Why stop at a few minutes into the 11pm hour? Speaking only for myself, I’d love to see episodes lengthened by fifteen minutes. It’d give the writers more space, AMC another commercial break or two, and would make Mad Men an even better lead in for other programming by ending after other options have started.
Okay, I’ll stop being idealistic and sarcastic. It’s good to hear they’ve resolved the problem though. Can it be August 16th tomorrow?
This is going to fuck up my TiVo programming, isn’t it? Bastards.
Golden Goose? Weiner is fast becoming an albatross. And where’s your business acumen, Nikki? Mad Men–and Weiner–are prohibitively-expensive NON-RATERS. Yes, advertisers like the show and like being in it but so long as it doesn’t rate, it’s simply not as lucrative as you presume; a network can’t get by on good press alone. Easy to pillory the suits and play to the wounded creative’s cri de coeur but how about highlighting the fact that Weiner held out for diva coin when his show does little better than the average History Channel series? Seems to me AMC should look to a re-make of FRANKENSTEIN as their next original, because these guys gave life to Weiner and now he’s a monster…
This is really bad for everyone with a dvr — which is probably 90% of the MM demo.
I don’t think it was the 2 minutes lost that got everyone angry — it was the extra commercial break interrupting the flow of the narrative. So, we keep that plus we’re going to miss the end of each show. Way to win Weiner?
Not sure why people are complaining that it will mess with their Tivos, considering AMC will reair it twice the same night.
2 minutes less can make a huge difference. Changing time around in regards to story structure is a big deal. Many people may disagree with this but I still don’t think ABC dramas have been the same since ABC forced showrunners to switch from a four act structure to a five act structure in order to have shows run in to each other at the top of the hour w/out a commercial break. What happens is a weakened 4th act on their dramas, whether it makes viewers “fall” into the next ABC show has yet to be proven. BUT FOR STORY STUCTURE, TIME MATTERS.
Seriously? If you can’t figure out how to set your recording to catch the last two minutes that extend into the next hour, you’re not smart enough to watch Mad Men. It’s not rocket science, folks.
Ditto Patrick!
If setting TIVO is that important to your life, maybe you’re watching too much TV.
Since the dreaded Comcast has put AMC into another tier, I won’t be seeing this third season of “Mad Men”. Have to get it at the library on DVD. Despise miserable, greedy, right-wing Comcast.
There must be more to that story. Those who work in Television know that 2 minutes is about 2 pages (out of 50-60) and will allow a little more time to shoot what is scheduled. It’ll save a few hours of shooting, which is what all produces want. UNLESS AMC wanted to cut the budget accordingly. That is the only reason I see for the producers to be upset. 2 monutes don’t mean that much in an hour long show (which is really 42 minutes or so – depending on the network).
If AMC scheds the show to 11:02 like ABC does with Lost then it shouldn’t mess with the DVR since the DVR is based on the guide times. In addition I always program mine to run a few minutes after just in case.
And then of course, there’s the other possibility AMC intentionally would like to mess with DVR scheduling so you’re forced to watch it live and obviously wouldn’t be able to skip past the ads. But since Mad Men will be running over to the 11 hour and not the 10 hour, this ploy seems unlikely.
It’s too bad HBO passed on this show. It would have even more teeth there and wouldn’t be subjected to this preposterous drama.
I’m sure MM does just fine on DVD and streaming/itunes, etc. It’s a well made and well regarded show…the problem (if there is one) is not on the creative/production side. Maybe if AMC had more than one show to sell?
I don’t see how AMC looked foolish in this. They are obviously savvy business people, as they are posting revenue increases when most other companies are struggling to survive. They got their extra two minutes of ad time, and likely achieved financial solvency with it.
This decision gives AMC the upper hand in both success and failure. In success, AMC will be credited with supporting its creators while increasing ad sales. In failure, AMC will have a legitimate reason to can the show and its producers for inept performance.
For the producers, everything rides on the show’s ability (or inability) to generate ratings momentum with the new season and continue winning Emmys and Golden Globes. That’s a whole lot of pressure no longer resting on AMC’s shoulders. AMC has likely paid the bills on this one and are ready to move on to the next one. With less of a headache.
Let’s see – a show about clueless white men ruling the office, making sexist and racist remarks and generally being idiots? I can see this everyday in real life – why do I need a show for this?
Hey MBA you are so wrong about AMC. They are not savvy business people because you know what? They don’t have another show to move on to.
1. Because the new people in charge – not the same people who found and put Mad Men on the channel, they are long gone – but these new folks have no taste and no programming experience and are making all the wrong decisions.
2. AMC has no ability to put another series on the air because Cablevision has made no future investment in the company for scripted programming. So the only game they have going is Mad Men and since they know that they should do everything they can to keep the show that put them on map thriving and doing as well as it can.
Remember people thought AMC was a theater chain before Mad Men.
If you don’t think cutting two minutes from a drama is not a big deal you should stick to the lightweight shows on the main nets. Of course it is a big deal. If there was fat to cut from a first-rate show it would be cut before filming, not after.
ohboy,
Because AMC doesn’t have another scripted show to move on to doesn’t make them any less savvy. Any media company that has managed to increase earnings in this dire economic environment is a winner. If the past is prologue to the future, they will figure out other more lucrative ventures.
Cablevision limiting its investments in basic cable scripted programming only further concedes this point. They have enough humility to acknowledge that this business model could very well be broken.
TNT’s stalwart THE CLOSER posted its lowest season premiere ratings ever this week. F/X, even with the brightest development, marketing and pr executives in the business, is struggling to land another hit.
Adding two minutes of ad time to MAD MEN is AMC’s clever strategy of planning for a rainy day. They likely realize the bottom could fall out soon.
AMC already has too much commercial clutter. I stopped watching the channel a long time ago because of it. As for Mad Men, I have watched some episodes, and I like it (except for over-use of cigarettes as a prop). Since it is on AMC and since I do not often think to check what is on AMC, I do not see to many episodes.
a- Unless AMC sets out to screw viewers, I’m sure the time slot for TiVo/DVR usage will be set to 11:02, as HBO/ABC/NBC, etc. have done for their series when they run long. If they don’t set the time slot correctly, there will be a media coverage backlash like you wouldn’t believe (or, if you’re a regular reader of Nikki’s, maybe you would).
b- Adding two minutes of extra ads is a farce anyway, since Mad Men is one of the most DVR’d shows on TV.
c- AMC’s suits might be soulless, but their original programming is hardly just MM; “Breaking Bad” is almost as excellent and “The Prisoner” looks quite promising.
d- Don’t know if Weiner’s a Diva or not, but so what? He’s creating high quality entertainment, and he has the right to fight for his creation and all the money he possibly can. Some of the argument raging here is about art vs. commerce….if you’re here merely to argue on the side of commerce, perhaps you should just go into banking and be done with it.
setting the Tivo/D-vr to add two minutes to the show is soooo easy. And you can do it for the entire season in one stroke.
I wish it were 15 minutes longer. I wish it were August today.
TIVO will clip into other programming automatically. You can really miss the last two minutes of commercials, credits and next week previews.
Walking Dead proves that AMC can have an actual hit. Suddenly Mad Men’s numbers don’t look so good. And before anyone thinks Weiner is a champ — his last deal gave him a piece of the product integration $$$$s…. the guy’s no saint. Vince Gilligan has done a better show AND is a better guy to his staff.