‘Mad Men’ Final Season: Matthew Weiner Says “No Chance” of Spinoff, Justifies 2015 Split
Though the announcement of spinoffs for both 'Breaking Bad' and 'The Walking Dead' should have given us a clue, 'Mad Men' fans were surprised to find that AMC would make yet another attempt to extend its most profitable programs, adding an episode to the final season in order to divide 14 among two runs through 2015. Now, series creator Matthew Weiner has spoken out to offer his thoughts on the move, as well as shoot down the idea of a spinoff.
"There's no chance," Weiner told The Hollywood Reporter of a potential spinoff from the acclaimed Emmy-winning series emerging by 2015. "No judgment against anybody else -- but this is it. This is the story. When it's done, it's done." Granted, AMC's unnerving moves to extend the lives of its core triumvirate could well see the network proceeding without Weiner's guiding hand in 2015, though we should hope Weiner's vision dictates the franchise, not the company's bottom line.
Weiner certainly didn't seem overly enthusiastic about the decision to break up 'Mad Men''s final season across 14 episodes in 2014 and 2015 either, saying, "It's a strategy from the network and I was told about it. I found a way to work with it. That's all I can say. I think it's an opportunity." AMC President Charlie Collier said in the original announcement of the split:
This approach has worked well for many programs across multiple networks, and, most recently for us with ‘Breaking Bad,’ which attracted nearly double the number of viewers to its second-half premiere than had watched any previous episode. We are determined to bring ‘Mad Men’ a similar showcase.
Well, what say you? Do you think AMC strong-armed Weiner into delaying 'Mad Men''s end for another year? What about Weiner's assurance there won't be a spinoff? Tell us what you want to see from 'Mad Men''s future in the comments!