'Mad Men' Creator Matthew Weiner Talks Show's Comeback

What's Don Draper's next move? It hasn't been written yet.

'Mad Men' creator Matthew Weiner spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the status of his Emmy-winning show, which has been in limbo since the end of season four and its contract with AMC. "I am not looking for a new job. I'm dying to go back to work," he said -- but right now, there's no work to do.

"I have every intention of making the show when they [AMC] decide to work out their business with Lionsgate," he told EW. "I can't wait to come back to work. I have said over and over in public that I want the show to go on and on and on until it has worn out its welcome with viewers and we can't think of anything more for the characters to do.

"But the truth is I don't even know what their plans are. We have not started writing. I am not back at work," he continued. "It would be heartbreaking for me if they don't work it out, horrifying really. It would be a shame for fans to never get to see what great stuff we have planned for Don and company."

Earlier in January, AMC announced that the show would be back, but exec Joel Stillerman cautioned, "'Mad Men' is definitely coming back for Season 5, but don't ask me when, because we're not sure yet."

In the mean time, the cast of the show has been busy. Star John Hamm starred in last summer's 'The Town,' though he apparently won't be the next Superman. January Jones is in the upcoming 'X-Men' film (she also just broke up with SNL's Jason Sudeikis).

For more, click over to Entertainment Weekly.

Comments

[mburgh]

10:18 PM on 01/30/2011

Matt Wiener should break away from AMC and form the Mad Man Channel, get his own deals, and tell anyone interfering with his artistic process to go away.

[julbar]

11:20 AM on 01/28/2011

I don't buy it.. it will be back.

[Lineswithin]

07:51 AM on 01/26/2011

It's a great show. Really hope it returns. Definitely overhyped, but it's so authentic and the development of the characters has been phenomenal.

[mamacat]

10:19 PM on 01/25/2011

I confess to being addicted to Mad Men. It isn't really as good as it is made out to be, but it is a heck of a lot of fun to watch.

[Leviathan21]

03:18 PM on 01/25/2011

When it's good, it's very good. But, when it's bad, it's just like a soap opera with more sophisticated art direction. 

Often it seems that the writers and directors are more interested in creating the perfect scene visually than in actually creating something that would grip viewers. The last season was especially lackluster. It looked great: the clothes were gorgeous, the sets were perfect; the camera work was brilliant. But, what about the writing!? 

I know its sacrilege to praise network television in front of the likes of Mad Men, but I honestly think that the best drama on the air right now is The Good Wife. The writing is always sharp, the actors are at the top of their games, and plot is always engaging.

[Tom Payned]

05:55 PM on 01/25/2011

I'm with you on The Good Wife. Great show. Possibly the best network show in the last 5 years that didn't get cancelled before the end of it's first season.

Networks make me nervous because you do start to get invested in a great new show, but in three episodes, it's ratings aren't high enough.

My favorite show of this year's crop, HBO's The Big C.

[Leviathan21]

05:16 PM on 01/26/2011

Haven't seen the The Big C yet. Will definitely have to check that out sometime.

[Tom Payned]

05:57 PM on 01/25/2011

Oh, and Rubicon. There's a show that got very short shrift.

[DogsRKool2]

03:05 PM on 01/25/2011

So it's about money. How original.

[Bobzmcishl]

02:55 PM on 01/25/2011

My favorite show by far with Boardwalk Empire coming in second. Would hate to see this show just end, with so many loose threads to wrap up. This show has everything going for it - great writing, great cast, great mood, great clothes. One of those rare shows where the sum is greater than the parts. Too bad so much else in televsion is so second rate.

[mary896]

12:09 PM on 01/25/2011

Mad Men isn't going anywhere. It's too popular and they're spinning it off into clothing lines, etc. We'll get one more season at least, I hope it shows before we all forget the story lines tho.....

[mamacat]

10:23 PM on 01/25/2011

I thought that they would have kept The Tudors going - they could have shown us Edward, then Mary, and then Elizabeth. That would have been worth another decade of shows. After Elizabeth, they could have kept on going, with a change of name. It isn't as if history stopped, just because Henry the VIII died.
I also thought that they could have kept Rome going.

[WRPrintz]

02:10 AM on 01/26/2011

Rome was Very expensive with the sets, and when the contracts were going to come up at the end of the second year, keeping all of those actors would have been out of this world expensive. Same thing that killed Deadwood.

[volet54]

10:25 AM on 01/25/2011

Can't this industry, just for one minute, take a deep breath, get beyond their egos's and greed , and continue to appreciate the idea of providing quality entertainment to the masses while still making ridiculously high salaries and retaining benefits of all kinds, most could never dream of experiencing and let the actors practice their"craft", We mere mortals love Don Draper and the journey through the past. But in keeping your audience waiting..we may just choose to pass..and if HBO picks it up..its lost forever for many of us.

[mary896]

12:00 PM on 01/25/2011

I think you're forgetting the new rules for America, if the CEO doesn't make $50,000 per minute, then...."don't let the door hit ya' where the good lord split ya'!". (Thanks again Randi Rhodes).

[berkamore]

12:53 PM on 01/25/2011

LOL.

[volet54]

12:56 PM on 01/25/2011

F&F! HA! I haven't heard that one before!! Good one!

[theseusofaustralia]

01:12 PM on 01/25/2011

I watched the show, it aint all that.

[volet54]

02:13 PM on 01/25/2011

I don't know if your in the US, but perhaps some of the entertaining aspects are missed on someone not growing up in the US. I'm fifty-something, so as well as the story lines and the depth of the characters, I also enjoy the reference to the literature of the times,music, the decor and fashion, and how societies rules have changed about raising children, divorce, politics,sex, women in the work place..I've lived it all..not to mention the quality of programing here in the U.S. has hit rock bottom, at least on anything other than premium channels. The episode where the daughter was playing with Betty's recently dry cleaned clothes and was entangled in the bag..was hilarious, Betty was upset about her wrinkling her clothes rather than her being smothered by the plastic bag... BIG change in parental priorities of the day! HA!

[MrsGrapevine]

10:04 AM on 01/25/2011

It's too early, one more season, one really great season, then retire it.

[GatorAtLarge]

09:39 AM on 01/25/2011

I see an HBO show in his future

[mary896]

12:06 PM on 01/25/2011

He did work with HBO. Sopranos!!!!! Mad Men was to be an HBO show, but HBO *passed*. AMC picked it up and the rest is history.....NO!!!! At least one more season, PLEASE!

[GatorAtLarge]

12:51 PM on 01/25/2011

Your point?

[Rahm11219]

09:03 AM on 01/25/2011

wow that's depressing news.

[sj user1]

08:32 AM on 01/25/2011

Let the show go out on a high note. The first 2 seasons were awesome while the last 2 have declined a bit. If it sticks around too much longer it will end up like the Sopranos were no one actually likes the show anymore but we all watch to see how it ends.

[J-Ho]

07:43 AM on 01/25/2011

Really liked the show at first; but now, it's just a soap opera.

[Properman]

07:02 AM on 01/25/2011

Not coming back?

Don Draper: What?

Don Draper: What??

Don Draper: Whaaaat?