AMC will split the seventh and final season of Mad Men into two parts to air in 2014
and 2015, in the same way it did for Breaking
Bad.
The network has ordered an extra episode of the Lionsgate
drama, bringing the order to 14 episodes, to air in batches of seven episodes in
the spring of each year.
"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," said Charlie Collier, AMC president. "We are
determined to bring Mad Men a similar showcase. In an era where
high-end content is savored and analyzed, and catch-up time is used well to
drive back to live events, we believe this is the best way to release the now
14 episodes than remain of this iconic series."
The move will keep the critically-acclaimed show on the air for another
year as AMC is restocking its drama bench. With Breaking Bad ending and The
Killing recently re-cancelled, the network has ordered two new dramas -- Turn and Halt & Catch Fire -- and a Breaking
Bad spinoff Better Call Saul. AMCalso announced on Monday it is developing a companion series to its monster hit
The Walking Dead.
