Mad Men picked up for two more seasons, showrunner Weiner for three

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More good news: AMC and showrunner Matthew Weiner have come to an agreement: Mad Men has been picked up for two more seasons (bringing it to season 6) and Weiner has had his contract extended for three more seasons (to season 7). Weiner has also said that he intends for the 7th season of Mad Men to be its last.

As reported earlier, AMC, Lionsgate TV and Weiner were negotiating on some creative elements of the show. Reports suggest that the only concession made was on product placement (the show isn’t really a ratings star). The cast won’t be cut, so all of you Sally Draper fans can rest easy.

Mad Men, Fringe and Southland all get renewed. I love television.

Quality Television Alert: The Killing premieres this Sunday on AMC

After premiering the stunning Mad Men and Breaking Bad, AMC has solidified itself as a network that believes in artistic quality of its television series. Yes, Rubicon was hit-or-miss. And yes, The Walking Dead didn’t necessarily live up to its insurmountable expectations. But all of their original series have pushed originality, innovation and large, overarching storylines. And that’s just one of the reasons why The Killing is so fantastic.

Never mind that the buzz is that it’s the best AMC show since Breaking Bad. The Killing is a winner because of its unique formula for telling the story of one investigation and developing the characters that the eponymous murder affects. Instead of having one murder that is introduced and solved within one episode, The Killing takes one murder and spreads it over an entire 13-episode season, with each episode being a different day within the case. Not only does this rid us of deus ex machina clues that populate other crime procedurals, but it allows for a more realistic depiction of the entire murder. It allows the audience to see the family of the deceased as more than just characters-of-the-week. The writing is fantastic, creating believable people whose motives are both understandable and occasionally damning. While they overarching narrative centers on the actual murder, the story is largely driven by its shockingly human characters. It’s similar to Mad Men in that regard; few are truly innocent, everyone has secrets, but everyone interacts so beautifully that it appears to transcend the medium. Not to mention it stars Mireille Enos of Big Love.

I’ll have a full review up on Monday of the two-hour premiere. If you think television has the ability to be as artistic and thought-provoking as film, you owe it to yourself to watch The Killing. Watch the teaser trailer below:

The Killing premieres on Sunday, April 3rd at 9pm only on AMC.

FX renews Archer and Justified, world rejoices

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Before today’s upfront presentation, FX renewed critical-acclaimed drama Justified for a 13-episode third season and comedy Archer for a 16-episode third season. 3 episodes of Archer‘s third season will premiere this fall following episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, likely to boost awareness and ratings of the off-beat comedy (to be fair, Archer has grown this year off of its first season).

In other FX news, the cable network is looking to pickup one new comedy and one new drama for the fall. No word yet on which, but it’s likely the announcement of the comedy pickup will come sooner rather than later.

AMC dates Mad Men Season 5 for 2012, but…

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AMC officially dated the 5th season of Mad Men for early 2012, but there are some caveats.

First, no one is sure if creator Matthew Weiner is on board. His contract hit a snag after making significant headway with AMC and Lionsgate television. They’ve settled on a salary ($30 million, the highest of any cable showrunner) but there are three creative aspects of the deal that Weiner is not signing onto:

1. Integration of product placement
2. Cutting each episode by 2 minutes to allow for more commercials
3. Cutting some regulars in order to save money

My advice: take the 2 minute cut, stay steadfast on the other points. Cutting an episode by 2 minutes when Mad Men is already one of the longer shows on basic cable shouldn’t affect the show’s artistic integrity. Integrating product placement and demoting regulars most certainly would.

If Weiner ultimately decides not to act as showrunner during the show’s 5th season, it’s unclear what the affect will be on the cast. Christina Hendricks has already booked a film because of the current hiatus.

Related Articles

• AMC greenlights season five of ‘Mad Men’ – for 2012 (insidetv.ew.com)
• Is Mad Men on the rocks? (arts.nationalpost.com)
• Time and Tide Wait for MAD MEN (macleans.ca)
• ‘Mad Men’ Season 5 Talks Could Collapse; Is the Show in Danger? (screenrant.com)

Let’s Make A Network Schedule! NBC 2011-2012 Edition

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After Marc Berman posted some, frankly, embarrassing guesses on network schedules next year, I began to contemplate what an actual schedule would look like at this point in time. This will be based on the buzz surrounding certain pilots along with my own renewal estimates. Think of it like bracketology for television aficionados.

Though NBC might wish it could, there is no way it can cancel everything. However, this is also KabletownComcast and Robert Greenblatt’s first year in charge; industry insiders are hopeful for a gradual Renaissance at the peacock. Regardless, it’ll take years, if not more, for NBC to climb back its former glory. Don’t expect sudden changes this fall.

Sunday (with out Football):

8 – Dateline NBC
9 – The Sing-Off
10 – SMASH

Midseason: The Voice

Without Football, NBC’s lineup clearly needs help. I’m wary of putting Smash at 10pm, but it fits bets with The Sing-Off as a lead-in.
Monday:

8 – Parenthood
9 – WONDER WOMAN
10 – Harry’s Law

Midseason: R.E.M.

NBC’s weakest night. At this point, I think Chuck will get the boot. It’s just not cost-effective any longer for NBC. Parenthood fits at 8 and has been a relatively stable performer at 10. Wonder Woman would beef up Monday night considerably and give a solid lead-in to Harry’s Law. Of course it would be competing with House, Dancing With the Stars and CBS’s comedy night. House has seen a dramatic downtic in its ratings and CBS’s comedy block is in jeopardy without its anchor.

R.E.M. is another pilot with considerable buzz. Because of its tough concept, it might fit well on Mondays if Wonder Woman proves to be a successful lead-in.

Tuesday:

8 – The Biggest Loser
10 – Law & Order: Los Angeles

I agree with Berman that in any other situation, I would trim The Biggest Loser to one hour. Unfortunately, NBC doesn’t have that luxury. Though there’s been no word on LOLA, I’d say it’ll come back. 10pm is also better for Law & Order in general.

Wednesday:

8 – 17th PRECICNT
9 – S.I.L.A.
10 – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Midseason: PLAYBOY

I was going to put S.I.L.A. at 8, but I don’t think that it would fit there. 17th Precinct brings in Ron Moore’s loyal fanbase, and advertising from NBC’s strong Tuesdays should help both. Launching two new shows right after each other is risky, but it’s been done successfully before (NCIS:LA and The Good Wife). Again, Law & Order goes at 10pm.

Playboy fits in with the more mature feeling for the night and would be a good companion to the more successful of 17th Precinct or S.I.L.A.

Thursday:

8 – ARE YOU THERE VODKA? IT’S ME, CHELSEA
8:30 – Parks & Recreation
9 – The Office
9:30 – UNTITLED EMILY SPIVEY PROJECT
10 – A MANN’S WORLD

Midseason: Community, 30 Rock

Lorne Michaels, Chirstina Applegate and Maya Rudolph make the pickup of Untitled Emily Spivey Project almost a sure thing. NBC is also going to get rid of its failed 3 hour comedy block. Dramady A Mann’s World is also the best fit afterward. Parks & Recreation has proven it has a loyal fanbase, so moving it before The Office shouldn’t affect it too much. Better to use NBC’s most lucrative lead-in for a new show. Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea is a solid anchor for the night with a popular name attached to the project. Though for the life of me, I can’t figure out why people find Chelsea Handler humorous. Still, do I have a Nielsen box?

Community‘s small-but-loyal fanbase means that it can be inserted at midseason without a significant loss in viewership. Same with 30 Rock.

Friday:

8 – Who Do You Think You Are?
10 – Dateline NBC

Cost-effective night. If NBC does well next year, they can come back and try again. Really.

Cancel: Outlaw, Chase, The Event, The Cape, Chuck, America’s Next Great Restaurant, Perfect Couples, School Pride, Undercovers, The Marriage Ref, Minute to Win It

Thoughts? Sound off in the comments!

Teaser Trailer for ABC’s Happy Endings

Nothing about this looks entertaining. And this is coming from a guy that gets mild enjoyment out of Better With You. Who knows, maybe you all will appreciate its underlying humor conceptualized from the pangs of modernity that went over my head.

CBS renews Undercover Boss and The Amazing Race

CBS has renewed its Emmy-winning reality The Amazing Race for a 19th cycle. The eye has also renewed Undercover Boss for a third season. The latter is a bit too self-indulgent for my tastes, but it’s been a constant Sunday performer for CBS.

Thoughts on this week’s Modern Family and The Chicago Code

Modern Family: Modern Family has had an interesting season. Though it’s never been boring, some episodes have dragged on more than they should, lacking the intrinsic humor that many season one episodes contained.

Tonight was back to form and was one of the best episodes of the season, “Boys’ Night” epitomizes everything that the series is about; solid, light-hearted fun that’s both witty and inspiring. It also has Pepper Saltzman and a gay man named Longinus. A basic recipe for success.

The Chicago Code: What sets this show apart from every other cop show is its use of its setting as a character. Well, that’s not necessarily the only thing, but it definitely is a defining aspect of The Chicago Code. The series uses its eponymous city as a playground ripe with stories of corruption, scandal and mayhem that affect people at every level.

Up to this point, The Chicago Code has been solid… though not spectacular. Sure, the cast is very strong. Yes, the idea of using Chicago as a backdrop for a police show is novel. And yes, some of the characters have shown tremendous promise. Yet the stories from week-to-week have been less compelling than Shawn Ryan’s procedurals (namely, The Shield and Terriers).

That all changes with this week’s “Black Hand and Shotgun Man.” Not only is the best episode of the series, but its potential implications will affect the series from here on out. It’s a game changer, to be sure, but one that is more subtle than most.

Like most episodes in the series, relationships lie at the center. Yet this week’s episode parallels the relationship of a father (a drug lord and Wysocki) that show the limits of the latter. He might be an effective cop, but as a father… he is lacking. And while Romero’s crimes are heinous, his commitment to his family severely outpaces Wysocki’s. And you know what kills Wysocki? He knows it. He knows that he’s not the father, the husband, the fiancé, that he should be. There’s something holding him back. He blames it on his work, on his partner, maybe even on his energy drinks. It’s a beautiful story that’s only half-told, there for the audience to discover. And that’s the best kind.

Fox Renews Fringe for a Fourth Season

Pure, pure joy

In today’s OMFG news, Fox has renewed Fringe for a 4th season. Excuse me while I scream so my entire street can understand the pure joy that I am currently experiencing.

Especially after Terriers, Lone Star and now Lights Out, it’s good one of my favorites has been saved.

And yes, I actually am shaking right now.

UPDATE: Fox confirms. Still no word on the episode count.

UPDATE 2: 22-episode season. This is how you make a grown man cry.

FX Cancels Lights Out

FX has officially canceled Lights Out. The cable network will air the final two episodes as scheduled.

There are really no words to describe my seething disappointment right now.