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So just the other day I was feeling reassured that Mad Men season 3 would continue on smoothly as I read Alan Sepinwall's interview with Matthew Weiner. I had such a confident feeling about what greatness is still to come. In the interview, the Mad Men mastermind discussed the negotiations for him to stay on as showrunner for the third season and said,"There's no crisis. I have every intention of being part of this show forever. I love doing it and I love the experience and I love working with everybody I work with." But according to Deadline Hollywood Daily, someone over at Lionsgate didn't get that message apparently. So much for all my warm fuzzy misguided feelings of contentment.
Despite the recent Emmy win, the critical buzz and the strong uptick in ratings for the finale (not to mention the surge in popularity of the show's star Jon Hamm, who just charmed the pants off of many a non-fan this past weekend on SNL) the studio is considering replacing Weiner. They think he wants too much money and instead of sitting down to hammer it out in a calm, sensible way, they've started scouting out other people who can replace him -- including checking one Mr. Aaron Sorkin. If they were paying attention to the trades, they'd know that he's busy working on a Facebook movie.
I just can't see Sorkin (though fabulous in his own way) or any one else stepping in to Weiner's shoes. This show has such a slow and purposeful tone to it, and it is so distinctive, so subtle and so detailed. You need the man who had this vision in the first place to see it out. Can you see Sorkin taking it over? Suddenly Peggy and Don would be having walk-and-talks through the hallways of Sterling Cooper and uttering more dialogue in a three-minute scene than during two entire seasons. My head is just spinning at the possibility.
Sure, I get that Weiner wants money, times are tough, ratings are small and Lionsgate can't justify shelling out that much cash, but there's got to be some middle ground here that doesn't involve ruining what makes the show so good in the first place. Who cares if Lionsgate has an order from AMC for the next two seasons? If someone else is in charge and completely changes the unique direction and style of the show, it will lose the limited viewers that they have now. Not to mention all the lingering questions I need answered. If things go poorly and there's a fallout, would Weiner share his outline for the future of these characters with the person stepping in to his shoes? I know I wouldn't.
Which just makes me so very angry, because I love this show. I want to see how it unfolds. I've got bad Deadwood vibes all over again. I don't understand these corporate people who make deals that don't take into consideration at all the people who are devoted to watching their programming.
Your thoughts? Does having Weiner back actually matter? Could the show run smoothly without him? Let us know.
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Like you said, MW is the one who has had the vision for this show from the beginning. While we can't predict 100% whether the show will be worse or better off with him replaced, we DO know that it WILL be different. And good or bad, a different show is...well, that. A DIFFERENT show. As in, not the one I fell in love with.
SORKIN??? Nooooooooooo!!!! I will never, ever, ever watch the show if Sorkin takes over.
SORKIN??? Nooooooooooo!!!! I will never, ever, ever watch the show if Sorkin takes over.
MW is really what makes this show so watchable. There's a great comfort in knowing that the person who brought this show to the place it is, will bring it to it's conclusion.
I love Sorkin. But Sorkin cannot possibly do someone else's vision - that's not his style. That's John Wells area of fuckup. Can't Lionsgate and Weiner simply compromise at 7 mill and call it a season???
Greed is not always good!
Weiner not being on Mad Men will ruin the show. It has a unique sense of spacing and drama that I really appreciate. Other shows have changed the head guy with disastrous results.
Hopefully this is just typical saber-rattling negotiation on Lionsgate's part. It sounds like Weiner's agents have been pushing an "our guy is irreplaceable, so you have to give him everything he wants" angle, so now Lionsgate is demonstrating that they can replace Weiner if they want (note, I didn't say it'd be a GOOD replacement). The idea being to worry Weiner enough that he tells his agents to rein in their demands. There's no way for me to know what's going on between Weiner and his agents, but agents do get out of control sometimes and prioritize their own commissions over what their clients want (remember Scott Boras getting fired by one of his baseball players, and A-Rod going around him?).
Amen. I just wrote about this on my own blog this morning after spitting out my coffee in shock while reading Nikki's report. This cannot be. Mad Men will never be the same. I'm calling their bluff. This is just a negotiation tactic. I just hope it doesn't backfire.
No freakin' way. I will not watch a single second of a Mad Men that does not have Weiner as showrunner. Do you hear me, Lionsgate? Not one second!
I hope Sorkin's reply was: "Did you douchebags learn nothing from my example of what happens when you replace the creator of a succesful show in order to save money?"
OK, I am an admitted Sorkin junkie and him taking over Mad Men is a HORRID NO GOOD VERY BAD idea! The snappy walk and talked worked for The West Wing... the show was conducive for that. Mad Men, with it's laid back atmosphere and slow build up to the pay off is NOT! NOT AT ALL!! NO SORKIN!!
All agreed: Bad Idea. But One also has to wonder what makes them think Sorkin would ask for any less dough?
MM is MWs show. What the fuck is Lionsgate thinking?!? It's like firing HBO firing David Chase from The Sopranos. Maybe MW should pack up his show and take it where it belonged in the first place, HBO. By now the dolts who turned it down there must have pulled their heads out of their asses.
No,No, No! I LOVE Aaron Sorkin -- as the creator of the other greatest TV show -- The West Wing. Not Mad Men. I think Jon H. and the rest of the cast can manage Sorkinese, but this show's far too layered for Aaron. Please, please, please, do whatever you need to do to re-sign MW.
MM is MWs show. What the fuck is Lionsgate thinking?!? It's like firing HBO firing David Chase from The Sopranos. Maybe MW should pack up his show and take it where it belonged in the first place, HBO. By now the dolts who turned it down there must have pulled their heads out of their asses.
As Don Draper said in the finale, "We don't know what's really going on."
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Just NO!!!
I'm a little sick of these showrunners ditching the show because the millions they already make just isn't enough. The show doesn't get immense ratings, so how much can they be making in terms of commercial space? It just doesn't add up.
What makes shows done by Joss Whedon so good is Joss Whedon. What made The Sopranos brilliant was David Chase. Lost has Cuse and House has Shore. While these writers get help, the show is still their vision and is under their guidance. If Mad Men were to change leadership there is not any possible way the show will stay true to the way it is now. Lionsgate should not risk messing up one of two best shows on television.
They may as well just cancel the show.
I feel like it is Deadwood all over again. I'll just be devastated if Mad Men turns out the same way. Of what does that say about me to be so hooked on a show. Maybe HBO will be a white knight. Oh that's right they were responsible for the death of
Deadwood. Lionsgate needs to bite the bullet and pay the man!
WTF WEINER IS THE SHOW! Sorkin will kill it until it's dead. Boo Sorkin
Obviously Sorkin is not going to take over the show, and probably no other "name" person would either - just think of the money they would ask for. The only person Lionsgate could get would be a relative newbie, and I don't see that happening. MW doesn't want to let go of his show any more than the rest of us. Times are tough all around, and they will all come to some middle ground, eventually.
Greedy bastards, you all have much more money than average fan, WORK IT OUT YOU LOUSY FATCATS.
CSI: Miami oozes on year after bloody year while one great show after another gets cancelled or runs its course with few replacements. Mad Men has been one of the few worthy heirs to what I consider to be a drama golden era during the late 90's to mid aughts. If MM suffers a premature decline, I can't think of a single continuing drama that is up to its level.
I'd rather it not come back at all then have Sorkin ruin it.
Wait, TWoP likes Aaron Sorkin now? This site really has gone to hell.