The squabbling over money is now pushing the new season of Mad Men into 2012, well over a year since the last season. At this point, I’ve nearly forgotten the plot lines and by next year I doubt that I’ll give a shit whether or not it comes back at all. This is the same thing that went on with The Sopranos, with an equal loss of interest on my part. It always seems that when this happens, the quality of the writing takes a dump and the actors start mailing it in. :mad:
You know, if they’d conduct the money fight on-camera it might be every bit as entertaining as the show itself.
Too bad.
I’ll happily tune in whenever it shows up; probably in 2012. The plot? There are DVD’s & On Demand usually re-runs a bunch of stuff before a season begins. Or check out TwoP for episode summaries.
Leave me alone; I’m sulking.
According to this article, “Though Weiner is poised to become the highest-paid showrunner on basic cable, we hear that he is objecting to three things AMC/Lionsgate are asking for: integrating product placement into the series, cutting 2 minutes from each episode’s running time in favor of more commercials and eliminating/reducing two regular cast members to save money.”
First of all, product placement in a series set 45 years ago? I’m not sure how that will work. And I object to the idea of cutting characters. They already cut some characters when they left Sterling Cooper and I can’t imagine losing any more. As for cutting two minutes from the episodes, I want the show to run longer, not shorter. And in general, I can’t imagine how they can’t make a fortune from the show.
Haven’t they been doing this from the get go? Since they quite often mention and are working for some real products…I always assumed there was at least some product placement deal in place.
The problem with product placement is that it’s hard to show them in a positive light. Conrad Hilton came across as a manipulative old douche so not sure if that would help the hotel chain and the episode involving the Honda account involved Japan in WW2 (though Roger Sterling stating at the meeting “These guys LOVE surprises… but they won’t be really impressed until you drop a big one on them” was one of the great moments from the season). If Don were to say in passing “Get me the files on the Lego account” or “Is everything going okay with Pepsi?” then it might be fine, but if it’s central to the plot it’s likely not to make the companies happy.
Perhaps a martini would cheer you up. It works for Roger Sterling!
AFAIK, none of the products ever paid for a mention. They were used for verisimilitude. And anachronistically for the first few episodes until Weiner realized that people really, really cared about getting the dates exact.
I’ve been looking for Patio for over a year now!
Well, it is a show about ADVERTISING, so I don’t see the problem running old ads or TV commercials for products that might still be around today. Actually, I would sort of like to see some old ad back when Honda only sold motorbikes, or some of those great ugly kitchen appliances from back then.
As far as cutting two characters, or cutting two minutes - well, there are budgets to be concerned about in every business. My guess is nobody is mentioning that most likely there have been quite a few salary increases for the leads - so that does start to add up. Whereas sitcoms make a killing in syndication (nobody has to necessarily see them in order), dramas don’t do quite as well so they can’t use that excuse to run wild with budgets and salaries.
Looking forward to the new season (whenever it starts), and still enjoy watching this slice of life from that era.
I recall reading that Heineken had paid for their product placement and that a number of other companies had too.
Kodak probably got the best advertising its had in years on that show, during the episode where Don Draper gave the presentation for the Kodak Carousel projector. It was the best moment of the entire series, as far as I’m concerned.
It’s not hard to imagine them working in an ad campaign for a company like GE, or Ford, or Gillette, focusing on the ‘tradition of innovation’ or some other positive quality of the company. Or an ad campaign for Coca Cola, emphasizing the secret formula for Coke and how it’s stood the test of time to remain America’s favorite soft drink.
Even if they don’t have product placement in the actual episode, they have those little factoids in the bumpers about BMW, Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Bridgestone Tires, etc. I always figured the advertisers paid extra for those.
I may be biased, but AMC is showing its criminal incompetence again.
This is their flagship show, the only reason they’re on the TV map, and they can’t spot Weiner TWO piddling characters? They’re already paying him $15 million a year.
AMC seems determined to piss away their new-found success.
Unless they want to fire January Jones. Then I forgive them for everything.
AMC also broadcasts Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead, so Mad Men isn’t all they’ve got. (Although I couldn’t get into The Walking Dead.)
Of course, it’s hard to be in dire straits when you have the files on the Pepsi account 
I could see it more as them bidding to get Pepsi including the strategy meetings where they’re saying “Why do people like Pepsi?”…
…I need to stop. I’m leaving myself cold just thinking about the massive sell-out opportunities there.
I don’t see how they could integrate product placement, and keep their artistic integrity. That would mean that they couldn’t criticize that company or product, right.
Twice.
Yes, but things go better with Coke.
I recently watched a rerun of the season 4 episode where Roger played Santa and was embarrassed by Lee (the Lucky Strike guy). Anyway, Don goes home after the office Christmas party, forgets his keys and has his secretary drop them by. After she lets them both in his apartment, Don plops down on the couch and, behind his head, in the kitchen, is a box of Cheerios with what looks to be 2000 era artwork to me. There have been other product placements as well that did nothing to drive the plot, but the Cheerios box stood out for me because it didn’t seem to be the 1960s era box.