Jabroni of the Week: AMC

AMC announced earlier this week that it is bringing back Mad Men, the best show on TV, for a fifth season. However, it still hadn't reached an agreement with show head Matthew Weiner. For four seasons, Mad Men has been an amazing, groundbreaking television experience with rich characters and storylines. Mad Men took AMC from a channel that replayed Halloween 5 and Superman III on a constant basis to one that was known for its quality content and paved the way for other award-winning shows like Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead.

That's why it was so curious that the announcement for Mad Men came without Weiner. Weiner wanted a large salary but conflicts arose around the show's length and budget. AMC wanted to add more commercials and product placement while cutting two regular cast members.

Mad Men and Matthew Weiner are the slutty bartender of AMC. They are the channel's cornerstones. Why would you pull such a hard-line stance against them and try to change something that has worked so perfectly in the past? Maybe the show isn't making as much money as it could but it's genius. Who cares how much money it took Leonardo da Vinci to paint the Mona Lisa? It's a work of art and a whole lot better than low-rent movie sequels.

Eventually, Weiner and AMC came to a deal. Mad Men will return in January and run for three more seasons. The show will be cut by two minutes but extended versions of episodes will be available on DVD. Product placement and cast changes will be done on a need-basis. A fair compromise, I suppose, although one of the strengths of Mad Men was its lack of interruptions.

AMC, baby, why would you try to kill the golden goose? You should have given Matthew Weiner everything he wanted. You should have changed your name to the Weiner Network if he wanted. It's a good thing he's a pro and will continue to make an amazing show. This is another example of corporate greed and dumb executives taking for granted what they already have. You already have the Mona Lisa. Don't give it a boob job. Until then, you're a jabroni, brother.