Prepare to be infuriated! If this upsetting report from Vulture buddy Nikki Finke is correct (and we have no reason to believe it isn’t), episodes in Mad Men’s forthcoming season will be two minutes shorter than in previous ones. Why? Apparently AMC, citing the crappy economy, is demanding that producers allow for an additional commercial break during the show, claiming that Mad Men doesn’t earn enough revenue in its current, perfect form. For some less-excellent hour-long dramas, this might not be such a big deal, but considering the seamless way the show is plotted and put together, an extra block of ads could spell disaster for its dramatic flow. Plus, all those commercials will add up — this means next season will lose a total of 26 minutes. Just think of all that Matthew Weiner could do with that time. Don Draper could steal five dead guys’ identities!
