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'Red Widow' Gets The Axe
Matt Weiner Declares Season Six Will Be the End of 'Mad Men'
by Allison Waldman, posted Apr 19th 2010 11:06AM
If you recall the way the third season of 'Mad Men' ended, there were a lot of major changes and the prospect of some amazing developments in the seasons ahead. It was really exciting to think of where Matt Weiner would be taking the characters in the course of the next few years. Well, they're currently shooting season four and in a stunning announcement at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas this past weekend, Weiner declared that 'Mad Men' will wrap with season six. What the creator said, precisely, was that he could not see writing or continuing the program after six seasons. If Weiner was sincere, let's hope that he was just contemplating ending the show before he overstays his welcome.
This would be consistent with 'The Sopranos' situation. Weiner was a writer on 'The Sopranos' and must have had a bird's eye view of what David Chase went through. HBO enjoyed the success of 'The Sopranos' and wanted more. Chase felt pressured to continue the series, even expressing ambivalence about what he wanted to do with the characters. Perhaps Weiner has a specific idea in mind for the future of 'Mad Men' and doesn't want to deviate from the plan?
If that's the case, you have to respect Weiner for his artistic standards. But, on the other hand, when you've created such rich and complex characters like Weiner has with 'Mad Men,' why not allow the show to thrive and develop with other writers picking in the reins. Weiner could still be involved, but others could continue with Don and Betty and Joan and Roger and Peggy and Pete.
Look at how other writers have taken the 'Star Trek' idea -- Gene Roddenberry's creation -- and turned it into a plethora of projects? Sure, 'Mad Men' is more high brow, but still, there are already a bunch of writers finding ideas in the characters that Weiner never envisioned.
Another point is one that I would miss if Weiner follows through with his decision. The idea that 'Mad Men' would take us through the 1960s into the next decade. So far, we're still in 1963. There are seven years left of the decade to be reflected in the lives of these characters, including the entire counter-culture revolution, the women's liberation movement, the Great Society and the Vietnam War. Aren't you interested in how 'Mad Men' would treat all that and more?
So what do you think? Is Matt Weiner serious and is he right to end the show when he wants to and not when the audience has had enough?
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