'Mad Men' Creator Signs New Deal

Zap2It.com | January 19, 2009

Matthew Weiner

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Matthew Weiner will stay with show, develop new ones

The man behind "Mad Men" will remain with the series for another two years.

Series creator Matthew Weiner has signed a new deal with Lionsgate TV, which produces the Emmy-winning show, that will keep him around as executive producer and showrunner for two more years. The agreement follows months of negotiations following a second season on AMC whose ratings nearly doubled from the first.

The contract, which is in the seven-figure range, also calls for Weiner to develop new series for Lionsgate TV and film projects for the studio's movie division, the showbiz trade papers report.

Negotiations between Weiner and Lionsgate dragged on for several months, with word occasionally leaking out that talks were at an impasse. AMC banked on both the show and Weiner returning; earlier this month the cable channel's president, Charlie Collier, said "Mad Men" would return in the summer and that he was "optimistic" Weiner would remain in the fold.

In a statement, Weiner calls working on "Mad Men" "a charmed experience, made possible by my partnership with AMC and Lionsgate. I am proud to work so closely with these two companies who love taking risks and value creativity, and I am thrilled to get back to work with the most talented cast and crew in the business."

The series won the Emmy for best drama series last year, the first ad-supported cable show to win the honor. "Mad Men" has also won the last two Golden Globes for best drama.