.....From the recent live chat:

Matthew Weiner: The 2 minutes is troubling and I’m fighting it. I am obvivously a huge advocate of advertising and I love the madvertising, but I am fighting the urge to change the show at this time, especially when the financials are meager and the urge to Tivo will just be further encouraged.

…I don’t know that it’s done deal. I am fighting it. If you oppose it, I see no reason not to let them know. I will make the best show I can no matter what, rest assured.

.....I haven't checked the Basket of Kisses in a LONG time, and evidently they are running their own "Give back the two minutes" campaign over there.

Check it out.....there are SEVERAL threads.

http://www.lippsisters.com/

Well, as I have previously stated, the whole idea of cutting Mad Men to make room for more commercials just stinks to high heaven. I do not like it one little bit, and I find it just one more example of AMC apparently not placing great enough value on this wonderfully creative drama.

How many awards does one show have to earn before it gets the respect it so richly deserves? If anything, they should cut commercial time, charge more for the commercials they do show, and provide the viewers with more opportunities to watch this excellent program. I would think a select few advertisers would jump at the chance to pay a little more and be assured that their product would get prime advertising time during the run of a show of this quality.

.....Oh, wait.....maybe that Ghandi?

.....Okay, I have NO idea what just happened, but I was on an entirely different thread when I hit submit!!

Please just ignore this.....

.....If you want to know the real details, seriously check out the Lipp sisters' blog. Turns out, without much information, we pretty much got it right, and it's not okay.

Deborah and Roberta have suggested on BofK to write letters and/or e-mails to:

Charlie Collier
President/General Manager AMC
11 Penn Plaza
15th Floor
New York, NY 10001

Both ladies have penned letters, and there are numerous comments regarding the issue.

Two minutes doesn't seem like much UNTIL you set a timer during an episode of MM and see how much happens. It's the important subtleties that could suffer the most - an important moment of silence while a character hesitates or thinks back on something. Watch the scene where Don gets his blood pressure checked. For me, that happened way too fast and my suspension of disbelief got suspended because of that. Now I surely didn't want to sit there and watch it for as long as a BP test realistically takes, but but when things are rushed along too much, it can remind the viewer it's not reality. Cutting two minutes could serve to cheapen the show by making even less room for crucial looks, reflections, a pan around a room, etc.

This show has been amazing for two consecutive seasons. Why start ruining it?

Is AMC running Viagra commercials or is Viagra commercials running AMC? I'm with Z...if AMC doesn't get a grip soon, they are going to lose their viewing audience. It takes me an entire day to get that stupid Viagra commercial out of my head after one episode of Mad Men. It will be the reason new viewers will turn to another station. Watch yourself, AMC...

A lot of people have said "what's the big deal?" Please peruse YouTube's Mad Men clips and see exactly how big a deal two minutes can be.

Moreover, let's support Matt Weiner's artistic vision. His brilliance has made AMC what they are today.

Kisses,

I understand that the bottom line is that the show not being on network tv needs cash, and I agree fully with bringing more in.

But what I don't understand is why don't they just run the show 2 more minutes, 10:00-11:02 to compensate for the 2 minutes of advertising?

Even with running an immediate re-airing, you then end up at 12:04. And if they re-air Breaking Bad after that, they end up 1:06 am. Ok, big deal.

This is primarily a movie network, and it's not like every movie runs exactly to the top of every hour with an exact 2 hr run time. They'll make up the extra minutes simply with the next movie later in the night, the dead middle of the night at that, to get programming back at the top of the hour.

What am I missing here?

Greg, excellent point. FX does this with their hit shows - The Shield (sigh, now gone), Damages and Rescue Me.

Cadillac sponsors Damages and they gave us the season opener without commercial interruption - haven't seen that in a long time. Reminded me of when I was a kid and the Bell Telephone Hour was always commercial free. Wish more corporations would do that - makes you think they are grateful for taking our money.

.....Matt doesn't write "throw-away" scenes.

It's what plops him, and all his gifted associates, on top of the heap in "entertainment" writing and direction.

AMC.....we passed "nice" several months ago, but I am entreating you now to re-think this hate campaign against Matt and the show. We know it's not really about the money.

Nothing good can come of this, for anyone.

Give Matt his two minutes, and I will shut the fuck up.

(At least for now.)

..... From BofK..... http://www.lippsisters.com/2009/06/05/mad-men-amc-commercial-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-37079

Joe Bua, who linked to us, cracks me up but also is smart:

Hell, they’re already making us wait until August, now we’re waiting for two minutes less show per week.

I realize that you Chuck fans are thinking, “WTF? Our show almost disappeared entirely! Two minutes less? Boo hoo, world’s tiniest violin,” and all that.

“Bite me,” they might reply, citing that there’s nothing else on the air, currently or ever, that reaches the heights this show does. And there’s nothing on the air that has as much respect for its audience as Mad Men, certainly.

.....From BofK.....

http://www.lippsisters.com/2009/06/05/mad-men-amc-commercial-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-37079

The New York Magazine Culture Vulture, whom I link to often, has a great little snippet:

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!

.....Send your comments and letters to:

Charlie Collier
President/General Manager AMC
11 Penn Plaza
15th Floor
New York, NY 10001

....From BofK..... Sample letter to AMC
June 04, 2009 By: Deborah Lipp

Charlie Collier
President/General Manager AMC
11 Penn Plaza
15th Floor
New York, NY 10001

Dear Mr. Collier:

I understand that AMC plans to reduce the length of Mad Men by two minutes. Please reconsider this!

I love the scripts, pacing, and writing quality of Mad Men. Two minutes is a lot in television time. This show wins awards for its excellent quality. Don’t make it just another TV show.

Thank you.

A wonderfully polite fan

Can't add a thing, all ground is already covered beautifully... & thanks for the info, address and all links, Dry.

I'm writing a letter to Mr. Collier and know all the Maddicts will do the same.

Yes, Matt, I definitely "oppose" the 2 minute cut into the show -- it goes much too fast as it is! We who love your excellent show share your fight.

I'm printing this thread out (when all the Maddicts get their say in a day or so) and sending a copy with my letter.

Guys, here is a story from MSNBC,

[snip]
“AMC's Mad Men, recognized as the best show on television, will continue to have fewer commercials than nearly any other drama on TV — ironic, given that it's a show about advertising,” a rep for the show to the Scoop.

A source close to the show said there is no cause for alarm, and most important, viewers will not be shortchanged by two minutes less program time.

“‘Mad Men’ has the most programming with the least amount of commercials of any show on television. Even with the addition of a commercial that will remain true. It’s a bad economy and we want to make sure the show stays on television. That’s what the focus should be on,” said the source.
[snip]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30989177/

Totally agree with NOT adding two minutes of commercials. The writing of Man Men is so finely tuned that the quality of this unique show would suffer - as would the dedicated Maddicts who watch it. Give Mr. Weiner, the actors, and all those behind the scenes their due. And one more thing, air the new season at a decent hour like 9 or 10 p.m. so more people can see it.

Hi boo, appreciate the link... it reads like a typical spin job to me....

Still sending my letter to Mr. Collier with a copy of this thread enclosed this week (with a link in it for TPTB to come here and read any postings from after the time the letter was sent)

Not that they'll pay any attention...but, all we can do is all we can do....

If someone doesn't think two minutes is a long time, they should try holding their breath for that long.

.....Thank you for all the comments, and also the MSNBC piece.

As an outside observer, it makes me wonder about a legal contract representing a precise and well-defined set of expectations and, as has been said by others NOT on this forum, the powers-that-be just keep chipping away, and chipping away at those logistical expectations.

I believe the term was 'nickel-and-diming Matt and the show to death,' to paraphrase.

I sincerely hope that all the missing Maddicts check in and post their support now, since very soon the matter will be moot.

It's hard to imagine five seasons of this trend. If the writers, etc., continue to be stripped of rights and former expectations, what will befall the show?

Prematurely sending it straight down the drain? Because the recipe is there......just sayin'......

(Can't believe I misspelled Gandhi - duh!

.....Believe it or not, I miss the advertising with accompanying blurb-thingies (can't remember what that's called) a lot.

I have several first-run epis from Season 2, and those blurb-thingies are missing from the re-runs, as well as the advertising being very generic.

One request for Season 3 - lay off the "old-folks" advertising, fer crissakes!!!

Jesus! To paraphrase an infamous Monty Python sketch, "We're not dead yet!!"

That's discrimination, and absolutely deters people of another age range to feel comfortable viewing live.

And you wonder why numbers are LOW???

.....P.S.....I ain't ooollld!!

What is the dividing line for being considered "ooollld" ~~ Over 50?

I think 18-34 is the most coveted demographic for advertisers, but I think women up to 50 or so are targeted, too. Apparently after we are no longer children and/or quit having children, we are consigned to the dustbin.

Yes, Mambo, I've always heard that, too....

Well, ain't that just shitty!

How infuriating....I always knew the teens/young adults were the ones with the 'discretionary income', but, hell, WE ain't dead -- yet (58 is the new 38 ~~ for me anyway!)

Hell, we buy a big ol' bottle of Jack Daniels at least 3 times a year.....BMW's ~~ not so much...

sigh

.....Your guess is as good as mine!

And, PAH!

Age really is just a number.

.....Did I dream that 60schild popped in, said "hellooooo" and then vanished?

Just checking.....

I think you have had one too many, Dry. ;o) I haven't seen 60s child for months. Cheers.

.....Actually, she did pop in, for like one post, and then "poof!"

Think I'll still get a reply (meaning: form letter!) to my complaint I sent out this morning?

I worded mine even more sweetly than Deborah Lipp's....

Yes, 60's child did pop in @ 60's child where are you? that I started. And, here I am popping in!
Helloooooo everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm back here in little ol' Atlanta where I grew up! How do you like that. About 2 minutes....nobody is going to stop watching because of it. We'll just sit at edge of our seats and keep on watchin'! August 16....O.K.!!!

.....Hi! We thought you fell in a hole!

Howdy Nora!

How's doin's?

(been watching Lonesome Dove)

ha