Mad Men season five delayed till March 2012
The fifth installment of popular US ad agency drama Mad Men has been delayed after contract negotiations with its creator, Matt Weiner, hit an impasse.
Cable network AMC had been scheduled to screen the show this July in America but this timetable has been jettisoned after Weiner took issue with changes being imposed by the broadcaster and Lionsgate, the series producers.
These included requests for integrating product placements within the series, slicing two minutes from the running time of each episode (ironically in order to insert more adverts) and the ditching of two key cast members to save cash.
Weiner has still to sign a reported £18.7m three year contract, without which production on the new season cannot continue.
Speaking to the New York Times Weiner said: "I don't understand why, with all of the success of the show, they suddenly need to change it.
"All I want to do is continue to make my show and make it in the way I want to, with the people I want to make it with."