The hit AMC series, Mad Men, will not return until early 2012 for it’s fifth season.

“AMC has officially authorized production of season five of ‘Mad Men,’ triggering our option with Lionsgate [‘Mad Men’s’ production company],” AMC said in a statement Monday. “While we are getting a later start than in years past due to ongoing, key non-cast negotiations, ‘Mad Men’ will be back for a fifth season in early 2012.”

There have been reports that these negotiations are between AMC and the show’s creator, Matthew Weiner. The network supposedly wants to integrate more product placement into the series (like they don’t get enough of that), cut to minutes from the show’s 47 minute runtime for more commercials, and reduce the cast by two members in order to save money.

Personally, I would like to see AMC let Weiner have more creative control and not give in to the product-placement based shows we have today. I love Mad Men and find it to be the best show on AMC, although I have recently began watching Breaking Bad, which is also fantastic. With it’s newest addition of The Walking Dead, it is quickly becoming a very prestigious television network.