document: '' `` Mad Men '' '' Creator Says 7 Seasons Will Be Enough Matthew Weiner , the creator of AMC 's `` Mad Men , '' now knows how his beloved show will end . Mr. Weiner , a notoriously secretive writer and producer , is not telling anyone , of course . But he is saying that the seventh season of `` Mad Men '' will be its last . `` That 's how long the show is , '' Mr. Weiner said matter-of-factly on Thursday night , shortly after the announcement of his new contract . That gives the writers of `` Mad Men '' three more seasons to extend Don Draper 's suffering -- or , just maybe , to resolve it . The contract announcement confirmed that the fifth season of `` Mad Men '' would have its premiere in early 2012 , roughly six months later than previous seasons have started . AMC also affirmed that it would broadcast the sixth season of the show . The deal includes an option for Mr. Weiner and Lionsgate to make a seventh season , and Mr. Weiner indicated that he intended to act on that option . `` I 'm just thrilled I get to finish it , '' he said in an interview on Thursday night . Negotiations among Mr. Weiner , AMC and the studio that makes `` Mad Men , '' Lionsgate , became testy this week when he protested proposed cuts to the cast budget and the length of the episodes . Mr. Weiner said Thursday that no cast cuts were mandated , and that he would produce 47-minute versions of each episode that could be viewed online , even if AMC broadcasted versions that were two minutes shorter . Making `` Mad Men '' a seven-season story is not a done deal . It hinges on the cast contracts that Lionsgate will have to negotiate , particularly with Jon Hamm , who plays Don Draper . He is signed only through the sixth season , according to an executive with knowledge of the negotiations , who insisted on anonymity because AMC and Lionsgate declined to comment beyond their statements . As television series age , `` it 's always about keeping the cast going , '' the executive said . Talk about the ending of any acclaimed show is rife with prickly issues . Mr. Weiner said he had tried not to be `` emotionally attached to its future '' and had always assumed that each season of `` Mad Men '' could be its last . But the negotiations for a new contract in March forced him to contemplate how long he would want the show to go on . Having an end date in mind , he said , `` means I get to determine what taste will be left in the audience 's mouth . '' But he added , `` I 'm still going to take it a season at a time , and work my way up to that . ''
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