'Mad Men' With No Advertising? How AMC Incompetence Kept the Show from Sucking

There's a great story in Grantland today about some of the fascinating subjects of conversation during a recent live chat between "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star Jeff Garlin and "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner.

Besides telling some great stories about his beef with Alex Trebek and sharing some thoughts about how the series should properly end, Weiner also told an amazing story about what the critically-acclaimed series would have been if it hadn't been for the incompetence of an AMC PR rep.

Apparently, after the end of the first season of the show, network execs called Weiner in to share the results of some focus groups.

"They told me, 'You're going to have to have a Come to Jesus meeting with Lionsgate and AMC about what you're doing and what you need to change, and then they might renew it,'" said Weiner.

"As I was driving there, somebody called me and said, 'It was just in Variety that they renewed the show.' So I went to the meeting and they said, 'Our focus group told us they think Pete and Peggy are boring, and they hate the advertising business parts … the show is boring, the pace is too slow, and you need more scenes …' Finally the head of AMC said, 'Well, if we're going to renew this …' And my manager said, 'We just heard it's already been renewed!' And the chairman guy looks around and says, 'Thanks a lot, guys. Way to go with the leverage.'"

Think about it for a second. "Mad Men" without Pete. Without Peggy. Without advertising for God's sake. As Don Draper often says, "What?" Luckily, an overeager AMC PR rep may have prevented that from happening.

If you're looking for things to give thanks for on Turkey Day, "Mad Men" fans, give thanks that for that.

Watch Don Draper ask "What?"