'Mad Men' Creator Says New Season's Delay Was Network Move, Not His

The next season premiere of "Mad Men" being pushed back to early 2012 wasn't so much creator Matthew Weiner's move, as a matter of AMC's priorities, Weiner told a Los Angeles Times Emmy panel on Wednesday.

"'Breaking Bad' was always going on in the summer. … That’s the way they do things," Weiner said.

AMC announced earlier this year, after marathon negotiations between themselves, Weiner and Lionsgate Productions, to keep the show moving forward and that they had decided it wouldn't return until 2012.

According to TV Line, Weiner said the negotiations didn't go well and that he wanted the show returning for Summer 2011 as it has throughout its run, but "the most important things for me are that after it’s over, I get to go back to work and that we get to do three more years of the show.”

Weiner didn't lay details about the next season on heavy, but said that he and his team were about three weeks into the writing process. Though he didn't hint at whether Jon Hamm's complex and often ego-driven ad executive Don Draper would be reconciling with his ex-wife Betty, Weiner did confirm this much: as we reported last week, Hamm will be directing the fifth-season premiere, and he has Weiner's vote of confidence.

“Jon is already involved very much in every aspect of the show,” he said. “He’s on set as much as the camera is. I’m glad that he asked to do it, and we’re thrilled to have him do it.”