When will programme makers learn? You take something to satellite TV and you pretty much guarantee that the vast majority of people move on and find something else to love. Look at Richard and Judy’s career. Only 3 people watched The Wire away from the box-set versions, and they were mental fanboys who never stopped talking about it.
And so, the same will happen with Mad Men. Yes indeed, it’s bad news for you fans of the show as you will have to pay to watch the series from next year, with BSkyB having offered a significantly larger sum than the BBC currently forks out.
We’re afraid you’ll have to stare at Christina Hendrick’s clothes/tits online from now on.
Don Draper & Co are, as if you didn’t know, currently being shown on BBC Four, which is free-to-air. However, Sky have stumped up a bid worth at least 25% more than the BBC paid for the last deal, according to The Guardian.
One source has claimed Sky are willing to pay four times the amount and willing to stick with the show as long as it’s being made.
A source said:
“Sky has made a huge bid and the BBC does not want to enter a bidding war so it looks as though Sky will get Mad Men.”
Thanks to everyone moaning about how much the BBC spends on shows, it’s likely that they won’t even consider trying to match the endless pocket of Sky. So if you read The Daily Mail AND like Mad Men, it’s completely your fault. Meanwhile, the clever kids are all laughing into their Pot Noodles, already planning to illegally torrent the whole thing.
A BBC spokesman said:
“We’re in negotiations for the continuing broadcast of Mad Men but nothing has been confirmed.”
A Sky spokesman said:
“Sky will always endeavour to bring the best content to our customers, but we do not comment on shows that we don’t hold the rights to.”
Imagine that though. Sky do land the show, leaving viewers gamely trying to get lost in the ’60s world and cigarette clouds, only to be yoinked out of a suspension of disbelief with a ear-heavingly loud commercial for Go Compare.
And so, as Mad Men prepares to wave goodbye to, well, pretty much anyone watching it in this country, we can all look forward to a gigantic outpouring of grief from Twitter users.
Start trolling them now.