BY: DANNY MATTESON

ANCHOR: JIM FLINK

 

You're watching multisource entertainment news analysis from Newsy.

Walter White, AMC’s bald-headed, meth-manufacturing, pork-pie hat-wearing mad scientist -- is having his days numbered -- or at least they are on television. Deadline has the story.

 

“After tense and public negotiations, AMC just closed a deal with producer Sony Pictures TV to renew dark drama Breaking Bad for a final batch of 16 episodes.” 

 

And it seems debate over the highly-rated show’s lifespan almost made the deal go bad. The Atlantic Wire explains.

 

“...the number of episodes for the next season were a sticking point. AMC wanted a shorter season of about six or eight episodes, whereas the show's creator Vince Gilligan wanted a full order of 13 episodes for the show's final season.”

 

According to The New York Times, the two sides had so much trouble breaking the ice that Breaking Bad nearly broke for another network.

 

“This month, reports surfaced that talks between the AMC cable channel and Sony Pictures Television … had turned acrimonious, and that the studio was shopping the series to other cable channels...”

 

Finally, the Los Angeles Times reports -- the end of the drug-dealing drama may not be as near as we think it is.

 

“It is not out of the realm of possibility that ‘Breaking Bad’ will not air on AMC at all in 2012 and instead will return in 2013 and wrap up in 2014. AMC did not bring ‘Mad Men’ back this year, choosing instead to start the next season in early 2012.”

 

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