AMC Announces Premieres of ‘Mad Men,’ ‘Better Call Saul’; Renews ‘Talking Dead’

Just on the edge of their presentation at this season’s Television Critics Association press tour, AMC has announced premiere dates for Mad Men, the highly anticipated Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul, and other new dramas, and renewed Talking Dead, companion to The Walking Dead, for a fifth season. 

The first half of Mad Men‘s final season will begin its run on Sunday, April 13 at 10 PM.  One week earlier, on April 6, the network’s new Revolutionary War drama Turn will get a 90-minute premiere at 9 PM.

Better Call Saul, which focus on Saul Goodman before he became Walter White’s attorney on Breaking Bad, will debut some time in November – a specific date has yet to be determined.

The Chris Hardwick-hosted talk show The Talking Dead, which airs following new episodes of the network’s hit, The Walking Dead has unsurprisingly been renewed for a fifth season after delivering a series high among total viewers with the first half of its fourth season.  Hardwick told critics earlier this week that he’d continue hosting the series as long as AMC would have him.  Both The Walking Dead and The Talking Dead will begin their new seasons in October, with a concrete premiere date likely to be announced at this year’s Comic-Con.

Freshman series Halt and Catch Fire, which revolves around the personal computing era in the early 1980s will launch this summer- a specific date to be determined.  Hell on Wheels will also return later in the summer. The unscripted  Game of Arms will premiere Tuesday, February 25 at 10 PM, followed in May by the returns of Freakshow and Small Town Security.

“We are extremely excited about the 2014 lineup,” AMC president and General Manager Charlie Collier said.  “Both the returning and new series reflect our commitment to serving passionate audiences with compelling, character-driven storytelling.”

What are you most excited to see from AMC this year?