NEW YORK — The AMC network and producers of its popular “Breaking Bad” series about a chemistry teacher gone bad have agreed on making a fifth and final season of the show.
Production on the final, 16-episode run will begin early next year.
Negotiations with series maker Sony Television had reportedly been tense, with Sony contacting other networks to see whether they would be interested in picking up the show if AMC bowed out. The cable network, with another costly and popular series in “Mad Men,” was looking to keep expenses down and had been seeking a shorter run of episodes.
“This is a great gift to me and my wonderful writers,” said Vince Gilligan, series creator. “It’s knowledge which will allow us to build our story to a satisfying conclusion. Now, if we don’t manage to pull that off, we’ve got no one to blame but ourselves.”
