‘Mad Men’ Finale Alert Takes Over AMC Sister Stations During Telecast

As promised, AMC blocked out all sister stations – BBC America, IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv – during tonight’s series finale of Mad Men. The image above is what showed during the East Coast broadcast of the final episode on BBC America, with variations on the others, while we watched the Mathew Weiner-created series make that great advertising pitch in the sky. Mountain and Pacific time zones can expect the same thing soon.

While an obvious ratings pitch for the series, the move also is fitting tribute to the show that made AMC matter as a producer of original scripted drama – even if BBC America fans had to go without reruns of Star Trek: The Next Generation for an hour.