AceShowbiz -

AMC announced through TCA press tour on Friday, January 7 that "The Walking Dead" season 2 will be longer than the first one. The network still has no premiere date but it confirms that the new season will consist of 13 episodes which is more than a double of the first.

Regarding what to expect, AMC President Charlie Collier said, "Frank Darabont, Gale Ann Hurd, Robert Kikman, Dave Alpert, Greg Nicotero, and the rest of the crew [are] figuring out where to take the zombie apocalypse from here. We lost a few along the way as sometimes happens in 'The Walking Dead,' but a few surprises in there as well. Shane, Jon Bernthal, lives for season two so we're going to keep it fresh and it'll be back and better than ever."

Meanwhile, after months without news, "Mad Men" future is given an update by Joel Stillerman, AMC's senior vice president of original programming. He said, " 'Mad Men' is definitively coming back for season five, although don't ask me when because we're not quite sure yet, but it will be and we'll let you know as soon as we do."

The other acclaimed series, "Breaking Bad", starts shooting on Thursday of next week for season 4 which comes out of its year-long break this summer. "As we ramp up production for the next season of 'Breaking Bad,' we look forward to returning to Albuquerque, which serves as a perfect backdrop for the evolution of Walt White's character," said Susie Fitzgerald, AMC's senior vp of scripted development and current programming. "Vince Gilligan and his team deliver bold storylines that truly deliver a mesmerizing, exhilarating television experience. We look forward to an incredible fourth season."

During the occasion, AMC also took the opportunity to announce the premiere date of its new series "The Killing" (April 3) and talk about another newbie "Hell on Wheels". About the latter, the panel said, " 'Hell on Wheels' is AMC's return to the original western. To date 'Broken Trail' is still the biggest event on AMC ever. It's a genre that's vital to our channel."