"Mad Men" final season to air in two parts

The seventh and final season of "Mad Men" will be expanded to 14 episodes (instead of the standard 13), but you'll have to wait to see them all.

AMC announced Tuesday that the first seven episodes ("The Beginning") will air in the spring of 2014, with the second seven ("The End of an Era") airing in the spring of 2015.

The network is currently using that same practice with the final season of "Breaking Bad." The first eight episodes of the drama's expanded fifth season aired last year, and the other half are finishing up on the network now.

"This approach has worked well for many programs across multiple networks, and, most recently for us with 'Breaking Bad' which attracted nearly double the number of viewers to its second half premiere than had watched any previous episode," said Charlie Collier, AMC president. "We are determined to bring 'Mad Men' a similar showcase. In an era where high-end content is savored and analyzed, and catch-up time is used well to drive back to live events, we believe this is the best way to release the now 14 episodes that remain of this iconic series."

"Mad Men" creator/executive producer Matthew Weiner added, "We plan to take advantage of this chance to have a more elaborate story told in two parts, which can resonate a little bit longer in the minds of our audience. The writers, cast and other artists welcome this unique manner of ending this unique experience."