"Mad Men": A good today, but what about tomorrow?

"Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner enjoyed the attention the Golden Globes heaped upon his AMC show Thursday morning as he and his wife were in Milan, Italy, promoting the second season for European audiences.

Yet, while Weiner is proud of where the show has gone, he's more than concerned he might not be around for its future. He and producer Lionsgate haven't been able to come up with a deal for season three, and the clock continues to tick.

The lack of a contract is clearly eating away at him, and even gobs of pasta and gelato can't solve the impasse.

"We're supposed to start back in the writers' room in the middle of January," he said. "This process has been going on for a long time. Everyone knew my contract was up at the end of the year. I did more than I promised I would do. It's frustrating that it's taking so long."

Weiner has always acknowledged the team effort it takes in putting the elaborately detailed "Mad Men" together — from the cast to the scripts, from set and costume design and all below-the-line categories — but, make no mistake, this is his baby, and he doesn't want to hand off his child to someone else.

"People know the mythology of the script and know I wrote it in my basement," he explained. "People are shocked that the show could go on without me. Right now it's just frustrating."

As for what's ahead for Don Draper and Co., Weiner has thoughts about where the tale leads, but he may not get a chance to tell it.

"This is all a very confusing business," he reiterated. "There's a strange logic to how things are done. I have every intention of coming back and have lots of stories to tell. I'm not done yet. I can tell you that."

— Stuart Levine