AMC expresses regret over managing 'Killing' expectations

Speaking at the Television Critics Assn. press tour Saturday in Pasadena, AMC senior veep of programming, production and digital content Joel Stillerman touted the network's journey from two original series annually to nine (including three unscripted series) in two years' time.

However, Stillerman spent plenty of time being contrite about reaction to the loose ends left at the finale of the first season of "The Killing" last year.

"I want you to know that we learned a lot from your response to season one," Stillerman said. "We heard you, and we clearly didn't sufficiently manage expectations."

Stillerman said that the resolution of the Rosie Larsen murder set up in the series premiere would be revealed at the end of season two, then added, "Be nice," when the assembled media chuckled.

"As you may recall, the two-season arc is taken directly from the very successful Danish series, which also ended season one with a cliffhanger and solved the murder at the end of season two," Stillerman said.

"You should also know that after we saw the reaction to season one, AMC potentially explored veering away from the Danish template. We looked at all our options, and thought about whether we could conclude the story early in the season or at other points. But at the end of the day and after significant discussion, we decided that in order to do justice to the story we fell in love with in the first place ... resolving the murder at the end of season two was the best creative option."

Perhaps appropriately, "The Killing" second-season premiere will be April Fool's Day.