They're being thrifty. We have a whole forum, here on the DIS, devoted to folks who operate just like AMC was operating in this case. You aren't calling those folks ridiculous eh?
I heard 6 characters. Regardless, what they were doing is trying to make the show more profitable for the network. They were negotiating with an employee to try to maximize profit and foster long-term shareholder value. They lost. If they had won, then they would have been heroes, not to viewers, but to the people who really count in this consideration. Their only error was taking on a producer, Weiner, who they should have known was going to stick to his guns, even if it meant killing the series. The vast majority of times, producers will compromise and negotiate. But they should have known that Weiner isn't the kind of person who believes in give-and-take on things like this.
As I understand it, that was never an option. Weiner has creator credit, but the network owned the rights to the series. He couldn't take it away from them; it was already theirs. All that was happening was they were negotiating for his personal services.
