AMC reveals ‘Mad Men,’ ‘Better Call Saul’ premiere dates

The scotch will be out and the phones will be ringing soon enough. AMC announced that the first half of “Mad Men’s final season will kick off in April, and revealed that the “Breaking Bad” spinoff “Better Call Saul” will land in November.

Those were just a couple of premiere dates the network announced Saturday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Pasadena.

Also getting launch dates are its new scripted Revolutionary War-set spy thriller “Turn,” which makes its bow Sunday, April 6, at 9 p.m. ET/PT with a 90-minute premiere. The following Sunday, April 13, at 10 p.m. ET/PT will see the premiere of the much-anticipated first half of the final season of “Mad Men.”

FULL COVERAGE: Winter TV preview

Meanwhile “Halt and Catch Fire” and “Hell on Wheels” are getting summer premieres. “Halt and Catch Fire,” which looks at the rise of the personal computing era in the early ‘80s, will launch in June. Later this summer, AMC’s western drama “Hell On Wheels,” which moved to Saturdays in 2013 and saw its average audience grow, will roll out its fourth season.

And the network with a lock on prestige dramas continues its efforts in the reality arena. Arm wrestling reality series “Game of Arms” will premiere on Feb. 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Returning reality series “Small Town Security” and “Freakshow” are set for May.

“We are extremely excited about the 2014 lineup,” AMC President and General Manager Charlie Collier said in a statement. “Both the returning and new series reflect our commitment to serving passionate audiences with compelling, character-driven storytelling.”

PHOTOS: Behind the scenes of movies and TV

As is now customary, October will see the launch of the new season of “The Walking Dead,” its fifth (the midseason premiere of its fourth season, as previously announced, will kick off Sunday, Feb.9). And the network announced its companion post-talk show “The Talking Dead” is renewed for a fifth season -- a logical move considering the after show ended the first half of its fourth season with a season high among total viewers.

And then its time to start dialing. “Breaking Bad” prequel “Better Call Saul,” which focuses on the evolution of the sleazy, yet lovable lawyer Saul Goodman before he crossed paths with Walter White, will make its debut in November.

Details for shows for which hard premiere dates and times were not provided will be announced at a later time.

ALSO:

TCA: Lifetime orders ‘Flowers in the Attic’ sequel

TCA: HBO’s ‘The Leftovers’ looks at those left behind

TCA: ‘Girls’ gets fourth season, Lena Dunham’s nudity a talking point

Follow @villarrealy

PHOTOS, VIDEOS & MORE:

PHOTOS: Real places, fake characters: TV’s bars and eateries