Breaking Bad's back July 2011

We've already heard that season 4 of Breaking Bad won't air until next summer, but now AMC have confirmed that the award-winning drama will return in July 2011. That's almost a year away! An incredibly long hiatus, particularly in US terms. Of course, being British, waiting 12-18 months for a TV series to return is quite a regular occurence, but it's still going to be a tough pause to get through.

Bryan Cranston, who plays Walter White:

"I think what AMC is thinking here is there will be less competition for us -- particularly from the broadcast networks -- if we launch our season during the summer than if we come back again like we did this time in March."

That sounds plausible to me, but one problem is that Breaking Bad's fourth season won't be eligible for an Emmy nomination next year as a result of this move. Cranston's performance on the show has already earned him two nominations and he won for Best Actor last year.

AMC are planning to release occasional webisodes from January 2011, when the show resumes filming.

Cranston:

"The idea is to keep people aware and interested in the show during the long time away. But I, for one, am eager to make these little interstitials important. I don't want them to be simply filler or recap, but something that actually moves the storyline forward. If we're going to do it, it ought to be a real part of the larger show."

What do you make of this? Is 11 months too long to wait? Will it hurt the show? Or are such delays nothing to be worried about, so long as the show is coming back?