Mad Men is one of my favorite shows ever. It was one of the most talked about shows when it was on, it's the reason I started watching it. I wanted to see if the show could live up to all the hype surrounding it and it did. It surpassed my expectations in every way. It actually ended up being one of my favorite shows. The entire cast is brilliant but this is Jon Hamm's show. His character, Don Draper, is iconic. Hamm was so good that he was nominated for an Emmy for all seven seasons the show was on and even won for best male actor. The show itself was also nominated for an Emmy for best drama for all seven seasons and even won a few times. In all the show won 16 Emmys and had over 116 different nominations. I'll say that again in case you thought it was a misprint...Mad Men was nominated for 116 different Emmy awards! That alone should tell you how legendary this show is. I love it so much I plan on watching it all the way through again in the near future.
376 Reviews
Brilliant!!
Supermanfan-1331 May 2022
Mad Men was such a terrific show that is absolutely just as good as everyone says it is. I never watched it when it was originally on but after hearing so many great things about it I finally gave it a chance and streamed it. I was blown away but how much I loved it. There's a reason it won so many awards when it was on...because it's terrific! The acting, writing, directing, production, attention to detail, etc are all among the best in television history! I can see why some people may not like it because it does starts off a little slow but give it a few episodes because it absolutely pays off and then you won't want to stop watching it until you binge the entire series!
Faboulous
alexnapo18 March 2017
When I started watching Mad Men, the rhythm of it felt slow.
Pretty quickly did I realize how much more powerful the slow story & plot development rhythm would be, allowing us to discover the characters, mostly in seasons 1 and 2, and then really be in the thick of it in subsequent seasons.
Indeed, this series has pushed character development so far that they are the entire and only reason why this series is interesting. The actual events happening at the advertising agency is a pretext to throw more things at those characters and have them deal with it. In fact, the characters are so interesting that there is practically no violence needed (except a few minor events) over 7 seasons to keep this series going. I find that tremendously respectable to be able to craft a series in this way, not using gun shots and bombs to make it lively.
Finally, I have not lived in the early 60's time period the series is set in, but I can only say that it's all seemed to me very interesting and all these "vintinge" props and costumes, hair style and such made it all the more fascinating to watch.
Absolutely great work.
Pretty quickly did I realize how much more powerful the slow story & plot development rhythm would be, allowing us to discover the characters, mostly in seasons 1 and 2, and then really be in the thick of it in subsequent seasons.
Indeed, this series has pushed character development so far that they are the entire and only reason why this series is interesting. The actual events happening at the advertising agency is a pretext to throw more things at those characters and have them deal with it. In fact, the characters are so interesting that there is practically no violence needed (except a few minor events) over 7 seasons to keep this series going. I find that tremendously respectable to be able to craft a series in this way, not using gun shots and bombs to make it lively.
Finally, I have not lived in the early 60's time period the series is set in, but I can only say that it's all seemed to me very interesting and all these "vintinge" props and costumes, hair style and such made it all the more fascinating to watch.
Absolutely great work.
Start from the beginning - you wouldn't watch a foreign film without subtitles, would you?
crewbie3 September 2009
The brilliance is all in the subtext. There are many hilarious moments that are only funny if you've been paying attention and understand where the character is coming from. There are also many tragic moments that would pass you by if you didn't know what came before. Many lines have double or even triple meanings. Watch this from the beginning, with a friend. Believe me, you will want to discuss each episode afterward to figure out some of the nuances of what happened.
The main Mad Man is the confident womanizer Don Draper, who is head of the Creative department at a mid-sized ad agency in 1960s Madison Avenue. I admit, at first I kind of hated him, but as the viewer learns more about him and his past, I learned to - not love him exactly - but like him and want to watch him endlessly. He is a complicated character who can be a very good man, but also a very bad man.
Don Draper is joined by a rich cast of supporting characters, many of whom deserve a show of their own: The ambitious young Campbell who is utterly sleazy most of the time, but has occasional moments of growth and even cuteness.Peggy Olson starts out as Draper's secretary, but her growth into a strong, confident woman mirrors what is happening for Woman in the 60's. Silver fox Stirling - he may be morally bankrupt but gets some of the best lines. I could go on . . .
The 60's clothes, hairstyles, decor, and current events provide an interesting backdrop for what is essentially a character piece. The setting provides both the occasional laugh (cigarettes being advertised as "healthy") and the more than occasional cringe (how could dumping trash from a picnic in the park right on the grass ever seem okay?!).
If you need fast-paced action or a laugh track, this definitely isn't the show for you. But, if you like character development and subtlety in your television shows, rent the first seasons on DVD and settle in. You won't regret it.
The main Mad Man is the confident womanizer Don Draper, who is head of the Creative department at a mid-sized ad agency in 1960s Madison Avenue. I admit, at first I kind of hated him, but as the viewer learns more about him and his past, I learned to - not love him exactly - but like him and want to watch him endlessly. He is a complicated character who can be a very good man, but also a very bad man.
Don Draper is joined by a rich cast of supporting characters, many of whom deserve a show of their own: The ambitious young Campbell who is utterly sleazy most of the time, but has occasional moments of growth and even cuteness.Peggy Olson starts out as Draper's secretary, but her growth into a strong, confident woman mirrors what is happening for Woman in the 60's. Silver fox Stirling - he may be morally bankrupt but gets some of the best lines. I could go on . . .
The 60's clothes, hairstyles, decor, and current events provide an interesting backdrop for what is essentially a character piece. The setting provides both the occasional laugh (cigarettes being advertised as "healthy") and the more than occasional cringe (how could dumping trash from a picnic in the park right on the grass ever seem okay?!).
If you need fast-paced action or a laugh track, this definitely isn't the show for you. But, if you like character development and subtlety in your television shows, rent the first seasons on DVD and settle in. You won't regret it.
Mad Men 🏆 Best TV Drama Series of All-Time 💯
Instant_Palmer30 August 2015
The journey is a most interesting one in Don Draper's universe that occupies a time (1960s) in American culture when changes occurred in warp speed. No Pollyanna view of the world, 'Mad Men' explores the full spectrum of human relationships, personality types, and emotions.
The show's creator Matthew Weiner (previously executive producer/writer of 'The Sopranos') takes viewers on a high-ball roller coaster of human experiences that explore pursuit of bliss, the depths of where one can go, and the winding roads of inner angst one must often travel.
'Mad Men' is the ultimate ensemble drama series with grown-up adult themes that drill deep into the human psyche and often self-destructive behavior patterns of the 1960s post-WWII Greatest Generation that populated the high-flying, high-pressure Madison Avenue ad agencies.
Those ad agencies created the culturally iconic images cast through television, radio and print media during that turbulent, mass-consumption decade in American society, when Baby Boomers started taking over the reigns of influence in America, much of it in conflict with Greatest Gen thinking.
There is nothing low key about 'Mad Men'. Tension and conflict is layered throughout the series. Weiner covers a lot of territory of the human experience that exists inside complex personalities and their relationships, and the intense emotions that often accompany them.
As it stands now, 'Mad Men' is the best TV drama series of all-time; I don't believe there is even a close second.
The show received 4 consecutive "Outstanding Drama Series" Emmys (21 total Emmy wins out of 116 nominations) to close out it's relatively brief pre-determined tenure of 7 seasons.
Those who have seen every episode in sequence, experience a level of high-quality TV viewing that sets the bar to the pinnacle, and rivals the best theatrical movies in production, casting, acting, and story-telling.
Matthew Weiner's unique concept alone puts it into a must-try category.
For those who have seen the entire series, it is even better the second, third time around (and one gains value in more rapid linear viewing, rather than having to wait months to see the next season, or a week to watch the next episode).
Marathon binge-viewing of consecutive episodes can be exhausting, but the series' irresistible gravitational force inevitably draws you back into the center of Draper's universe to watch the next episode - You just can't look away.
View 'Mad Men' from episode one, season one. The trip is well worth the time.
👍👍
The show's creator Matthew Weiner (previously executive producer/writer of 'The Sopranos') takes viewers on a high-ball roller coaster of human experiences that explore pursuit of bliss, the depths of where one can go, and the winding roads of inner angst one must often travel.
'Mad Men' is the ultimate ensemble drama series with grown-up adult themes that drill deep into the human psyche and often self-destructive behavior patterns of the 1960s post-WWII Greatest Generation that populated the high-flying, high-pressure Madison Avenue ad agencies.
Those ad agencies created the culturally iconic images cast through television, radio and print media during that turbulent, mass-consumption decade in American society, when Baby Boomers started taking over the reigns of influence in America, much of it in conflict with Greatest Gen thinking.
There is nothing low key about 'Mad Men'. Tension and conflict is layered throughout the series. Weiner covers a lot of territory of the human experience that exists inside complex personalities and their relationships, and the intense emotions that often accompany them.
As it stands now, 'Mad Men' is the best TV drama series of all-time; I don't believe there is even a close second.
The show received 4 consecutive "Outstanding Drama Series" Emmys (21 total Emmy wins out of 116 nominations) to close out it's relatively brief pre-determined tenure of 7 seasons.
Those who have seen every episode in sequence, experience a level of high-quality TV viewing that sets the bar to the pinnacle, and rivals the best theatrical movies in production, casting, acting, and story-telling.
Matthew Weiner's unique concept alone puts it into a must-try category.
For those who have seen the entire series, it is even better the second, third time around (and one gains value in more rapid linear viewing, rather than having to wait months to see the next season, or a week to watch the next episode).
Marathon binge-viewing of consecutive episodes can be exhausting, but the series' irresistible gravitational force inevitably draws you back into the center of Draper's universe to watch the next episode - You just can't look away.
View 'Mad Men' from episode one, season one. The trip is well worth the time.
👍👍
We Don't Deserve Mad Men
filiperubini22 July 2020
Everyone has a back burner watchlist of TV shows considered to be the greatest. These are often graced by the likes of Breaking Bad, Deadwood, The Wire, The Sopranos, and, of course, Mad Men. Even though these shows may be indeed great, you may be familiar with a weird avoidance mechanism that usually kicks in: we may regard those landmark pieces of TV not very exciting, especially if they are a few years old - not unlike "must-read" literary classics that nobody ever reads - and thus we relegate them to the bottom of our watchlists, while we consume the latest, more exciting, and often less fulfilling offers.
Then, when you finally make the effort to watch that landmark series and realize it is every bit as good as everyone said it was, you flagellate yourself thinking why you held back for so long.
This Great-TV-Show-Avoidance-Mechanism happened to me in regards to Mad Men. A show about advertising and corporate people did not seem very exciting to me, and I wasn't really a fan of anyone in the cast (save Elizabeth Olson). Having in the past started to watch best-of-all-time TV shows just to drop them along the way - I'm looking at you, The Sopranos - I kept it on the back burner for a very long time. Now, after consuming all of Mad Men in a relatively short amount of time, I think it is the most consistently good TV show I have ever watched.
Out of the 92 episodes in the entire series on IMDb, I have rated only two a 7. All the rest got a rating of either 8 or 9 (I don't believe in perfection, so 9 is as high as I go). The key word here, alongside consistency, is even-handedness. Even though there are standout episodes, usually popping out unpredictably within seasons, rather than near the end like most other shows, Mad Men's episodes are so well balanced in terms of drama, character development and plot advancement that you feel you are witnessing interesting lives go by - extremely well costumed, photographed, written and acted lives, but fictional nonetheless. Compared to most other shows, there is a refreshing under-reliance on plot twists and melodramatic acting scenes, which now seem to me like the bluntest tools in the writer's bag of tricks to keep viewers tuning in every week. Perhaps Mad Men's greatest achievement is just that: through the power of character and acting alone, it manages to capture the viewers' interest while dispensing with more traditional tricks of storytelling. Of course, other facets of the production, such as the attention to period detail, costume design and cinematography are really good too. But what stands out and keeps us watching is the near-perfect marriage between solid writing, first, and solid acting, second - acting here defined in terms of how perfectly the actors inhabit their roles, not the showy, larger-than-life, award-stealing acting scenes you find in Oscar bait films. And I tell you from experience, the binge pull of the series makes it nearly impossible to watch a single episode in a sitting. I have only been able to pull that off once, with the final episode.
The way the plot is handled is simply masterful. For instance, if a character goes on a quest to achieve something, and we spend some time witnessing the build-up to it, it is not guaranteed they will (ever) succeed, or that at least a lesson will be learned at the end of the day. Things may end up just like they are - a lot like real life. The backdrop of US history unfolding is neither overpowering, i.e., stealing attention from the characters or events at hand, or just a side note mentioned without consequence. These historically-inspired scenes excel in revealing interesting takes on people's attitudes (secretaries crying over Marilyn Monroe's death, for instance) while providing startling contrasts to our times. Another striking feature of the show I'd like to mention is that, now and again, there are a few scenes with unimportant characters - like a child doing something they ought not to do, feeling guilty, and trying to hide it afterwards - that seem to be there mostly to make us feel, "yes, I have felt this before, this is familiar to me". Those "snippets of reality," as I call them, serve no narrative purpose whatsoever and don't even advance our understanding of the characters, but they do a great deal to establish the mood and reinforce our connection to the characters, even if indirectly. By including these moments in small amounts and in the right moment, the writers are still able to keep everything on track while disregarding the common writing advice that every scene should either advance the plot or deepen character development (or better yet, both at the same time). By the way, I have rarely seen such "extraneous" scenes elsewhere, and when they do appear, they are due mostly to an editor or writer's incompetence rather than to the command of their craft.
On top of all that, the show is also a wonderfully honest piece of television. It does not promise or deliver anything more than what you see on screen. After a couple of seasons, you are likely to be able to predict to a high degree of accuracy how it is all going to end - Mad Men operates within such a well thought out "narrative system", with clearly defined bounds, that you know exactly what NOT to expect. The way the series finale begins and ends makes you feel like you are watching just another episode and, miraculously, still manages to satisfy.
In closing, I should note that Mad Men does not provide the blockbuster-y thrills of, say, Game Thrones before it became a catastrophic failure, Westworld in its first season, or Breaking Bad during the Gus Fring phase. Above all, it shows that it is entirely possible to make great, often magnificent, television without any sort of sensationalized acting, clichéd dialogue or narrative acrobatics. I have already completely forgotten Game of Thrones and don't plan on rewatching any time soon. I find it unlikely I will ever do the same to Mad Men.
Then, when you finally make the effort to watch that landmark series and realize it is every bit as good as everyone said it was, you flagellate yourself thinking why you held back for so long.
This Great-TV-Show-Avoidance-Mechanism happened to me in regards to Mad Men. A show about advertising and corporate people did not seem very exciting to me, and I wasn't really a fan of anyone in the cast (save Elizabeth Olson). Having in the past started to watch best-of-all-time TV shows just to drop them along the way - I'm looking at you, The Sopranos - I kept it on the back burner for a very long time. Now, after consuming all of Mad Men in a relatively short amount of time, I think it is the most consistently good TV show I have ever watched.
Out of the 92 episodes in the entire series on IMDb, I have rated only two a 7. All the rest got a rating of either 8 or 9 (I don't believe in perfection, so 9 is as high as I go). The key word here, alongside consistency, is even-handedness. Even though there are standout episodes, usually popping out unpredictably within seasons, rather than near the end like most other shows, Mad Men's episodes are so well balanced in terms of drama, character development and plot advancement that you feel you are witnessing interesting lives go by - extremely well costumed, photographed, written and acted lives, but fictional nonetheless. Compared to most other shows, there is a refreshing under-reliance on plot twists and melodramatic acting scenes, which now seem to me like the bluntest tools in the writer's bag of tricks to keep viewers tuning in every week. Perhaps Mad Men's greatest achievement is just that: through the power of character and acting alone, it manages to capture the viewers' interest while dispensing with more traditional tricks of storytelling. Of course, other facets of the production, such as the attention to period detail, costume design and cinematography are really good too. But what stands out and keeps us watching is the near-perfect marriage between solid writing, first, and solid acting, second - acting here defined in terms of how perfectly the actors inhabit their roles, not the showy, larger-than-life, award-stealing acting scenes you find in Oscar bait films. And I tell you from experience, the binge pull of the series makes it nearly impossible to watch a single episode in a sitting. I have only been able to pull that off once, with the final episode.
The way the plot is handled is simply masterful. For instance, if a character goes on a quest to achieve something, and we spend some time witnessing the build-up to it, it is not guaranteed they will (ever) succeed, or that at least a lesson will be learned at the end of the day. Things may end up just like they are - a lot like real life. The backdrop of US history unfolding is neither overpowering, i.e., stealing attention from the characters or events at hand, or just a side note mentioned without consequence. These historically-inspired scenes excel in revealing interesting takes on people's attitudes (secretaries crying over Marilyn Monroe's death, for instance) while providing startling contrasts to our times. Another striking feature of the show I'd like to mention is that, now and again, there are a few scenes with unimportant characters - like a child doing something they ought not to do, feeling guilty, and trying to hide it afterwards - that seem to be there mostly to make us feel, "yes, I have felt this before, this is familiar to me". Those "snippets of reality," as I call them, serve no narrative purpose whatsoever and don't even advance our understanding of the characters, but they do a great deal to establish the mood and reinforce our connection to the characters, even if indirectly. By including these moments in small amounts and in the right moment, the writers are still able to keep everything on track while disregarding the common writing advice that every scene should either advance the plot or deepen character development (or better yet, both at the same time). By the way, I have rarely seen such "extraneous" scenes elsewhere, and when they do appear, they are due mostly to an editor or writer's incompetence rather than to the command of their craft.
On top of all that, the show is also a wonderfully honest piece of television. It does not promise or deliver anything more than what you see on screen. After a couple of seasons, you are likely to be able to predict to a high degree of accuracy how it is all going to end - Mad Men operates within such a well thought out "narrative system", with clearly defined bounds, that you know exactly what NOT to expect. The way the series finale begins and ends makes you feel like you are watching just another episode and, miraculously, still manages to satisfy.
In closing, I should note that Mad Men does not provide the blockbuster-y thrills of, say, Game Thrones before it became a catastrophic failure, Westworld in its first season, or Breaking Bad during the Gus Fring phase. Above all, it shows that it is entirely possible to make great, often magnificent, television without any sort of sensationalized acting, clichéd dialogue or narrative acrobatics. I have already completely forgotten Game of Thrones and don't plan on rewatching any time soon. I find it unlikely I will ever do the same to Mad Men.
Remarkable
killercola13 March 2022
One of the greatest shows ever made. The Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Game of Thrones, Mad Men. That's it. That's the list. If you haven't watched this show you're missing one of the absolute best shows ever made. Top notch acting, costume design, writing, acting, period piece. Watch it.
Mundane, yet somehow brilliant
ChubbyChecker9 September 2018
I'll be the first to admit that Mad Men is a show about watching people go to work and live their lives. It should be dull and uninteresting, yet somehow it managed to grip me for a whole 7 seasons and left me wanting more.
The setting is a big part of it. The historical interest of the time (JFK's assassination, the moon landing, England winning the World Cup, to name a few key points in the show) is enough to keep many gripped. It's more than that though. The characters in themselves are worth following and you get invested in them as the seasons progress.
To be frank I didn't like the first season. I just didn't get the formula and was getting close to giving up on the show. I'm glad I didn't though as it only improves from the second season onward.
The setting is a big part of it. The historical interest of the time (JFK's assassination, the moon landing, England winning the World Cup, to name a few key points in the show) is enough to keep many gripped. It's more than that though. The characters in themselves are worth following and you get invested in them as the seasons progress.
To be frank I didn't like the first season. I just didn't get the formula and was getting close to giving up on the show. I'm glad I didn't though as it only improves from the second season onward.
Impeccable...
Nooshin_Navidi11 September 2010
This is a perfect show in every sense. The opening credits & animated intro are themselves works of art, and the creative direction makes the series so visually exquisite that you can't take your eyes off the screen even for a moment lest you miss one of the many perfect vignettes. The haunting opening music sets the stage for masterful sound design, ranging from each episode's musical selections to the subtlest of ambient sounds. The camera-work is nothing short of stunning; it loves each character and makes even the background action interesting. Talented cast and every character is watchable & believable.
For a period piece, 'Mad Men' is remarkably fresh. The show is set in 1960, following a decade of post-WWII recovery which, with the help of rampant consumerism, transformed America from an industrial society into a "leisure society". One of the most rewarding things about the show is how we get to witness the many cracks which had already begun to form in the manicured facade of the '50s, slowly making way for America's rebellion against the manufactured "good life", and resulting in the social & political upheaval of the 1960s and 1970s.
We get to have intimate glimpses into the various components of this process--money, power, politics, sex, race, gender roles-- in a way that makes us feel as if we're actually there in the room with the characters. The show also does a magnificent job of portraying the simultaneous liberation and objectification of women as consumerism rapidly transformed their role in society.
Each and every well-developed character on this show takes his/her turn to unfold in delicate layers. This unfolding is done with pin-point precision and subtlety, and without ever spoon-feeding us. And every new nugget of information is a highly relevant piece of this very addictive puzzle.
~NN
For a period piece, 'Mad Men' is remarkably fresh. The show is set in 1960, following a decade of post-WWII recovery which, with the help of rampant consumerism, transformed America from an industrial society into a "leisure society". One of the most rewarding things about the show is how we get to witness the many cracks which had already begun to form in the manicured facade of the '50s, slowly making way for America's rebellion against the manufactured "good life", and resulting in the social & political upheaval of the 1960s and 1970s.
We get to have intimate glimpses into the various components of this process--money, power, politics, sex, race, gender roles-- in a way that makes us feel as if we're actually there in the room with the characters. The show also does a magnificent job of portraying the simultaneous liberation and objectification of women as consumerism rapidly transformed their role in society.
Each and every well-developed character on this show takes his/her turn to unfold in delicate layers. This unfolding is done with pin-point precision and subtlety, and without ever spoon-feeding us. And every new nugget of information is a highly relevant piece of this very addictive puzzle.
~NN
Ambitious with good cause
John_Truby8 January 2010
Mad Men is one of the best-written and most ambitious TV shows in some time. It is worth close study, not just for learning how to create a well-structured show but also how to write one that is truly original and potentially groundbreaking. Story world, or arena, is one of the key structural elements in any TV drama (see the TV Drama Class for how to create this element, as well as the other essential structural elements of a successful show). It is where the story takes place and it usually exists within some specific arena that not only delineates a recognizable unit but also has a set of rules, activities and values that defines the characters. One of the strengths of Mad Men is its story world. Instead of the usual arena of cops, lawyers, or doctors, Mad Men takes us into a Manhattan advertising agency in 1960. Besides being totally unique in TV, this story world is extremely detailed. And the detailing isn't simply a matter of the set design, which is fabulous. It is written into every episode. The writers weave all manner of cultural icons of the late 50s-early 60s, including TV shows, ads, and fashion. This has two great advantages. One is the pleasure of recognition. If you were a kid at that time, as I was, the show is a virtual time machine. And even if you weren't, the authenticity and texture immerse you in the world and make you feel that "You are there!" The other great advantage is that this past world tricks the audience into believing that this is how it really was back then. The first thing we notice when we see all of these details is how much the world has changed. Everybody smoked back then. The men were in charge and the women were all secretaries and housewives. That sets up the kicker. By first thinking how much we've changed, we then realize, with even more impact, all the ways we haven't. This story, set in 1960, is really about today, or more exactly, the ways that human nature only puts on a new skin and the same fundamental challenges of creating a meaningful life must be faced by each of us, every moment of every day. Another structural element that immediately jumps out at you if you want to create a TV show or write for one is the desire line. In Mad Men the desire that structures each episode is fairly nebulous, and that's probably going to cut into the show's popularity (I hope I'm wrong on this one). Desire is the main reason almost all TV shows are set in the cop, lawyer, and doctor arenas. These jobs give their shows a simple and repeatable desire line that tracks the episode every week. Catch the criminal. Win the case. Save the life. But of course this is extremely limiting. Most people don't spend their daily lives solving crimes, prosecuting bad guys, and saving lives. So while the desire line on this show may be more nebulous, it is far closer to what most Americans do in their daily lives. These Mad Men are in the business of selling, which, as Arthur Miller pointed out long ago, is the archetypal American action. But they aren't selling a particular product. They're selling desire, some image of the good life that, because it is a fabricated ideal, is always just out of reach. Writer Matthew Weiner's brilliant conception for this show is to connect the selling of desire to America to the personal and work lives of the ad men themselves. The ad men want the image of the good life in America that they are selling to be true, even if they intellectually make fun of the poor suckers out there who buy it. Main character Don Draper is handsome and talented, with a beautiful wife and two cute little kids. But he has some secrets he's keeping like a mistress in the city and he feels a terrible void he has no idea how to shake. Draper is a master at manipulating desire and creating facades, so when he tries to live the promise for real, the "good life" falls apart in his hands. We are in Far from Heaven and American Beauty territory here. And the second episode even had Draper give his own version of the Existentialist credo of Sartre and Camus that was seeping into pop culture during the late 50s (how's that for a sweet detail on a TV show?). We'll have to see whether Mad Men can extend beyond a few episodes without imploding. Besides the lack of a clean desire line, the subject of hollow suburban existence will make it extremely difficult for the writers to develop the show over the long term without beating a spiritually dead horse. In the meantime, I'm going to sit back and enjoy some great dramatic writing, and nowadays TV is the only place you'll find it.
Honestly the best
dilocorinne9 January 2020
Just finished the finale. My husband & I watched this over the last few months. I felt like I was reading a book. Character development, story lines, sets, period pieces, costume & design, acting, writing, all top notch. I will miss this show. I may have to rewatch again some time! So good.
This show rocks
stephen-105024 July 2009
I also am utterly bemused to see so many negative comments on this show. I haven't taken to a TV drama so much since 'Our Friends in the North' (UK only I think) For those who seem to think the show is about pointing out the improved morals of the 21st century, or don't catch the story lines as being evolved enough, or think the characters shallow - I'm afraid you're missing the (beautifully painted) picture completely.
Mad Men oozes. It oozes class, style, sophistication, cinematic production, dreaminess and the wow factor. It seeps into your mind. It doesn't leave you alone, lingering around the corners of your mind for hours afterwards.
As a bonus (as if all this wasn't enough) you've got Don Draper (Jon Hamm). If there's a better cast character, being better acted elsewhere on television in the 21st century then I missed it. The fact that Don is also, or used to be Dick, just adds to the dreaminess.
It's gorgeous, just enjoy.
Mad Men oozes. It oozes class, style, sophistication, cinematic production, dreaminess and the wow factor. It seeps into your mind. It doesn't leave you alone, lingering around the corners of your mind for hours afterwards.
As a bonus (as if all this wasn't enough) you've got Don Draper (Jon Hamm). If there's a better cast character, being better acted elsewhere on television in the 21st century then I missed it. The fact that Don is also, or used to be Dick, just adds to the dreaminess.
It's gorgeous, just enjoy.
Stylish And Well Crafted, But Drags At Times
ArmandoManuelPereira2 April 2020
Stylish and well crafted, and possessing one of the best performances by an actor (Jon Hamm) that I have seen in a TV series. Yet, the show also dragged at times, which is why it took me nearly two years to watch the entire thing. (Though I always felt compelled to keep watching.) The final episode unfortunately, brought me only a little bit of satisfaction.
Style over substance
shanayneigh10 March 2020
I first started to watch Mad Men when it was in its fifth season or so. I gave up in the second or third season because I didn't find it particularly interesting or engaging. Now that the entire series is on Netflix I decided to try again and watch the whole thing no matter what. My initial take on the show hasn't changed.
Having worked on several, I recognize a soap when I see one. People are so dazzled by the show being set in the 60's and the effects it has on set design, costume and hairstyle. And the setting is fun, with people smoking everywhere and office workers drinking like sailors on shore leave. But once the novelty wears off, the storylines are straight out of soap operas and the only thing more flat than the characters is the dialogue. And despite the show's attempt to be racy with its many, many sex scenes, in the end it's very chaste since it's on basic cable. Not a female nipple in sight, with blankets being pulled up to the armpits one split second post coitus and one swear word per show or season. Clutch the pearls and get the smelling salts.
The show is obsessed with Jews for obvious reasons, but it gets pretty old after a while. What else have you got? For a show trying so hard to be progressive, I find it somewhat amusing that the only religious and ethnic minorities which Hollywood (not only this show) deems worthy of attention are Jews and blacks. Perhaps it's because of the era the show is set in, but most likely not.
Don Draper has got to be one of the least interesting main characters in television. Having other characters commenting on how mysterious he is doesn't make him an interesting character. Forget for a minute how dashing Jon Hamm is playing him: Aside from screwing every woman who enters his field of vision and being afraid of his (not so terribly engaging) secret to come out, what does Don Draper want? After watching 92 episodes I still can't answer this basic question.
Evident from the plot point about his contract, it's clear he doesn't want to be tied down. So why did he choose to get married? And twice at that. In fact, why does he choose to work in advertising? He seems to enjoy neither his work nor his marriage(s). He just sort of trundles along sticking his weiner into any woman who happens to cross his path. I don't think there's anything wrong with Hamm's portrayal. It's just that he's given very little to work with. One character says the following to Don in the last season: "You don't have any character, you're just handsome!". I'm sure it was meant as a tongue in cheek joke by Weiner et al, but it accidentally summed up Don Draper to me. He's meaningless.
But singling out Don is unfair, most of the characters are one note. The acting is for the most part serviceable, with some notable exceptions. Vincent Kartheiser playing Pete is one example. It's not that I don't like the character, it's just that not a single moment (especially in the latter seasons) rings true.
But the prime example has got to be January Jones as Betty. I'm sorry to be piling on, because she has already gotten a lot of flak, but this is possibly the stiffest acting I have seen in a high budget project. She certainly looks the part, being a dead ringer for Grace Kelly, but every single line reading comes off as her reading from the phone book. But wait, it gets worse. In a move of blatant nepotism Matthew Weiner's son is cast as Glen, a boy with a dead-eyed thousand yard stare and all the likeability and charm of a serial rapist who crosses paths with the Draper household. The scenes he shares with Betty (of which there are many) are nothing but torture. One got cast because of her looks, the other because of his DNA, and neither one could act their way out of a paper bag.
Having worked on several, I recognize a soap when I see one. People are so dazzled by the show being set in the 60's and the effects it has on set design, costume and hairstyle. And the setting is fun, with people smoking everywhere and office workers drinking like sailors on shore leave. But once the novelty wears off, the storylines are straight out of soap operas and the only thing more flat than the characters is the dialogue. And despite the show's attempt to be racy with its many, many sex scenes, in the end it's very chaste since it's on basic cable. Not a female nipple in sight, with blankets being pulled up to the armpits one split second post coitus and one swear word per show or season. Clutch the pearls and get the smelling salts.
The show is obsessed with Jews for obvious reasons, but it gets pretty old after a while. What else have you got? For a show trying so hard to be progressive, I find it somewhat amusing that the only religious and ethnic minorities which Hollywood (not only this show) deems worthy of attention are Jews and blacks. Perhaps it's because of the era the show is set in, but most likely not.
Don Draper has got to be one of the least interesting main characters in television. Having other characters commenting on how mysterious he is doesn't make him an interesting character. Forget for a minute how dashing Jon Hamm is playing him: Aside from screwing every woman who enters his field of vision and being afraid of his (not so terribly engaging) secret to come out, what does Don Draper want? After watching 92 episodes I still can't answer this basic question.
Evident from the plot point about his contract, it's clear he doesn't want to be tied down. So why did he choose to get married? And twice at that. In fact, why does he choose to work in advertising? He seems to enjoy neither his work nor his marriage(s). He just sort of trundles along sticking his weiner into any woman who happens to cross his path. I don't think there's anything wrong with Hamm's portrayal. It's just that he's given very little to work with. One character says the following to Don in the last season: "You don't have any character, you're just handsome!". I'm sure it was meant as a tongue in cheek joke by Weiner et al, but it accidentally summed up Don Draper to me. He's meaningless.
But singling out Don is unfair, most of the characters are one note. The acting is for the most part serviceable, with some notable exceptions. Vincent Kartheiser playing Pete is one example. It's not that I don't like the character, it's just that not a single moment (especially in the latter seasons) rings true.
But the prime example has got to be January Jones as Betty. I'm sorry to be piling on, because she has already gotten a lot of flak, but this is possibly the stiffest acting I have seen in a high budget project. She certainly looks the part, being a dead ringer for Grace Kelly, but every single line reading comes off as her reading from the phone book. But wait, it gets worse. In a move of blatant nepotism Matthew Weiner's son is cast as Glen, a boy with a dead-eyed thousand yard stare and all the likeability and charm of a serial rapist who crosses paths with the Draper household. The scenes he shares with Betty (of which there are many) are nothing but torture. One got cast because of her looks, the other because of his DNA, and neither one could act their way out of a paper bag.
"You're Born Alone, And You Die Alone" - Don Draper
atinkerer6 November 2022
The central character in this show is a deeply damaged man called Don. He has a strong survival instinct, but he's incapable of loving or even trusting. He is running scared. He compensates for his insecurity and emptiness by pursuing primal things that soothing his ego. He has to feel that he's in control, even though he's living on the edge. He tries to be the "Alpha Male" conquering all around him. In reality, he is a juggler about to drop all the balls.
The others in this show are complex human beings whose characters dictate how their lives evolve and ultimately end up.
One interesting character that you follow throughout the series is Peggy. She enters the world of advertising as a total innocent, but as the show progresses, you'll see her become a worldly and powerful business woman.
The show is full of examples of the attitudes and mindset of the 1960s. The type writer was designed "so even a woman can learn how to use it". Everybody smokes, a lot. It's ok for kids to play with plastic bags over their heads. Women are treated in a way that would surely be considered sexual harassment in today's world. These unacceptable things jump out at you and startle you, and give you a flavor of that era.
The show was a hit for a reason. It's very good!
The others in this show are complex human beings whose characters dictate how their lives evolve and ultimately end up.
One interesting character that you follow throughout the series is Peggy. She enters the world of advertising as a total innocent, but as the show progresses, you'll see her become a worldly and powerful business woman.
The show is full of examples of the attitudes and mindset of the 1960s. The type writer was designed "so even a woman can learn how to use it". Everybody smokes, a lot. It's ok for kids to play with plastic bags over their heads. Women are treated in a way that would surely be considered sexual harassment in today's world. These unacceptable things jump out at you and startle you, and give you a flavor of that era.
The show was a hit for a reason. It's very good!
One of the best drama TV-Shows in history, a piece of art
Holt34412 August 2019
This is truly one of the best drama series in the history of television as it has everything a drama should have: great characters and ensemble cast, superb writing, mind blowing sets and costumes. It's a character driven story that follows Don Draper and the people around him for ten years from 1960 to 1970 and the writing in these 7 seasons have been interesting and enjoyable to follow. Matthew Veiner created a piece of art with his unique and spectacular writing, mixing fiction with non fiction made him get freedom and with that he could create the many characters that the show has to offer and they are all realistic and believable characters, it's some of the best characters in a show that I've seen.
How Matthew Veiner and his crew have recreated New York in its 60's have been something incredible to see as it's detailed from the clothes that the people wear to how they act and the whole world has a feeling that is hard to capture but the crew behind Mad Men succeeded. So what are you in for if you choose to watch this piece of art, more than one of the best drama's in TV history you get to see the fine acting of the whole ensemble cast and mostly Jon Hamm, the man that plays Don Draper, everyone did incredible and emmy worthy performances.
How Matthew Veiner and his crew have recreated New York in its 60's have been something incredible to see as it's detailed from the clothes that the people wear to how they act and the whole world has a feeling that is hard to capture but the crew behind Mad Men succeeded. So what are you in for if you choose to watch this piece of art, more than one of the best drama's in TV history you get to see the fine acting of the whole ensemble cast and mostly Jon Hamm, the man that plays Don Draper, everyone did incredible and emmy worthy performances.
A modern classic set in a '60s advertising agency
Tweekums12 December 2018
Set in the changing world of advertising in the 1960s this series is centred on the employees of one agency as they work to gain new contracts and maintain the ones they have and deal with take-overs and buy-outs. There are many major characters but most important is Don Draper; a man with the magic touch in his business who is far from perfect; he cheats on his wife, drinks rather too much and has a secret that could get him in a lot of trouble if it came to light. We also have Peggy Olsen; a secretary who quickly becomes the only woman on the creative team; office manager Joan Harris; the ambitious Pete Campbell and Roger Sterling, the somewhat amoral partner with an eye for the ladies. The series doesn't only follow the characters at work; we see their home lives; Don's family, particularly his wife Betty and daughter Sally, are as important as his colleagues.
If you are looking for action and expect stuff to happen all the time this might not be for you; but if you want a great character led drama that really captures the feel of the era in which it is set then this might be just what you are looking for. The characters might not be the most likeable but their flaws make them feel real. The ongoing story nicely incorporates the news stories that would affect the national consciousness at the time as well as the changing attitudes to race and sexuality. The cast is superlative; most obviously John Hamm who is great as Don but Elisabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones and John Slattery whose characters stand out. Kiernan Shipka deserves separate mention as she does a great job as Sally; a role she started when she was about six years old. The series provides plenty of drama but also a good number of laughs and one gory shock involving a lawnmower and a foot! Overall I would definitely recommend this superior series.
If you are looking for action and expect stuff to happen all the time this might not be for you; but if you want a great character led drama that really captures the feel of the era in which it is set then this might be just what you are looking for. The characters might not be the most likeable but their flaws make them feel real. The ongoing story nicely incorporates the news stories that would affect the national consciousness at the time as well as the changing attitudes to race and sexuality. The cast is superlative; most obviously John Hamm who is great as Don but Elisabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones and John Slattery whose characters stand out. Kiernan Shipka deserves separate mention as she does a great job as Sally; a role she started when she was about six years old. The series provides plenty of drama but also a good number of laughs and one gory shock involving a lawnmower and a foot! Overall I would definitely recommend this superior series.
Mad Men has Blown my mind.
niccolor23 July 2022
It's a masterpiece, probably the BEST drama series ever made.
It will be long until we'll be able to enjoy another truly brilliant,truly deep, well written and perfectly casted and acted show.
The themes underlying each story arc are the grat themes since the beginning of time: identity, friendship, loyalty, love, money ,death, rebirth.
A good teacher could use the show to discuss philosophy,or writing fiction, or design.
Mad Men is deep and light at the same time, entertaining, funny even, at times.
Chapeau.
It will be long until we'll be able to enjoy another truly brilliant,truly deep, well written and perfectly casted and acted show.
The themes underlying each story arc are the grat themes since the beginning of time: identity, friendship, loyalty, love, money ,death, rebirth.
A good teacher could use the show to discuss philosophy,or writing fiction, or design.
Mad Men is deep and light at the same time, entertaining, funny even, at times.
Chapeau.
Magnum Opus of the medium TV, Mad Men are terrific and genius.
Ben9914 July 2009
I must admit I'm more likely to be shocked how many users find this drama dull.I remember the night I had the chance to gaze at one of episodes for couple of minutes.Betty posing for a coke ad didn't seem charming or appealing to me at all, I changed the channel...
Long after the series won the Emmies, beautiful tunes of David Carnobora buzzed into my ear via commercials and I thought I might have to get the complete DVD.
HBO absolutely made their worst business move maybe in their history by dissing this show.Cos Made Men is clever, cool, charismatic, sexy but more over it's targeting the audience HBO has created over years.Not random Americans who switch between Idol, a weirdo doctors unpleasant patients who will recover thanks to him or ugly police officers digging a carpet for a strand to discover a guy who you already know committed a homicide.
OK lemme tell you about why I adore this show.Mad Men is ultimately written by people who has a giant caliber of creativity and talent.This show demands the audience to be careful, tedious, curious about what they are watching.This show is not to be figured out in a single episode.After I completed season one I had some feeling towards what Weiner had in his mind while pitching the series to channel executives.Do not let the name fool you, Mad Men is not about ad- business or copywriters, show merely talks about ads, even when they are doing an ad.It is about America, how America transferred itself -and the world which depended on it- through out the sixties.In which manners capitalism can market itself with big lies.
By showing us the differences between 60's and 2000's series easily projects ideas about our time during a past decade.Characters in the show are so real, then I mean not just protagonist Don Draper, every other big, tiny or one time characters gets his/her time on screen and therefore show builds up a magnificent universe which you believe it exits and roam safely.Mad Men is not show yelling or speaking out loud, it politely whispers...We the audience witness a group of peoples lives in NYC, Matthew Weiner cleverly puts mile stone political, social events of USA balanced with everyday life of people as well, balanced fastidiously.The one biggest disappointing down side of Mad Men is that there are almost zero on-location shootings.We never get to see the - city- or anything else.This gives the feeling of being locked in sometimes for the viewer.Cast is totally cool and sexy with their superb retro wardrobe.Jon Hamm is the perfect choice for a lead, January Jones is so sexy that you can't get her out of your mind.Smokey, brownish production design is sweet and elegant.Also soundtrack selecting is so much joyful.
I can't say Mad Men is an easy chew.You have to be patient also alert.As I sad you can get a clear feeling only after watching an entire season.Do you want to watch the same TV shows over seasons or want some fun, intelligent brain gymnastics ? The codes of Mad Men are there to decode for your own sake.Do not miss it...
Long after the series won the Emmies, beautiful tunes of David Carnobora buzzed into my ear via commercials and I thought I might have to get the complete DVD.
HBO absolutely made their worst business move maybe in their history by dissing this show.Cos Made Men is clever, cool, charismatic, sexy but more over it's targeting the audience HBO has created over years.Not random Americans who switch between Idol, a weirdo doctors unpleasant patients who will recover thanks to him or ugly police officers digging a carpet for a strand to discover a guy who you already know committed a homicide.
OK lemme tell you about why I adore this show.Mad Men is ultimately written by people who has a giant caliber of creativity and talent.This show demands the audience to be careful, tedious, curious about what they are watching.This show is not to be figured out in a single episode.After I completed season one I had some feeling towards what Weiner had in his mind while pitching the series to channel executives.Do not let the name fool you, Mad Men is not about ad- business or copywriters, show merely talks about ads, even when they are doing an ad.It is about America, how America transferred itself -and the world which depended on it- through out the sixties.In which manners capitalism can market itself with big lies.
By showing us the differences between 60's and 2000's series easily projects ideas about our time during a past decade.Characters in the show are so real, then I mean not just protagonist Don Draper, every other big, tiny or one time characters gets his/her time on screen and therefore show builds up a magnificent universe which you believe it exits and roam safely.Mad Men is not show yelling or speaking out loud, it politely whispers...We the audience witness a group of peoples lives in NYC, Matthew Weiner cleverly puts mile stone political, social events of USA balanced with everyday life of people as well, balanced fastidiously.The one biggest disappointing down side of Mad Men is that there are almost zero on-location shootings.We never get to see the - city- or anything else.This gives the feeling of being locked in sometimes for the viewer.Cast is totally cool and sexy with their superb retro wardrobe.Jon Hamm is the perfect choice for a lead, January Jones is so sexy that you can't get her out of your mind.Smokey, brownish production design is sweet and elegant.Also soundtrack selecting is so much joyful.
I can't say Mad Men is an easy chew.You have to be patient also alert.As I sad you can get a clear feeling only after watching an entire season.Do you want to watch the same TV shows over seasons or want some fun, intelligent brain gymnastics ? The codes of Mad Men are there to decode for your own sake.Do not miss it...
I just want to know how this could not be a 10
thejdrage26 December 2021
A perfect cocktail of early 1960s Mad Ave Noir
tranquilbuddha8 September 2007
I don't watch TV drama usually, with rare exceptions: The Sopranos (especially the early seasons) and Entourage, if that counts. Mad Men is one of the most original, refreshingly dark and complex shows I've ever seen on TV. Despite its potential for soap opera story lines, it consistently transcends expectations and explores fascinating characters and a radically changing social environment in a beautifully shot, artfully designed and, above all, excellently acted manner. After watching virtually no TV recently (less than three hours per week), my wife and I have been hooked all week, catching up on every episode - although we have yet to see the first, which a technical glitch in our On Demand service is holding tantalizingly out of reach. I loved Todd Haynes' Far From Heaven, and this is like a generously extended - and in some respects even more fascinating - adjunct to that. Madison Avenue is the perfect prism through which to view the early 1960s, and Mad Men, with its post-noir, Nixon/JFK/beatnik/martini melange, is a hugely enjoyable, finely measured cocktail that leaves just the right taste in the mouth.
COME TOGETHER tOMORROW NEVER kNOWS
stewartb-212097 May 2023
"Hey Jude," have you watched Mad Men yet? If not, "Come Together" and give it a try. "With a Little Help From My Friends," I'll tell you that this show is a masterpiece. From the "Revolutionary" 60s-themed setting to the "Magical Mystery Tour" of advertising, Mad Men is a "Day Tripper" through the lives of the men and women who made Madison Avenue what it was.
"Something" you'll notice right away is the incredible attention to detail in the show's production design. From the "Norwegian Wood" furnishings to the impeccably tailored suits, everything feels like it's from the era. The "Long and Winding Road" that leads us through the characters' personal and professional lives is expertly crafted, with each episode offering "A Hard Day's Night" of drama and intrigue.
One of the show's strongest elements is its characters, each with their own quirks and motivations. Don Draper is a "Nowhere Man" struggling with his identity, while Peggy Olson is a "Blackbird" rising through the ranks of a male-dominated industry. Together, they form a "Band on the Run" that keeps us hooked episode after episode.
In conclusion, Mad Men is a "Ticket to Ride" that's not to be missed. Whether you're a fan of the Beatles or not, you'll find plenty to love in this "All You Need Is Love"-filled series.
"Something" you'll notice right away is the incredible attention to detail in the show's production design. From the "Norwegian Wood" furnishings to the impeccably tailored suits, everything feels like it's from the era. The "Long and Winding Road" that leads us through the characters' personal and professional lives is expertly crafted, with each episode offering "A Hard Day's Night" of drama and intrigue.
One of the show's strongest elements is its characters, each with their own quirks and motivations. Don Draper is a "Nowhere Man" struggling with his identity, while Peggy Olson is a "Blackbird" rising through the ranks of a male-dominated industry. Together, they form a "Band on the Run" that keeps us hooked episode after episode.
In conclusion, Mad Men is a "Ticket to Ride" that's not to be missed. Whether you're a fan of the Beatles or not, you'll find plenty to love in this "All You Need Is Love"-filled series.
'60s advertising men on Madison Avenue - the "Mad Men"
blanche-21 October 2009
This unique series from AMC needs a few qualifiers. The first is, you can't watch just one episode from the middle of a season and form an opinion about it. Taken out of context, an individual episode will seem mildly interesting for the costumes and hairstyles, but for most viewers, it will be slow and dull entertainment.
The beauty of "Mad Men" lies in what's under the surface, the subtext, and that can only be appreciated by watching the entire series, starting at the beginning.
"Mad Men" starts in 1960. The period has been duplicated with 99.99% accuracy. The missing 0.1% is that a) though IBM Selectric typewriters are shown in 1960, they weren't introduced until 1961; and b) Don Draper (Jon Hamm) in 1962 is 36 years old, which leads one to wonder why he was in Korea and not WWII. There's a third thing from season 3 that I won't mention right now. The hair, the clothes, the smoking, the drinking, the littering, the references, having Jean Shrimpton in an ad, the products - Mohawk Airlines, Utz, etc., the huge copy machine, the Catholics, the Latin Mass, the rampant sexism, the kids in front of the TV, the programs - phenomenal. When the firm is called in to work on a Sunday, and a priest stops by Peggy's (Elizabeth Moss) house, her mother says she's sick. Why? Catholics aren't supposed to work on Sunday. I love it.
The characters inside and out of Sterling and Cooper: There's the handsome, mysterious, conflicted and private Don Draper (Jon Hamm) who's a brilliant ad man and loyal to his clients to boot; his Grace Kelly-ish wife (January Jones) who smokes, drinks wine, and goes to a psychiatrist; Peggy, a gal with a big secret and a big brain, who is trying to fit into a man's world; Sterling (John Slattery, who auditioned for his role 9 times), full of wit, heart problems, and women; Cooper (Robert Morse), old but shrewd; Joan (Christina Hendricks), the va-va-va voom secretarial supervisor; the wormy Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser); the closeted Salvatore Romano (Bryan Batt), and many others, all interesting and all fleshed out.
Some of the lesser characters "put on" the '60s style and don't inhabit their characters. But you won't find that in the major actors. Hamm is extremely internalized and may seem like he's not doing much, but when Don Draper blows a fuse, you know he's coming from a real place. It's a subtly powerful characterization. Slattery is great, as is Batt, Kartheiser, Morse and the rest of the ad men. Moss is also giving a deeply internalized performance - the character of Peggy is hard to read, as she should be. January Jones does a marvelous job as Don's unpredictable and unhappy wife, and she's stunningly beautiful to boot.
I saw one episode from season 2 in August and wasn't impressed. When I started watching the Netflix disks at a friend's house, I couldn't stop. Mad Men has a unique power all its own. It's not easily appreciated; it's not for people who want something obvious that they don't have to think about. It's for people who want to become completely lost in this world and absorbed in its characters. It's also a trip down memory lane for those of us who remember the '60s. Like the agency of Sterling and Cooper, "Mad Men" is not for everybody. However, it's definitely for me, and I'm addicted.
The beauty of "Mad Men" lies in what's under the surface, the subtext, and that can only be appreciated by watching the entire series, starting at the beginning.
"Mad Men" starts in 1960. The period has been duplicated with 99.99% accuracy. The missing 0.1% is that a) though IBM Selectric typewriters are shown in 1960, they weren't introduced until 1961; and b) Don Draper (Jon Hamm) in 1962 is 36 years old, which leads one to wonder why he was in Korea and not WWII. There's a third thing from season 3 that I won't mention right now. The hair, the clothes, the smoking, the drinking, the littering, the references, having Jean Shrimpton in an ad, the products - Mohawk Airlines, Utz, etc., the huge copy machine, the Catholics, the Latin Mass, the rampant sexism, the kids in front of the TV, the programs - phenomenal. When the firm is called in to work on a Sunday, and a priest stops by Peggy's (Elizabeth Moss) house, her mother says she's sick. Why? Catholics aren't supposed to work on Sunday. I love it.
The characters inside and out of Sterling and Cooper: There's the handsome, mysterious, conflicted and private Don Draper (Jon Hamm) who's a brilliant ad man and loyal to his clients to boot; his Grace Kelly-ish wife (January Jones) who smokes, drinks wine, and goes to a psychiatrist; Peggy, a gal with a big secret and a big brain, who is trying to fit into a man's world; Sterling (John Slattery, who auditioned for his role 9 times), full of wit, heart problems, and women; Cooper (Robert Morse), old but shrewd; Joan (Christina Hendricks), the va-va-va voom secretarial supervisor; the wormy Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser); the closeted Salvatore Romano (Bryan Batt), and many others, all interesting and all fleshed out.
Some of the lesser characters "put on" the '60s style and don't inhabit their characters. But you won't find that in the major actors. Hamm is extremely internalized and may seem like he's not doing much, but when Don Draper blows a fuse, you know he's coming from a real place. It's a subtly powerful characterization. Slattery is great, as is Batt, Kartheiser, Morse and the rest of the ad men. Moss is also giving a deeply internalized performance - the character of Peggy is hard to read, as she should be. January Jones does a marvelous job as Don's unpredictable and unhappy wife, and she's stunningly beautiful to boot.
I saw one episode from season 2 in August and wasn't impressed. When I started watching the Netflix disks at a friend's house, I couldn't stop. Mad Men has a unique power all its own. It's not easily appreciated; it's not for people who want something obvious that they don't have to think about. It's for people who want to become completely lost in this world and absorbed in its characters. It's also a trip down memory lane for those of us who remember the '60s. Like the agency of Sterling and Cooper, "Mad Men" is not for everybody. However, it's definitely for me, and I'm addicted.
A Serious Show for a Serious Audience.........
yossarian10020 July 2007
The first episode of Mad Men honestly represents the drinking, smoking, sexist fifties, a time when Madison Avenue's attitude and control permeated our entire culture, including one international political blunder after another, a time before anyone ever heard of political correctness. Gays were still in the closet, women slept their way to wherever they wanted to go, and advertising executives ruled the world. Everyone smoked because we all just looked so damn good doing it.
Mad Men captures not only the look of the fifties, it grabs all the details along with it. Here's a show for Aaron Sorkin fans, a show that treats the audience as adults, smartly written, yet a show that avoids pandering. At first, characters appear one dimensional but there's a hint of turmoil below the surface, a promise of things to come in future episodes. This, my friend, is an expose.'
I suspect Mad Men will be a small audience success story. It's a quality show, for grown ups, and the fact that it's on AMC will mean it can live a full life with less than network audience numbers.
I really enjoyed the first episode and look forward to the next. Good job!
Mad Men captures not only the look of the fifties, it grabs all the details along with it. Here's a show for Aaron Sorkin fans, a show that treats the audience as adults, smartly written, yet a show that avoids pandering. At first, characters appear one dimensional but there's a hint of turmoil below the surface, a promise of things to come in future episodes. This, my friend, is an expose.'
I suspect Mad Men will be a small audience success story. It's a quality show, for grown ups, and the fact that it's on AMC will mean it can live a full life with less than network audience numbers.
I really enjoyed the first episode and look forward to the next. Good job!
Painfully great fun!
gpaltrow200113 August 2007
The characters go around completely oblivious to how pointless their lives are. They think they have perfect marriages-- they don't. Perfect jobs-- nope. Perfect health even though they constantly smoke and drink-- nope. We can look back and see how phony it all was-- the advertising, the plastic homes and lives, and the social niceties and expectations. And here's the punchline-- it's US! TODAY! And that's the brilliance of the show. Today we are the same with different clothes and cars. We are jaded, full of irony and smarm, and believe we are self-aware. Imagine how a TV show (hologram show?) will look back at the sad folks of 2007 45 years from now. We tune out, blame others, scan the internet for porn, buy $5 coffee, and still can't fix the health care system. Apart from the amusement of looking into a 47 year-old mirror, the show gives us tremendous writing, acting, set decoration and drama. Let me re-emphasize my favorite part of the show-- set decoration. Kudos all around at the insistence of having the look of every scene strike me as true and accurate to the nth degree. I have watched each of the first episodes three times each. I love it!
(PS to those idiots chatting endlessly about electric typewriters and such: That's the smarminess I'm talking about. What would you rather watch? 'Flavor of Love'? 'The Steve Harvey Show'? 'According to Jim'? Gimme a break! Just enjoy a quality show while you can!!!)
(PS to those idiots chatting endlessly about electric typewriters and such: That's the smarminess I'm talking about. What would you rather watch? 'Flavor of Love'? 'The Steve Harvey Show'? 'According to Jim'? Gimme a break! Just enjoy a quality show while you can!!!)
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