Mad Men (2007– )

A drama about one of New York's most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm's most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper.

Creator:

Matthew Weiner

Stars:

Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser

Won 4 Golden Globes. Another 61 wins & 154 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Jon Hamm	...	Don Draper (74 episodes, 2007-2013)
Elisabeth Moss	...	Peggy Olson (74 episodes, 2007-2013)
Vincent Kartheiser	...	Pete Campbell (74 episodes, 2007-2013)
January Jones	...	Betty Draper (74 episodes, 2007-2013)
Christina Hendricks	...	Joan Harris (74 episodes, 2007-2013)
Aaron Staton	...	Ken Cosgrove (74 episodes, 2007-2013)
Rich Sommer	...	Harry Crane (74 episodes, 2007-2013)
John Slattery	...	Roger Sterling (71 episodes, 2007-2013)
Kiernan Shipka	...	Sally Draper (71 episodes, 2007-2013)
Robert Morse	...	Bertram Cooper (62 episodes, 2007-2013)
Michael Gladis	...	Paul Kinsey (40 episodes, 2007-2012)
Bryan Batt	...	Salvatore Romano (39 episodes, 2007-2009)
Christopher Stanley	...	Henry Francis (36 episodes, 2009-2013)
Jared Harris	...	Lane Pryce (35 episodes, 2009-2012)
Alison Brie	...	Trudy Campbell (33 episodes, 2007-2013)
Jessica Paré	...	Megan Draper (31 episodes, 2010-2013)

Storyline

The lives of the men and women who work in an advertising agency in New York in the 1960s. The agency is enjoying success, but the advertising game becomes more competitive as the industry develops. The agency must adapt to ensure its survival. Don Draper is a talented ad executive at the top of his game, but the secrets from his past and his present threaten to topple his work and family life.

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Plot Keywords:

executive | 1960s | new york | advertising | advertising agency | 

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Taglines:

Where The Truth Lies ...

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

July 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ljudi sa Menhetna

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Center Studios - 450 S. Bixel Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lionsgate Television, Weiner Bros., American Movie Classics (AMC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Slattery auditioned for the role of Don Draper before being asked to play Roger Sterling.

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Goofs

Mad Men is set in the early 1960s; however, in several episodes, telephones are shown with RJ-type modular connectors, which were not introduced until the mid-1970s.

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Connections

Referenced in 30 Rock: Hogcock! (2013)

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Soundtracks

"A Beautiful Mine"
(uncredited)
Performed by Aceyalone and 'RJD2'
(series opening title theme)

User Reviews

Political correctness was not yet in style...

Women were objects, the steno pool was a sexist source of jokes, and the ad men were (they thought) at the top of their game. They had the world on a string and all was well in America. Eisenhower was brilliant, Communism was evil, Tobacco was good, and drinking in the office was just creative brainstorming.

Performance by Jon Hamm, as Don Draper deserves mention. I had not seen him in prior performances. He fits the narcissistic role of a creative director in advertising very well. A conflicted character, attempting to help his child-like wife make sense of her pointless life in the suburbs. (One may also read Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar" to get the actual effect of the time period on women. Also the film, "The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit", with Gregory Peck and Jennifer Jones, addressed the futility and role-playing of that era, particularly for women.) Vincent Kartheiser as an irritating newbie junior ad executive. John Slattery is amusing as Roger Sterling, the agency President and Sr. partner, his ego and libido running rampant. He has some amusing lines and despite being sleazy, is also a rather sympathetic character.

Overall well-written, the genre has been filmed before but certainly for a television series on AMC, this is daringly creative. It is the first non-dated, non-western I have seen on AMC in a decade. Well worth watching. 8/10.