The best show currently airing (well, recently concluded) is on a channel you’re probably not sure you get. It’s about a world you’re probably not sure that you’re interested in, and it has a bunch of actors you probably haven’t heard of. If any of these things keep you from finding and enjoying it, you will very much have missed out.
Mad Men is AMC’s first foray into original programming, and it makes you scratch your head when a channel few people watch can put together something this amazing while most of the networks are deciding how quickly to pull the plug on this year’s crop of failures. The key appears to be hiring an amazingly talented creator, Matthew Weiner, formerly of The Sopranos, and then staying out of his way. You would think that would be simple enough, but anyone who’s ever developed, written, or overseen network television can tell you that it’s practically revolutionary.
Mad Men invites you into the world of 1960 Madison Avenue advertising, where men drink scotch for breakfast and pinch the secretaries between meetings. That’s the thumbnail anyway. To say that’s what it’s about would do it a disservice. It’s simply one of the best written, directed, and acted series in years. Even in this particular year, which saw the finale of The Sopranos, I think it’s the best thing to be broadcast.
The cast is large and talented, the stories varied and brilliant, and the world shocking to someone like myself who came along when this sort of misogyny had been replaced with sexual harassment lawsuits. With most shows I suggest giving the pilot a pass, the demands of exposition and introduction usually overshadow the story and make most pilots less interesting than the average show. Not so in this case. It’s as subtle and smart as all the rest, and miles from anything else on. You can download them here. You can thank me later.
