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Mad Men on AMC (2 Viewers)

Red Apples

Footballguy
There is a lot of buzz on this show.From what I've seen looks great and the reviews are phenomenal.

At a time when most programs seek to dazzle viewers with big, bold concepts, the pleasures of "Mad Men" refreshingly arise almost wholly from small, impeccably detailed touches. Set in 1960, this breezy serial about Madison Avenue ad men (hence the title) circa 1960 revels in dated images of white-collar workers boozing in the boss' office, harassing female employees, smoking incessantly and openly pondering if there's a Jew anywhere in the building. Created by "The Sopranos" alum Matthew Weiner, it's a rare period drama that niftily injects shades of gray into the black-and-white TV era, warts and all. With his slicked-back hair and neatly pressed suits, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) is the creative mastermind at Sterling Cooper, a bigtime Manhattan ad agency grappling with a variety of challenges, among them how to market cigarettes in light of newfangled health concerns about the product. His surroundings include a suave boss (guest star John Slattery); wide-eyed new secretary Peggy ("The West Wing's" Elisabeth Moss); and an ambitious protege (Vincent Kartheiser) eager to slice into Don's power base. In the premiere, Don not only wrestles with the Lucky Strikes account but with a Jewish department store that has the temerity to desire crossing over and is run by -- gasp -- a woman (Maggie Siff). Peggy, meanwhile, is viewed by the various associates as fresh meat, and receives tips on how to survive as a single gal -- mostly by cozying up to the boys -- from a predatory, curvy co-worker, Joan (Christina Hendricks). For those who have transformed the '50s into a nostalgic Wonderland, "Mad Men" captures just how much things have changed since the morality that governed those days. Beyond blatant anti-Semitism, sexual harassment and the assumption that a woman's place is in the home or sprawled out upon the couch, one staffer clearly appears to be gay and overcompensates by talking about nailing broads more than any of his peers. As a serialized drama, the program's situations aren't especially stirring, even with its solid, perfectly outfitted cast. The sheer atmosphere, however, proves intoxicating -- from a doctor puffing away during a gynecological exam to snippets of Bob Newhart's comedy to the backdrop of the pending Nixon-Kennedy race for the White House (Sterling Cooper is weighing whether to represent Nixon), adding a pre-Camelot significance to the proceedings. Despite its understated approach, however, "Mad Men" actually strikes a profound chord, inasmuch part of today's so-called culture war involves sifting through the tumult of the 1960s, heralded by progressives for the freedoms won but now being decried by conservatives for the standards that were eroded. In that context, the show illustrates that period's own form of excess without wagging fingers, while reminding us that before sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, there was sexual harassment, free-flowing cocktails and bluesy ballads, invariably sung by white guys. It's the kind of subliminal message, actually, that those slicked-back Madison Avenue mavens could surely appreciate.
 
"The man who designed it made it simple enough for a woman to use" LOL, now this show has potential.

"Have we ever hired any Jews?"

"Not on my watch."

the closeted gay artist in 1963..how ironic and funny is he.

lots of great characters...im in love.

This show will be loved my many here.

 
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the young guy who was getting married. i have seen him before somewhere. everyone else seemed fine, but he just really felt like he was acting the whole time instead of really being the character. felt really fake.

 
Saw it. Not bad.

Best show of the summer isn't hard considering the competition is "Who's Now" on ESPN and the Closer.

I'll watch it again if I remember when its on and what channel its on.

 
i could not believe how men treated women in the office way back in the 60's...i loved it.

that whole dr. scene was too funny, with the smoking and the dont become the town pump...omg so funny.

 
Mad Men: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (series premiere)

Posted Jul 20th 2007 8:08AM by Bob Sassone

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd

(S01E01) I think it's really appropriate that the Emmy Award nominations were announced on the same day this show premiered, because if there's any justice in this TV land, we'll be hearing a lot about Mad Men at this time next year.

The television landscape is filled with a lot of shows that are just the same as other shows on other networks. Even when we say "there's nothing else like this on TV right now," it's usually not true. There's usually something a bit (or a lot) like the show we're talking about. Mad Men is one show we can truly say is rather original. Of course, it's original by being retro. It's New York City, 1960. The world of Madison Avenue advertising men. And it is men, as most of the women are in the secretarial pool or gum chewing telephone operators.

But the women have power too, in ways the men don't see.

The setting is the Sterling Cooper advertising agency. New girl Peggy (Elizabeth Moss, The West Wing) starts the day as Don Draper's (Jon Hamm) new secretary. She's nervous, afraid of the new technology (electric typewriters!), but she also goes to the doctor to get birth control because she knows that sleeping her way to the top might be part of the job description. The other girls pretty much confirm that.

Draper is having trouble coming up with a new ad campaign for Lucky Strikes because medical professionals and Reader's Digest have begun examining the health effects of smoking. How can he come up with an ad slogan that will be successful in such a changing world? But Draper (Hamm, in a great performance that should make him a star) is actually the one who has the shades of a conscience (more than others anyway - all the other guys are drinking and cheating and pretty much those ##### guys you and I know), even when he's trying to sell us cigarettes. He doesn't want anything to do with Peggy, even though she comes on to him, and he even apologizes to the female head of a company, a woman he insulted in a meeting. He knows the world is changing, and he's trying to adapt.

There are a couple of questions I have about the plot developments. Would Jews really be talked about that way in the business world of 1960 New York City?

This is the best new show of the year, and I'm just as surprised as you are that 1.) it's a summer show, and 2.) it's on AMC. But there is something so glorious and meaty about this show. It's for adults, and not in the same way that, say, Deadwood is for adults. This is glossy, old-fashioned entertainment, a show more about characters and social mores and the way the 1950s became the 1960s. You have to pay attention. And that worries me a bit. I can imagine people tuning into this, not knowing what to think, and finding it "slow going." There's nothing slam-bang about this show. It's all about the acting and the writing and the mood and the style and the look and feel of 1960 NYC.

Oh, the look. Is it possible to have an orgasm for the eyes? This show gets everything so beautifully right. The way everyone is smoking, the cut of the suits, the haircuts, the way the characters talk, the cars, the dresses. Even small touches, like clocks on a wall or curtains in a office and the new electric typewriters the girls use, it's all done so well that the sets are characters themselves (and not in that obviously kitschy way that modern movies usually depict the late 50s/early 60s - this is closer to L.A. Confidential than Happy Days). This isn't is a show you just "watch every week," it's a world you want to live in.

The cast is uniformly great, from Hamm to boss John Slattery (Desperate Housewives, Ed) to new secretary Moss to creepy suckup Pete (Vincent Kartheiser), who is getting married but still wants to dip his pen in company ink. This is juicy, intelligent soap opera stuff, and I mean that in the best way possible.

I usually hate saying that at a TV show is "just like a movie," because I think that it demeans TV a bit, as if TV is the younger brother who has to prove himself and "get better." But Mad Men is like a movie in the sense that it's just really well shot, like some glorious Technicolor flick of the 1950s, filling the screen with detail and life, and a respect for the audience you don't usually see on TV.

Anyway, check it out, because...well, as I said, there's nothing else like it on
television.
 
replay tonight at 7PM EST

and a couple times on Sunday, and again on Wednesday and Thursday

 
Not sure if another thread was started about this show. I can merge if it was. But I heard good things about this show and watched it tonight. This is a a great show. Love the atmosphere, acting and production. Anyone else watch this?

 
There was a thread yesterday about it.

Saw it, liked it. Not much else to compete with at this time of year, though.

 
Loved the first episode. What a simple time it was, which is both good and bad, but I'm thinking I was born about 30 years too late.

Reminded me a bit of the feel of 7 Year Itch, one of my favorite movies, which would make some sense since that was NYC in 1954, just 6 years prior to the setting of Mad Men.

Looking forward to episode 2, and encourage others to give this thing a shot.

 
Anyone? Anyone?

I know it's on AMC and if you're like me you don't even know where to find that channel, but this show is worth checking out.

 
how about the kids playing astronout...too funny

these poor women...wow the learing is gross..

what about the father calling the shring to see what he had to say about his wife...unreal

 
Got em all on the DVR but haven't watched an episode yet. Looking forward to setting down and watching a bunch in a row.

 
Got em all on the DVR but haven't watched an episode yet. Looking forward to setting down and watching a bunch in a row.
:rolleyes:Watching that show makes me wish I had been born in a different time. Without all the storming the beach at Normandy stuff, of course.
 
just watched the first 2 on tivo last night

excellent show

that redhead is smoking. yowza

i looked up who the smarmy young guy is. the guy who sleeps with peggy then gets married and heads to niagra falls on his honeymoon. he was connor on angel (angels son).

 
such a great show...the elevator gag...
I really like it too. Given that it's from one of the Soprano's producers, it's clear they're modeling Don after Tony Soprano. You start to like the guy, then he does something really ####ty-usually to his wife.
 
Gets better and better each week.

Really getting deep into the characters now.

I like when the switchboard op tells the gay guy that she works in a closet all day and it's nice to get out.

Don Draper is seriously troubled. Wonder where that'll go.

And I like the Pete/Peggy storyline "I don't like you like this"

Hopefully it gets renewed.

 
Gets better and better each week.Really getting deep into the characters now.I like when the switchboard op tells the gay guy that she works in a closet all day and it's nice to get out.Don Draper is seriously troubled. Wonder where that'll go.And I like the Pete/Peggy storyline "I don't like you like this"Hopefully it gets renewed.
:thumbup: The show was kind of a slow build, but now I'm hooked. And man did they drink and smoke a lot back then. :D
 
Gets better and better each week.Really getting deep into the characters now.I like when the switchboard op tells the gay guy that she works in a closet all day and it's nice to get out.Don Draper is seriously troubled. Wonder where that'll go.And I like the Pete/Peggy storyline "I don't like you like this"Hopefully it gets renewed.
:confused: The show was kind of a slow build, but now I'm hooked. And man did they drink and smoke a lot back then. :rolleyes:
A couple of episodes early on nearly lost me, but I'm glad I stuck with it.Once Draper's brother showed up it started to get good with the development of Draper and his past.I loved when the hippy told him he can't go out there."You can't...I can"And Peggy saying that they all work so hard, they could use a break. Work hard!?! All they do is sit around drinking and smoking.Great writing.
 
Good show

The characters are great

I like the Roger character - I loved his little parking your car in the wrong garage analogy :lmao: He's such an #######.

 
I recently got into this after AMC put all of the episodes OnDemand. As many have said it is slow to build but it's worth sticking with. The writing is great and the production value of the show is really high. Really takes you back to a different time.

Plus I can't stop looking at the redhead, the Menkin's chick and Don's wife. Something for everyone.

 
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http://blogs.amctv.com/madmen/2007/09/amc-renews-mad-.html

AMC announced today that it will renew Mad Men for a second season. The second season will consist of 13 episodes beginning in the summer of 2008. The Season One finale will air on Thursday, October 18th at 10PM | 9C.

"AMC's first foray into original scripted series has been a success right out of the gate" said Rob Sorcher, Executive Vice President programming and production for AMC. "We're grateful that our quality-driven programming instincts connected with a passionate fan base, and we're looking forward to an exciting second season which will continue to spark broader cultural conversation. Mad Men clearly fulfills AMC new promise to be The Future of Classic."

 
It's a very good show for sure, would recommend it.

It's no Prison Break though. Schofield is the man :shrug:

 
http://blogs.amctv.com/madmen/2007/09/amc-renews-mad-.html

AMC announced today that it will renew Mad Men for a second season. The second season will consist of 13 episodes beginning in the summer of 2008. The Season One finale will air on Thursday, October 18th at 10PM | 9C.

"AMC's first foray into original scripted series has been a success right out of the gate" said Rob Sorcher, Executive Vice President programming and production for AMC. "We're grateful that our quality-driven programming instincts connected with a passionate fan base, and we're looking forward to an exciting second season which will continue to spark broader cultural conversation. Mad Men clearly fulfills AMC new promise to be The Future of Classic."
Great news! If you haven't watched this show, well, then you're probably not reading this thread, but dammit you should be watching!
 
http://blogs.amctv.com/madmen/2007/09/amc-renews-mad-.html

AMC announced today that it will renew Mad Men for a second season. The second season will consist of 13 episodes beginning in the summer of 2008. The Season One finale will air on Thursday, October 18th at 10PM | 9C.

"AMC's first foray into original scripted series has been a success right out of the gate" said Rob Sorcher, Executive Vice President programming and production for AMC. "We're grateful that our quality-driven programming instincts connected with a passionate fan base, and we're looking forward to an exciting second season which will continue to spark broader cultural conversation. Mad Men clearly fulfills AMC new promise to be The Future of Classic."
:lmao: :lmao: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: I want to be Don Draper when I grow up.

 
http://blogs.amctv.com/madmen/2007/09/amc-renews-mad-.html

AMC announced today that it will renew Mad Men for a second season. The second season will consist of 13 episodes beginning in the summer of 2008. The Season One finale will air on Thursday, October 18th at 10PM | 9C.

"AMC's first foray into original scripted series has been a success right out of the gate" said Rob Sorcher, Executive Vice President programming and production for AMC. "We're grateful that our quality-driven programming instincts connected with a passionate fan base, and we're looking forward to an exciting second season which will continue to spark broader cultural conversation. Mad Men clearly fulfills AMC new promise to be The Future of Classic."
:rolleyes: :lmao: :pickle:
 

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