Of course things are very different nowadays. People don’t drink and smoke in the office. Businesses are not all boys clubs with women only serving as secretaries. Men don’t wear hats anymore, and women wear pants. But the classic style that’s displayed on the AMC drama “Mad Men” is a delightful throwback to the days of the Marlboro Man and the invention of TV dinners.
The television series, currently in its second season, has enjoyed a dedicated following from both fans of the show and critics who revel in its complicated and well-acted plotlines. Although the show only averages around 1 million viewers, it enjoyed the most number of nominations for any show at the Primetime Emmy’s and brought home a win for Best Drama Series.
Centered in the Advertising Business
“Mad Men” is centered around the advertising world of Madison Avenue in New York. Part of the show is shows the ad men doing presentations for their clients and audiences are treated to the pitches for products that are still recognizable today, like the Kodak Carousel or Playtex bras. The other part of the show follows some of the men’s family lives.
The main character is Don Draper, played by the dapper Jon Hamm. He has a mysterious past and is a tortured leading man who has numerous affairs. His wife, Betty, is played by January Jones (who is the one weak link in the cast), and the two both struggle to live up to the picture perfect world they have devised.
The other central character is Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), a lowly secretary who worked her way up to become a copywriter. She also has an intriguing storyline—while still a secretary, she had an affair with one of her bosses, Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser.) Last season ended with a surprise pregnancy, and recent episodes revealed that she kept the baby but her sister is raising it as one of her own children.
Why Mad Men Show Deserves Viewers
The excellent cast goes on and on—John Slattery as Roger Sterling, Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway, and Robert Morse as Bertram Cooper, but the real standouts of the series are the costumes and set design. The show is authentic and dramatic, and the audience really does feel as though they’ve gone back in time into the early 1960s. The show does deserve more viewers; many would be surprised that the fledgling network, AMC, produces such an impressive and strong series.
