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For the DC Comics supervillain team, seeMadmen.
Mad Men
File:Madmenlogo.jpg
Mad Menlogo
GenreDrama
Created byMatthew Weiner
StarringJon Hamm
Elisabeth Moss
Vincent Kartheiser
January Jones
Christina Hendricks
Bryan Batt
Michael Gladis
Aaron Staton
Rich Sommer
Robert Morse
John Slattery
Opening theme"A Beautiful Mine" (Instrumental)
byRJD2
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No.of seasons3
No.of episodes39(list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerMatthew Weiner
Production locationLos Angeles
Running timeapprox. 47 minutes
Original release
NetworkAMC
ReleaseJuly 19, 2007 –
present

Mad Menis anAmericandramatictelevision seriescreated andproducedbyMatthew Weiner.The show is broadcast on the Americancable networkAMCand is produced byLionsgate Television.It premiered on July 19, 2007 and completed its third season on November 8, 2009.[1]It has been renewed by AMC for a fourth season, which will air in 2010.[2]

Mad Menis set in the 1960s, initially at the fictional Sterling Cooperadvertising agencyonMadison AvenueinNew York City,and later at the newly created firm of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.[3]The show centers on Don Draper (Jon Hamm), creative director at Sterling Cooper and a founding partner at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, and those in his life in and out of the office. It also depicts the changing socialmoresof 1960s America.

Mad Menhas receivedcritical acclaim,particularly for its historical authenticity and visual style, and has won multiple awards, including nineEmmysand threeGolden Globes.It is the first basic cable series to win theEmmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.[4]

Production

Conception

In 2000, while working as a staff writer forBecker,Matthew Weiner wrote the first draft for thepilotof what would later be calledMad Menas aspec script.[5][6]Television producerDavid Chaserecruited Weiner to work as a writer on hisHBOseriesThe Sopranosafter reading the pilot script in 2002.[5][7]"It was lively, and it had something new to say," Chase said. "Here was someone [Weiner] who had written a story about advertising in the 1960s, and was looking at recent American history through that prism."[7]Weiner set the pilot script aside for the next seven years – during which time neither HBO norShowtimeexpressed interest in the project[5][6]—untilThe Sopranoswas completing its final season and cable network AMC happened to be in the market for new programming.[7]"The network was looking for distinction in launching its first original series," according to AMC Networks president Ed Carroll "and we took a bet that quality would win out over formulaic mass appeal."[5][8]

Pre-production

Tim Hunter,the director of a half-dozen episodes from the show's first two seasons, calledMad Mena "very well-run show".

They have a lot of production meetings duringpre-production.The day the script comes in we all meet for a first page turn, andMattstarts telling us how he envisions it. Then there's aquote-unquote"tone"meeting a few days later where Matt tells us how he envisions it. And then there's a final full crew production meeting...[9]

Filming and production design

The pilot episode was shot atSilvercup Studiosand various locations aroundNew York City;subsequent episodes have been filmed atLos Angeles Center Studios.[10]It is available inhigh definitionfor showing onAMC-HDand onvideo-on-demandservices available from various cable affiliates.[11]The writers, including Weiner, amassed volumes of research on the period in whichMad Mentakes place so as to make most aspects of the series — including detailed set designs, costume design, and props — historically accurate,[6][7][12]producing an authentic visual style that garnered critical praise.[13][14][15]Each episode has a budget between$2-2.5 million, though the pilot episode's budget was over $3 million.[5][6]On the copious scenes featuring smoking, Weiner stated that "Doing this show without smoking would've been a joke. It would've been sanitary and it would've been phony."[12]Since the actors cannot, byCalifornialaw, smoke tobacco cigarettes in their workplace, they instead smokeherbal cigarettes.[5][12]Robert Morsewas cast in the role of senior partner Bertram Cooper; Morse starred inA Guide for the Married Man(1967), a source of inspiration for Weiner,[7]andHow to Succeed in Business without Really Trying(1961) — two Broadway plays about amoral New Yorkers.

Weiner collaborated withcinematographerPhil Abrahamandproduction designersRobert Shaw (who worked on the pilot only) and Dan Bishop to develop a visual style that was "influenced more by cinema than television."[10]Alan Taylor,a veteran director ofThe Sopranos,directed the pilot and also helped establish the series' visual tone.[16]To convey an "air of mystery" around Don Draper, Taylor tended to shoot from behind him or would frame him partially obscured. Many scenes set at Sterling Cooper were shot lower-than-eyeline to incorporate the ceilings into thecomposition of frame;this reflects the photography, graphic design and architecture of the period. Alan felt that neithersteadicamnorhandheld camera workwould be appropriate to the "visual grammar of that time, and that aesthetic didn’t mesh with [their] classic approach" — accordingly, the sets were designed to be practical fordolly work.[10]

Episode format

The openingtitle sequencefeatures creditssuperimposedover a graphic animation of a businessman falling from a height, surrounded by skyscrapers with reflections of period advertising posters and billboards, accompanied by a short edit of theinstrumental"A Beautiful Mine" byRJD2.The businessman appears as a black-and-white silhouette. The titles pay homage to graphic designerSaul Bass's skyscraper-filled opening titles forAlfred Hitchcock'sNorth by Northwest(1959) and falling man movie poster forVertigo(1958); Weiner has listed Hitchcock as a major influence on the visual style of the series.[12]At the end, the episodes eitherfade to blackorsmash cutto black as period music or a theme by seriescomposerDavid Carbonaraplays during theending credits,although at least one episode ended with silence.

Crew

In addition to having created the series, Matthew Weiner is theshow runner,head writer,and its soleexecutive producer;he contributes to each episode – writing or co-writing the scripts, casting various roles, and approving costume and set designs.[5][6]He is notorious for being highly selective about all aspects of the series, and promotes a high level of secrecy around production details.[5][6]Tom Palmerserved as a co-executive producer and writer on the first season.Scott Hornbacher,Todd London,Lisa Albert,Andre Jacquemetton,andMaria Jacquemettonwere producers on the first season. Palmer, Albert, Andre Jacquemetton, and Maria Jacquemetton were also writers on the first season.Bridget Bedard,Chris Provenzano,and writer's assistantRobin Veithcomplete the first season writing team.

Albert, Andre Jacquemetton, and Maria Jacquemetton returned as supervising producers for the second season. Veith also returned and was promoted to staff writer. Hornbacher replaced Palmer as co-executive producer for the second season. Consulting producersDavid Isaacs,Marti Noxon,Rick Cleveland,andJane Andersonjoined the crew for the second season.Tim Hunter,Alan Taylor,Andrew Bernstein,andLesli Linka Glatterare regular directors for the series.

As of the third season, seven of the nine writers for the show are women, in spite ofWriters Guild of America2006 statistics that show male writers outnumber female writers by 2-to-1.[17]As Maria Jacquemetton notes:

We have a predominately female writing staff — women from their early 20s to their 50s — and plenty of female department heads and directors. [Show creator] Matt Weiner and [executive producer] Scott Hornbacher hire people they believe in, based on their talent and their experience. 'Can you capture this world? Can you bring great storytelling?'[17]

Characters

Main article:List of characters in Mad Men

Mad Menfeatures anensemble castrepresenting several segments of society in 1960s New York, although it focuses most on Don Draper.Mad Menplaces emphasis on showing each character's past and their development over time. The following character summaries were based on information gathered from the page 'About the show' at amctv[18].

Lead characters

  • Donald Francis "Don" Draper(Jon Hamm): Creative director and eventual junior partner of Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency; Draper is the series' main character. His past is shadowy, but he has achieved success at the agency. He is married to Elizabeth "Betty" Draper and has three children, but has a history ofinfidelity.[5][19]Draper's real name is Richard Whitman; he assumed the real Don Draper's identity during theKorean War.[20]
  • Margaret "Peggy" Olson(Elisabeth Moss): Olson rises from Draper's secretary to acopywriterwith her own office.[21]She unknowingly becomes pregnant with Pete Campbell's child, is told she suffered a mental breakdown after the unexpected birth given that she did not know of her pregnancy,[22]and gives the baby up for adoption.[23]
  • Peter Dyckman "Pete" Campbell(Vincent Kartheiser): A young, ambitious account executive from a privileged background. Campbell tries toblackmailDon Draper with information from Draper's past.[20]He and his wife have been unable to conceive a child, and he remains unaware of his child with Olson until the second season finale.
  • Elizabeth "Betty" Draper (née Hofstadt)(January Jones): Don Draper's wife and mother of their three children, Sally, Bobby and Eugene Scott. She gradually becomes aware of her husband's womanizing over the first two seasons.[5]Following a brief separation, Betty allows Don to return home after discovering she is pregnant with their third child, but not before having an affair of her own.[23]
  • Joan Harris (née Holloway)(Christina Hendricks): Office manager and head of the secretarial pool at Sterling Cooper. She has a long-term affair with Roger Sterling until his two heart attacks cause him to end the relationship. In Season 2, she dates and becomes engaged to Greg Harris. By Season 3, they have married, and Joan quits her job at Sterling Cooper in the middle of the season.
  • Roger Sterling Jr.(John Slattery): One of the two senior partners of Sterling Cooper, and formerly a good friend of Don Draper. His father founded the firm with Bertram Cooper, which explains why his name is before Cooper's. A picture in Cooper's office shows Roger as a child alongside Cooper depicted as a young adult. In the same scene[episode needed],Cooper refers to the picture and calls Roger "Peanut", indicating that Roger has known Cooper for most of his life. In Season 2, Bertram Cooper mentions that "the late Mrs. Cooper" introduced Sterling to his wife, Mona, who Sterling is in the process of divorcing in favor of Don's former secretary, the 22-year-old Jane.[21]Bertram Cooper's sister, Alice Cooper, babysat for Sterling when he was a child.[21]Sterling served in the Navy and was a notorious womanizer (living like he was "onshore leave"[24]) until two heart attacks changed his perspective, at least for a while. The heart attacks did not affect his drinking or smoking habits, which remained excessive. He retains considerable affection from both Sterling Cooper employees (with whom he has far more contact than Bert Cooper) and his family. By 1962[episode needed],Sterling has returned to work and is seen to indulge in his old habits.

Supporting characters

  • Lane Pryce(Jared Harris): The English financial officer installed by Sterling Cooper's new British parent company. He first appears in the first episode of Season 3. His role so far has been that of a strict taskmaster to bring spending under control especially by cutting out frivolous expenses. His efforts are so successful that he was to be sent to India to enact cost-cutting measures, a move which Pryce was not looking forward to making after having settled in with his wife and child. An unfortunate accident at work debilitated his replacement, thus allowing Pryce to keep his current position. Pryce is warming to American culture, and foresees some form of cultural and societal changes in his observations on American race relations.
  • Paul Kinsey(Michael Gladis): A creative copywriter, the pipe-smoking Paul prides himself on his politically liberal views. At some indeterminate time, he had a relationship with Joan Holloway which ended badly, largely because Paul talked about it too much. Paul tried unsuccessfully to date Peggy soon after she was hired by Sterling Cooper.[25]Through most of the second season, Paul dated Sheila White, an African-American woman fromSouth Orange, New Jersey.They broke up while inOxford, Mississippiwhere they had gone asFreedom Ridersto oppose segregation in the South.[21]Kinsey lives in the low income southern section of New Jersey suburb ofMontclair,a source of pride.
  • Kenneth "Ken" Cosgrove(Aaron Staton): The young account executive originally from Vermont. Outside the office, Ken is an aspiring author who had a short story published inThe Atlantic,which is the source of some envy by his co-workers, particularly the competitive Paul Kinsey. According to his bio inThe Atlantic,Ken attended Columbia University.[26]He has one admirer, Salvatore, who secretly has a crush on him.[27]Ken was promoted in the beginning of Season 3 to Account Director, a role he shares with Pete Campbell. By the end of Season 3, he has been promoted over Cambell to Senior Vice President of Account Services.
  • Harold "Harry" Crane(Rich Sommer): A media buyer recently appointed the head of Sterling Cooper's newly formed television department. Although Harry joins his colleagues in drinking and flirtations, he is a dedicated husband and father. However, he did have a one night stand with a secretary in season one which led to his being briefly kicked out of his home by his wife. Harry's wife has been instrumental in motivating her husband to be more ambitious at work.
  • Salvatore "Sal" Romano(Bryan Batt): The Italian-Americanart directorat Sterling Cooper. Sal is the only "ethnic" in a high-level position at the agency, and is also aclosetedgayman. Reluctant to act upon his homosexuality, he twice avoided sexual encounters with different men. By 1962[episode needed],Sal had married Kitty, who seems unaware of Sal's sexual orientation, yet is nonetheless starting to realize that something is amiss in their relationship.[27]The issue of being closeted for Sal is shown in brief but stark contrast against the newly evolving social attitudes toward homosexuality. Sal's secret crush on Ken Cosgrove comes uncomfortably and awkwardly close to being revealed during a dinner in Sal's apartment.[27]Later, when a recently hired young advertising exec, Kurt, casually announces his homosexuality, Sal remains painfully silent while his fellow co-workers speak disparagingly about Kurt.[28]In the premiere of Season 3, Sal has a brief interrupted homosexual encounter with a hotel employee while in Baltimore, the end of which Don witnesses. In Episode 9 of Season 3, Sal rebuffs the sexual advances of a very important male client. Angered by the rejection, the client demands that Sal be removed from the campaign, and Don Draper fires Sal in order to appease the client and his $25 million account. At the end of the episode, Sal is seen calling his wife Kitty from a phone booth in a gay cruising area (presumably in Central Park). On the phone, Sal was explaining to Kitty that he would be home late.
  • Bertram "Bert" Cooper(Robert Morse): The somewhat eccentric senior partner at Sterling Cooper. He leaves the day-to-day running of the firm to Sterling and Draper, but is keenly aware of the firm's operations. Like many of his executives, Bertram is aRepublican.He is fascinated byJapanese culture,requiring everybody including clients and his sister (a shareholder) to remove their shoes before walking into his office (which is decorated with Japanese art). He is a fan of the writings ofAyn Randand implies he knows her personally. Among his eccentricities, Bert frequently walks through the offices in his socks and intensely dislikes gum and smoking (an oddity for the time, especially considering thatLucky Strikecigarettes is a major client). He owns a ranch inMontanaand is a widower with no children.
  • Gertrude "Trudy" Campbell(Alison Brie): Pete Campbell's upscale East Side wife. She is unaware of her husband's infidelity with Olson prior to their marriage. Trudy wants to be a mother but has so far been unable to conceive despite seeking fertility counseling.[episode needed]Her attempts to adopt a child have been refused by Pete, whose upper class family frowns on other than a blood relative as heir to the family name. Trudy's father is the manager of one of Sterling Cooper's accounts,Clearasil,an account Pete lost when he refused Trudy's wish to adopt.
  • Herman "Duck" Phillips(Mark Moses): Former Director of Account Services at Sterling Cooper. He previously worked at theLondonoffice ofYoung & Rubicam,but an undisclosed fiasco caused him to leave. A tough, driven executive, he often clashes with Don Draper. Duck is a recently divorced father of two children. Duck engineered the sale of Sterling Cooper to a British agency that was seeking a foothold in America[28].An alcoholic who had been sober for several years, the stress of engineering his take-over of Sterling Cooper caused him to begin drinking openly.[29]As a reward for his role in the sale, Duck was to have been promoted to company president under the new Sterling Cooper, but Don's opposition and Duck's intemperate display in a high-level meeting between the two agencies left that promotion in doubt as season two concluded. After being absent in the first four episodes of Season 3, it has been revealed that Duck is now working at Grey, another New York agency.
  • Frederick C. "Freddy" Rumsen(Joel Murray) is a former copywriter at Sterling Cooper. He was the first in the office to notice Peggy Olson's talent for copywriting while working on an ad campaign for Belle Jolie Cosmetics. After that, he was supportive of Olson's copywriting efforts. Freddy was shown to be a heavy drinker which got progressively worse, to the point where it caused Freddy to lose control of his bladder and pass out immediately prior to an important client pitch.[30]Roger Sterling then asked Freddy to take a paid six month leave of absence, with the implicit understanding that Freddy would not be returning to Sterling Cooper.
  • Francine Hanson(Anne Dudek): One of Betty Draper’s closest friends and neighbors. She spends much time with Betty, gossiping about other neighbors. She becomes furious upon discovering her husband Carlton's infidelity[31],but she and her husband remain together.

Episodes

Main article:List of Mad Men episodes
Season Episodes Season Premiere Season Finale
Season 1 13 July 19, 2007 October 18, 2007
Season 2 13 July 27, 2008 October 26, 2008
Season 3 13 August 16, 2009 November 8, 2009

Season 1 is initially set in March 1960,[32]and closes on the evening before Thanksgiving that year. At the start of Season 2, it isValentine's Day,1962. The season ends around the time of theCuban Missile Crisis,in October 1962. Season 3 begins in spring 1963 and ends on December 16 of the same year.[33]Episode 12 covers the Kennedy assassination and Episode 13, the season finale, involves Don, Roger, Bert, and Lane Pryce - in conjunction with Peter Campbell, Harry Crane, Peggy Olson, and Joan Holloway - engineering their departure from Sterling Cooper after the agency is sold by its British parent company to the larger, publicly-traded firm McCann Erickson.

Themes

Mad Mendepicts parts of American society and culture of the 1960s, highlightingcigarette smoking,drinking,sexism,adultery,homophobia,antisemitism,racismand a complete lack of concern for theenvironmentas examples of how that era was different from the present.[12][34] Smoking, far more common in the United States of the 1960s than it is now, is featured throughout the series; many characters can be seen smoking several times in the course of an episode.[12]In the pilot, representatives ofLucky Strikecigarettes come to Sterling Cooper looking for a new advertising campaign in the wake of aReader's Digestreport that smoking will lead to various health issues includinglung cancer.[35] The show presents a subculture in which men who are engaged or married frequently enter sexual relationships with other women. The series also observes advertising as a corporate outlet for creativity for mainstream, middle-class, young, white men. Along with each of these examples, however, there are hints of the future and the radical changes of the 1960s; Betty's anxiety, theBeatsthat Draper discovers through Midge, even talk about how smoking is bad for health (usually dismissed or ignored). Characters also see stirrings of change in the ad industry itself, with theVolkswagen Beetle's "Think Small" ad campaign mentioned and dismissed by many at Sterling Cooper, although Don Draper brilliantly spots the nostalgic value and market potential of renaming the Kodak 'wheel' slide projector as theKodak Carousel.

Nostalgia.
 It’s delicate, but potent…
 Teddy told me that in Greek, nostalgia literally means the pain from an old wound.[36]
 It’s a twinge in your heart, far more powerful than memory alone.
 This device… isn’t a spaceship, it’s a time machine.
 It goes backwards, forwards.
 It takes us to a place where we ache to go again.
 It’s not called the Wheel.
 It’s called the Carousel.
 It lets us travel the way a child travels.
 Around and around and back home again, to a place where we know we are loved.
"Mad Men" Season 1, Episode 13, "The Wheel"

As well as nostalgia for a previous era, alienation, social mobility and ruthlessness underpin the thematic tone of the show. Often these references are completely contemporary, and rooted in American culture of the early 60s, but they have also struck a chord with audiences nearly 50 years later. Evidence of this is Don Draper's rendition of 'Mayakovsky' fromMeditations in an EmergencybyFrank O'Haraat the end of Episode 1, Season Two which, after broadcast, led the poet's work to enter the top 50 sales on Amazon.[37]

Music

The opening theme,A Beautiful Mine [Instrumental],is by producerRJD2.The full (non-instrumental) version can be found on theAceyalonealbumMagnificent City.

Reception

Ratings

The first season's premiere attracted 900,000 viewers,[38]a number more than doubled for the heavily promoted[39]second season premiere.[40]A major drop in viewership for the episode following the second season premiere prompted concern from some television critics.[39][40]"The second season finale [...] posted significantly higher numbers than the series' first season finale, and was up 20% over the season two average. 1.75 million viewers watched Sunday night's season finale, according to fast national data fromNielsen Media Research.The cumulative audience for the three airings of the episode Sunday night (at 9pm, 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.) was 2.9 million viewers. "[41]

The third season premiere, which aired August 16, 2009, gained 2.8 million views on its first run, and.78 million with the 11 PM and 1 A.M. repeats.

Season Broadcast dates Premiere viewers
(in millions)
1[38] July 19 - October 18, 2007 .9
2[40] July 27 - October 26, 2008 2.0
3[42] August 16 - November 8, 2009 2.8

Critical reaction

Mad Menhas received highly positive critical response since its premiere[43].Viewership for the premiere at 10 p.m. on July 19, 2007, was higher than any other AMC original series to date.[44] ANew York Timesreviewer called the series groundbreaking for "luxuriating in the not-so-distant past."[34] TheSan Francisco ChroniclecalledMad Men"stylized, visually arresting […] an adult drama of introspection and the inconvenience of modernity in a man's world".[13] AChicago Sun-Timesreviewer described the series as an "unsentimental portrayal of complicated 'whole people' who act with the more decent 1960 manners America has lost, while also playing grab-ass and crassly defaming subordinates."[45] The reaction atEntertainment Weeklywas similar, noting how in the period in whichMad Mentakes place, "play is part of work, sexual banter isn't yet harassment, and America is free of self-doubt, guilt, and countercultural confusion."[46] TheLos Angeles Timessaid that the show had found "a strange and lovely space between nostalgia and political correctness".[37] The show also received critical praise for its historical accuracy – mainly its depictions of gender and racial bias, sexual dynamics in the workplace, and the high prevalence of smoking and drinking.[7][37][47][48] TheWashington Postagreed with most other reviews in regard toMad Men's visual style, but disliked what was referred to as "lethargic" pacing of the storylines.[49]A review of the first season DVD set in the London Review of Books by Mark Greif was much less laudatory. Greif stated that the series was an "unpleasant little entry in the genre of Now We Know Better" as the cast was a series of historical stereotypes that failed to do anything except "congratulate the present."[50]

TheAmerican Film Instituteselected it as one of the 10 best television series of 2007,[51]and it was named the best television show of that year by theTelevision Critics Association[52]and several national publications, including theChicago Tribune,The New York Times,thePittsburgh Post-Gazette,TIME Magazine,andTV Guide.[53]

On June 20, 2007, a consumer activist group called Commercial Alert filed a complaint with the United States Distilled Spirits Council alleging thatMad MensponsorJack Daniel'swhiskeywas violating liquor advertising standards since the show features "depictions of overt sexual activity" as well as irresponsible intoxication.[54]Jack Daniel's was mentioned by name in the fifth episode.

Among people who worked in advertising during the 1960s, opinions on the realism ofMad Mendiffer to some extent.Jerry Della Femina,who worked as a copywriter in that era and later founded his own agency, said that the show "accurately reflects what went on. The smoking, the prejudice and the bigotry."[5]Robert Levinson, one of Weiner's advertising consultants, who worked atBBDOfrom 1960 to 1980, concurred with Femina: "What [Matthew Weiner] captured was so real. The drinking was commonplace, the smoking was constant, the relationships between the executives and the secretaries was exactly right."[5]Allen Rosenshine, a copywriter who went on to lead BBDO, called the show "a total fabrication," saying, "if anybody talked to women the way these goons do, they’d have been out on their ass."[55]

Awards

Main article:List of Mad Men awards and nominations

In 2009 and 2008,Mad Menwon theGolden Globe Award for Best Television Series - Dramaand in 2008, Jon Hamm won theGolden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Dramafor his performance as Don Draper.Mad Menreceived a 2007Peabody Awardfrom theHenry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communicationat theUniversity of Georgia.[56] Jon Hamm was nominated forBest Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Seriesand the cast ofMad Menwere nominated for theScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.[57]Additionally, Vincent Kartheiser was honored with a 2007 Young Hollywood award for his work as Pete Campbell.

The show also won theWriters Guild of America Awardfor Best New Series,[58]and the first-season episode "Shoot" won theArt Directors GuildAward for Excellence in Production Design for a Single Camera Television Series.[59] Mad Menalso received a special achievement Satellite Award from theInternational Press Academyfor Best Television Ensemble.[60]

Mad Menwas the most-nominated drama series and the third most-nominated series overall at the60th Primetime Emmy Awardsin 2008, receiving 16 nominations total – behind theNBCcomedy30 Rockand the HBOminiseriesJohn Adams,with 17 and 23 nominations, respectively.[61]Alongside the concurrently nominatedFXdramaDamages,it became one of the first basic cable series to ever be nominated for the award forOutstanding Drama Series,[62]an award that it subsequently won. Series creator Matthew Weiner also won the award forOutstanding Writing for a Drama Seriesfor his script for the premiere episode, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes". In the technical categories,Mad Menwon Emmys for Outstanding Hair-Styling for a Single Camera Series (episode: "Shoot" ), Outstanding Art Direction for a Single Camera Series (episode: "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" ), Outstanding Main Title Design, and Outstanding Cinematography for a One-Hour Series (episode: "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" ).

In 2009, the show also won Best International Award at theBritish Academy Television Awards 2009.

On September 20, 2009, Mad Men won its second Primetime Emmy for Best Drama series, along with its also second Primetime Emmy for Writing in a Drama Series.

Parodies

Jon Hamm was the host ofSaturday Night Liveon October 26, 2008, an episode duringthat show's 34th season.Two skits from that show parodied how the men in the show drink and smoke constantly and often engage in adultery. In one skit, "A-Holes: Pitch Meeting," Hamm is joined by two otherMad Mencast members in cameo appearances, Elisabeth Moss and John Slattery.[63]In another skit, "Don Draper's Guide to Picking Up Women," Hamm pokes fun at how easily his character picks up women.[64]

The Simpsons'episode"Treehouse of Horror XIX",which first aired in the United States on November 2, 2008, included a segment called "How to Get Ahead in Dead-Vertising"[65]The segment, an adaptation of theMad Menanimated title sequence, was the "inspiration" of executive producerAl Jean;it featured a "rotund, lunchbox-carrying figure, undoubtedlyHomer Simpson,enter[ing] a living room and then float[ing] past windows bearingSpringfield-centric displays that include aDuff Beerad, "with the theme music ofMad Menon the soundtrack.[65]

The children's television showSesame Streetran a parody of "Mad Men," a child-friendly skit that lasts 2 minutes and 15 seconds, sometime in late 2009. Muppet versions of Don Draper and two other advertising professionals are shown going on an "emotional rollercoaster," becoming "mad," "sad" and "happy," as they sort through pictures of an ad campaign featuring a cartoon bear.[66] Sesame Street's plans for having its own parody ofMad Menwere announced in August 2009 before its 40th anniversary season aired.[67]When Miranda Barry of theSesame Workshopwas asked how such a parody is possible "given the drinking, smoking, and womanizing that's a big part of theAMCshow ", she compared it to their parody ofDesperate Housewives:"You may have seen our parody called 'Desperate Houseplants.' It was about a houseplant not getting its needs met by the gardener. So it always works on two levels."[67]

Marketing

In promotion for the series, AMC aired multiple commercials and a behind the scenes documentary on the making ofMad Menbefore its premiere. The commercials mostly show the one (usually brief) sex scene from each episode of the season. The commercials, as well as the documentary, featured the song "You Know I'm No Good"byAmy Winehouse.[12]The documentary, in addition to trailers and sneak peeks of upcoming episodes, were released on the official AMC website.Mad Menwas also made available at theiTunes Storeon July 20, 2007, along with the "making of" documentary.[68]

For the second season, AMC undertook the largest marketing campaign it had ever launched, intending to reflect the "cinematic quality" of the series.[69]TheGrand Central Stationsubway shuttle toTimes Squarewas decorated with life-size posters ofJon Hammas Don Draper, and quotes from the first season.[69]Inside Grand Central,flash mobsdressed in period clothing would hand out "Sterling Cooper" business cards to promote the July 27 season premiere.[69]Window displays were arranged at 14Bloomingdale'sstores for exhibition throughout July, and a 45' by 100' wallscape was posted at the corner ofHollywood and Highlandin downtown Hollywood.[69]Television commercials on various cable and local networks, full-page print ads, and a 30-second trailer inLandmark Theatersthroughout July were also run in promotion of the series.[69]

Inspired by the iconicZippobrand, the DVD box set of the first season ofMad Menwas designed like a flip-open Zippolighter.Zippo subsequently developed two designs of lighters with "Mad Men" logos to be sold at the company headquarters and online.[70]The DVD box set, as well as aBlu-raydisc set, was released July 1, 2008; it features a total of 23audio commentarieson the season's 13 episodes from various members of the cast and crew.[71]

For the third season,Banana Republichas partnered withMad Mento create window displays to be displayed at Banana Republic stores nationwide. The displays present clothing inspired by the famed fashion and style of the show. Banana Republic also offers a style guide with the intent to help the customer dress like their favoriteMad Mencharacter. The style guide comes with a code that is to be entered into a competition. The competition is an opportunity to submit a picture in "Mad Men style" with a public voting component.[72]

The third season also saw the creation of the web-based application "Mad Men Yourself" which enabled users to create avatars based on the outfits and accessories of the show, drawn in the sixties-inspired style of illustrator/comedianDyna Moe.

Product placement

Mad Menintegratesproduct placementinto its narratives. For instance, in a second season episode, the beer manufacturerHeinekenis seen as a client seeking to bring its beer to the attention of American consumers. This placement was paid for by Heineken as an additional part of their advertising on the show. Cadillac has a similar deal withMad Men.Other examples remain less obvious, like ads worked on by the firm, or companies sought as clients such asUtzpotato chips,Maidenform,American Airlines,Clearasiland others.[73]

The closing episode of season two was broadcast (for its premiere) with only one, brief, commercial interruption - a short ad for Heineken beer.

References

  1. ^Littleton, Cynthia (2009-05-04)."'Mad Men' to return in August 16, 2009 ".Variety.Variety.Retrieved2009-05-04.
  2. ^Lily Olei (4 September 2009)."Mad Men Season 4 Renewal and Episode 3 Recaps in the Papers This Week".http://blogs.amctv.Retrieved2009-10-29.{{cite news}}:External link in|work=(help)
  3. ^According to the show's pilot, the phrase "Mad Men" was a slang term coined in the 1950s by advertisers working on Madison Avenue to refer to themselves.
  4. ^Joyce Eng (20 September 2009)."Kristin Chenoweth, Jon Cryer Win First Emmys".TVGuide.Retrieved2009-09-20.
  5. ^abcdefghijklWitchel, Alex (2008-06-22)."'Mad Men' Has Its Moment ".The New York Times.The New York Times Company.Retrieved2008-07-05.
  6. ^abcdefSchwartz, Missy (2008-05-30)."'Mad Men': Inside Summer TV's No. 1 Hidden Gem ".Entertainment Weekly.Retrieved2008-07-19.
  7. ^abcdefSteinberg, Jacques (2007-07-18)."In Act 2, the TV Hit Man Becomes a Pitch Man".New York Times.Retrieved2007-08-15.
  8. ^AlthoughMad Menhas been called AMC's first original series, it was preceded by the comedy-dramaRemember WENN,which ran from 1996 to 1998.
  9. ^DirectorTim Hunter."Red in the Face".Season 1. Episode 107. 01:08 minutes in.{{cite episode}}:Cite has empty unknown parameter:|transcripturl=(help);Missing or empty|series=(help);Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help)DVD audio commentary track.
  10. ^abcFeld, Rob (March 2008)."Tantalizing Television".American Cinematographer.89(3).{{cite journal}}:Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help)
  11. ^Haugsted, Linda (2007-06-25)."AMC Mad About VOD, HD Push forMad Men".Multichannel News.Retrieved2007-07-21.
  12. ^abcdefgMatthew Weiner et al. (2007).The Making of Mad Men(Documentary). AMC.{{cite AV media}}:Explicit use of et al. in:|authors=(help)
  13. ^abGoodman, Tim (2007-07-18)."New York in 1960, when the 'Mad Men' were in charge -- and everything was about to change".San Francisco Chronicle.Retrieved2007-07-21.
  14. ^Salem, Rob (2007-07-19)."Lost in the '60s with Mad Men".Toronto Star.Retrieved2007-07-21.
  15. ^Poniewozik, James (2007-07-20)."Mad Men Watch: Lucky Strike".TIME.Retrieved2007-07-23.
  16. ^"Mad Men - Cast & Crew - Alan Taylor".AMC. 2007.Retrieved2008-07-20.
  17. ^abRachel Bertsche (2009)."'Mad Men' and the real women behind them ".O, The Oprah Magazine.CNN.Retrieved2009-08-18.
  18. ^About the show,amctv. Retrieved on August 18, 2008
  19. ^Smith, Lynn (2008-07-20)."The women of 'Mad Men'".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2008-07-21.
  20. ^ab"Nixon Vs. Kennedy".Mad Men.Season 1. Episode 12. 2007-11-01.AMC.
  21. ^abcd"The Mountain King".Mad Men.Season 2. Episode 12. 2008-11-19. AMC.
  22. ^"The New Girl".Mad Men.Season 2. Episode 05. 2008-08-24. AMC.
  23. ^ab"Meditations in an Emergency".Mad Men.Season 2. Episode 13. 2007-11-26.AMC.
  24. ^"The Long Weekend".Mad Men.Season 1. Episode 10. 2007-09-27.AMC.
  25. ^"Ladies Man".Mad Men.Season 1. Episode 02. 2007-07-26. AMC.
  26. ^"5G".Mad Men.Season 1. Episode 5. 2007-08-16. AMC.
  27. ^abc"The Gold Violin".Mad Men.Episode 7. 2008-09-07. AMC.Cite error: The named reference "MadMenEp207" was defined multiple times with different content (see thehelp page).
  28. ^ab"The Jet Set".Mad Men.Season 2. Episode 11. 2008-10-12.AMC.
  29. ^title=Meditations in an Emergancy }
  30. ^"Six Month Leave".Mad Men.Season 2. Episode 9. AMC.
  31. ^"The Wheel".Mad Men.Season 1. Episode 13. AMC.
  32. ^AMC's 'Mad Men' And The Sweet Sell Of Successfrom PajamasMedia
  33. ^Mad Men: The Pauses That Refresh,fromTIMEMagazine
  34. ^abStanley, Alessandra (2007-07-19)."Smoking, Drinking, Cheating and Selling".New York Times.Retrieved2007-07-21.
  35. ^"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes".Mad Men.Season 1. Episode 1. 2007-07-19. AMC.
  36. '^One ofMad Mens subtle jokes about confident misinformation: in Greeknostalgiais the pain ofnostos,'homecoming'.
  37. ^abc"Mad Men using Frank O'Hara's 'Meditations in an Emergency' boosts sales".Los Angeles Times.2008-08-08.Retrieved2009-03-18.Cite error: The named reference "latimes" was defined multiple times with different content (see thehelp page).
  38. ^abSeidman, Robert (July 28, 2008)."Overnight Nielsen Ratings for Mad Men Premiere Up Over 100%!".TV by the Number.RetrievedJune 19,2009.
  39. ^abJames Poniewozik(August 6, 2008)."Maybe AMC Can Get a $10 Million Refund".Tuned In.Time.RetrievedOctober 25,2009.
  40. ^abcJames Hibberd(August 5, 2008)."'Mad Men' drops sharply in second episode ".The Live Feed.The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedOctober 25,2009.
  41. ^'Mad Men' Season Finale Draws 1.75 Mil. Viewers
  42. ^Adam Bryant (17 August 2009)."Ratings: Viewers Go Mad for Mad Men".TVGuide.Retrieved2009-08-17.
  43. ^SaturdayEveningPost, October 10, 2009;http:// saturdayeveningpost /2009/10/10/archives/retrospective/mad-menif-nostalgia.html
  44. ^Nordyke, Kimberly (2007-07-20)."AMC" Mad "about ratings for series bow".Reuters/Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved2007-07-21.
  45. ^Elfman, Doug (2007-07-19)."'Men' behaving badly -- and honestly ".Chicago Sun-Times.Retrieved2007-07-21.
  46. ^Tucker, Ken (2007-07-13)."Mad Men".Entertainment Weekly.Retrieved2007-07-21.
  47. ^Lowry, Brian (2007-07-11)."Mad Men".Variety.Retrieved2007-07-20.
  48. ^Salem, Rob (2007-07-19)."Lost in the '60s with Mad Men".Toronto Star.Retrieved2007-07-21.
  49. ^Shales, Tom (2007-07-19)."AMC's 'Mad Men': A Bunch of Cutthroats Without an Edge".Washington Post.Retrieved2007-08-11.
  50. ^Greif, Mark (2008-10-23)."You'll Love the Way It Makes You Feel".London Review of Books.Retrieved2009-08-18.
  51. ^"AFI Awards 2007 Official Selections Announced"(PDF)(Press release). American Film Institute. 2007-12-16.Retrieved2008-07-18.
  52. ^"AMC Scores First-Ever TCA Awards With Top Honors"(Press release). Television Critics Association. 2008-07-19.Retrieved2008-07-20.Members of the Television Critics Association bestowed three TCA Awards on AMC's freshman series "Mad Men" tonight, including Program of the Year, Outstanding New Program of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Drama, marking the first-ever wins for the network.
  53. ^"Best TV Shows of 2007".Metacritic.Retrieved2008-07-18.It was also included in the top ten lists of theBoston Globe,Entertainment Weekly,theLos Angeles TimesandLA Weekly,theNew Jersey Star-Ledger,theOrlando Sentinel,theSan Francisco Chronicle,theSan Jose Mercury-News,andUSA Today.
  54. ^Smith, Lynn (2007-06-21)."'Mad Men' and Jack Daniel's: Bad mix? ".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2007-07-21.
  55. ^Erikson, Chris (2007-08-27)."Remembering the days when a business lunch came in a highball glass".New York Post.Retrieved2007-08-31.
  56. ^"Complete List of 2007 Peabody Award Winners"(Press release). University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. 2008-04-02.Retrieved2008-07-18.The way they were on Madison Avenue, in the Manhattan towers and the bedroom communities of New York, circa 1960, is recalled in rich detail and a haze of cigarette smoke in this exemplary period dramatic series.
  57. ^"Nominations Announced For The 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards"(Press release). Screen Actors Guild. 2007-12-20.Retrieved2008-07-18.Specifically, the nominees were Bryan Batt, Anne Dudek, Michael Gladis, Jon Hamm, Christina Hendricks, January Jones, Vincent Kartheiser, Robert Morse, Elisabeth Moss, Maggie Siff, John Slattery, Rich Sommer, and Aaron Staton.
  58. ^"2008 Writers Guild Awards Winners Announced"(Press release). Writers Guild of America, West. 2008-02-09.Retrieved2008-07-18.Specifically, the award went to Lisa Albert, Bridget Bedard, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Tom Palmer, Chris Provenzano, Robin Veith, and Matthew Weiner.
  59. ^"Art Directors Guild (ADG) Announces Winners Of Its 2007 Excellence In Production Design Awards"(PDF)(Press release). Art Directors Guild. 2007-02-16.Retrieved2008-07-18.Specifically, the award went to Dan Bishop.
  60. ^Maxwell, Erin (2007-12-17)."Satellite Award winners announced".Variety.Retrieved2008-07-18.
  61. ^"60th Primetime Emmy Awards Nominations Summary".Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. 2008.Retrieved2008-07-18.
  62. ^Lowry, Brian (2008-07-17)."Emmys fond of dear 'John'".Variety.Retrieved2008-07-19.
  63. ^"A-Holes: Pitch Meeting"(Flash Video).Excerpt from Saturday Night Live (s.34, ep.6).Hulu.Retrieved2009-08-18.{{cite web}}:Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help)
  64. ^"Don Draper's Guide"(Flash Video).Excerpt from Saturday Night Live (s.34, ep.6).Hulu.Retrieved2009-08-18.{{cite web}}:Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help)
  65. ^abLynn Elber (October 23, 2008)."'Mad Men' makes a splash bigger than its ratings ".Associated Press.viaUSA Today.Retrieved2009-08-18.{{cite web}}:Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help)
  66. ^"Sesame Street's Mad Men parody on YouTube".YouTube.October 2009.Retrieved2009-10-04.
  67. ^ab"Sesame Street will have a Mad Men parody this year - TCA Report".TV Squad.August 1, 2009.Retrieved2009-08-18.
  68. ^"AMC Announces Original Drama Series Mad Men To Launch on iTunes".PR Newswire.viaCNN.2007-07-19.Retrieved2007-07-21.[dead link]
  69. ^abcde"AMC Launches Largest Marketing Campaign to Date to Promote Season Two of Mad Men"(Press release). Rainbow Media. 2008-06-30.Retrieved2008-07-18.[dead link]
  70. ^Elliott, Stuart (2008-06-30)."Madison Avenue Likes What It Sees in the Mirror".The New York Times.Retrieved2008-07-19.
  71. ^Chaney, Jen (2008-07-01)."Good 'Men,' With More Than a Few Extras".The Washington Post.Retrieved2008-07-19.
  72. ^http://madmencastingcall.amctv /
  73. ^Intellevision by Rick McGinnis (September 16, 2008)."Metro - Mad Men's product placement museum".Metronews.ca.Retrieved2008-10-21.
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