I have recently found a great period drama TV-series named Mad Men. It really got me hooked after only one episode and in a few weeks I´ve watched almost entire series. The first episode premiered on July 19, 2007 and the second half of the final season (number 7) will premiere on this spring. All in all there are seven seasons and 85 episodes. The series is created by Matthew Weiner. Mad Men tells about advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York City and it´s set in the 1960s. The name of the series, ”Mad Men” was a slang term used in 1950s by advertisers working on Madison Avenue. Main character is Donald ”Don” Draper (Jon Hamm) who is a partner of advertising agency. He drinks and smokes a lot, has many affairs with women and he has been in Korean War. He is charismatic and very good at his work. His love life is really colorful.
Even though Mad Men focuses mostly in Donald Draper´s life, there are plenty of other lead characters too. Betty Francis, formerly Draper (January Jones), is Don´s ex-wife. She got three children with him. Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) is a hard-working young woman who works as a copywriter. The career is in the first place in her life. Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) is ambitious young account executive from rich and old New York family. Roger Sterling (John Slattery) is the senior partner of agency and he is good friend of Don. Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) is office manager and head of the secretarial pool at the agency. She is clever, beautiful and had affair with Roger Sterling. I can honestly say that all these characters are excellent; there is something interesting in every one of them. Don Draper is handsome and charismatic, a little bit mysterious and true womanizer. Betty Francis is cold and bored housewife. Peggy Olson is sweet and diligent; Pete Campbell for one is suitably annoying and devious. Roger Sterling is outspoken and probably the funniest character in the series. Joan Harris is lovely, good-hearted woman.
Mad Men is a great series for many reasons. It describes well the American society in 1960s. Cigarette smoking, drinking, adultery, racism and homophobia are on display in episodes. Despite of the serious themes the programme has its funny moments, for example when the era of the hippies begins. I find it very interesting that it deals with the current things of those times. The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, John F. Kennedy´s murder, the Vietnam War, the hippies and the status of woman are things which come up in episodes. It really makes you think what it would be like to be a young woman in those days. It´s hard to success in career and everyone is expecting you to get married and have kids. Almost every man in the series cheats his wife and woman should just be pretty housewife and not to interfere in his husband´s doings. What I like in Mad Men that there are also strong and independent female characters.
Characters are interesting and actors are amazingly talented. No wonder that Mad Men has won many awards: 15 Emmys and 4 Golden Globes. It has also received many other nominations and awards from different organizations such as the American Film Institute and the British Academy Television Awards. The plot is well written, actors are excellent and culture and society of the 1960s US is fascinating. This TV-series is absolutely worth watching!