Mad Men

[merf]

there seems to be some fairly clued up people around here discussing decent tv series but can't find or recall a mention anywhere for Mad Men

it was a pet project for one of the Sopranos writers and for me is without doubt the best new thing on tv in quite a while.

set in a Madison Avenue ad agency in the early 60s its a superb slice of grown up intelligent tv, for me only the mighty Sopranos in its pomp surpasses it.

it really benefits as well from being set in a time period that hasn't had the big budget adult focussed tv make over so far. the settings are highly evocative and the sight of offices with no computers and people smoking and even drinking at their desks, plus the whole attitude of the sexes is quite jarring to how things are now.

nice short series at only 13 parts and I'd highly recommend anybody who hasn't seen it to check out the first series.

[Mercian]

Agreed. I was thinking about starting a Mad Men thread a while ago, but obviously I forgot! It's a fantastic show, though more of a character based drama for most of the series (it takes a while for some of the main twists and turns of the plot to emerge). Still, if you have the patience the results are well worth it (my favourite episode being 'Carousel').

[Atticus]

I was late to the party with Mad Men but there's only so long you can ignore a show as critically praised and awarded as this one. And after watching season 1 on blu-ray I'd say it's the best tv show I've/we've seen in a long time (my wife and I were hooked in the opening minutes). Every episode is a mini-masterpiece, made with all the grace and attention to detail of a Martin Scorsese film. And the leading man has more presence and charisma than the entire cast of most dramas.

So heads up to anyone else who watched season 1; season 2 starts next week (Tuesday the 10th) on bbc4.

[spagmasterswift]

Ooooh, I'm only a few episodes into Season 1 - looks like I'll have to blitz the rest this weekend - cheers for the info!

[merf]

I couldn't wait for season 2 to air on BBC so watched it a month or so back, its still totally compelling and one of the best things on tv by far.

It'll have to remain a dirty little secret until people catch up with it, like the Wire and Sop's.

[Roddie]

I'll probably end up watching series 2, but I felt this show was seriously overrated. Don and Betty are about the only characters with any depth. The rest are all poorly written and poorly acted; most of the guys in the office are so indistinguishable and forgettable that I couldn't even remember their names (apart from Pete, who is memorable only for being an annoying bastard).

[Skull Commander]

I like the sound of this and missed the first season. Handily play.com have it for £12.99:

http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/5261144/Mad-Men-Season-1/Product.html

[Skull Commander]

Well I got the box set and the wife and myself are 6 episodes in already and loving it. We are "sky plusing" the second season so we can delve into that after we finish the dvds.

I don't know how this passed me by before but I'm glad I know about it now.

[Brats]

Woah! Season 2 is really kicking into high gear now that

->Open Spoiler<-

Jimmy confronted Don about his affair.

.

What an awesome show. I love the way it respects the viewer. So much is told without being obvious, every word and look has meaning. Everyone hassomething to hide, even if you don't quite know what it is. In a recent episode

->Open Spoiler<-

Don was standing with the other war veterans and you just knew from his face that he was thinking back to when he swapped dog tags with the dead superior officer. Any other show would have shown that scene again as a flashback, but not this one

.

I loved it when Peggy said

->Open Spoiler<-

"Thanks Don" in his office

. That was bombshell bigger than them finding ten hatches in Lost.

Can't wait until the next episode. Best telly since the West Wing.

[Brats]

I'll probably end up watching series 2, but I felt this show was seriously overrated. Don and Betty are about the only characters with any depth. The rest are all poorly written and poorly acted; most of the guys in the office are so indistinguishable and forgettable that I couldn't even remember their names (apart from Pete, who is memorable only for being an annoying bastard).

He's annoying because he is so brilliantly played. You might like Season 2, it goes into a lot more depth with the other guys in the office. Salvatore's story in particular is fascinating.

[merf]

hooray, somebody else likes it !

was beginning to think I was the only one.

I love the way the top US series have time to really explore and slowly unfold the story & characters, in many ways I now find films quite unsatisfactory against this, Sopranos, The Wire, Gen Kill, all of which are vastly superior to most films treatment of the same situations and material.

[Brats]

I didn't realise there was a Mad Men thread, such is the apathy towards this amazing series. It seems that unless a series has some supernatural element or involves loads of gunplay, people aren't interested.

I completely agree about time to slowly explore. We know Don has a hidden past and at the end of series one it looked like it might explode, but instead it's just simmering away...

[Brats]

Great episode this week. That last shot of the camera pulling back slowly back to reveal

->Open Spoiler<-

Don in the office kitchen

was fantastic. It looks absolutely stunning in HD too.

I'm surprised that I'm happy Don and Duck are making an effort to get on. Both are deeply flawed people, and yet I want to see them both succeed.

[Brats]

Another cracker last night. The

->Open Spoiler<-

pants pissing

bit was great and it was strangely sad to see the guy fall on his sword.

I was little confused at the end.

->Open Spoiler<-

Mona said Roger had left her for his secretary. Is she talking about Joan? Or is she just confused and Roger has decided to leave her without anyone specific in mind?

Roger is awesome.

[Brats]

Well the bit above was explained well. Last episode next week, and there's loads of plots on the go. The

->Open Spoiler<-

rape scene

was pretty nasty, mainly because of their reactions afterwards.

I'm expecting loads of bombshells for the last episode which again will be tied up in Season 3.

Will be sorry to see this season end. Best thing on telly at the moment, and that's saying something.