AMC's 'Mad Men' Brings the 1960s Back to Life

Matt Weiner is best known for his writing and producing chops on HBO’s The Sopranos, but now he has tackled another complex drama with Mad Men, the new series on AMC about life in the 1960s advertising industry.

Similar to how The Sopranos depicted Northern New Jersey as a surreal, distant world, Mad Men paints a vivid picture about American life as it was 50 years ago, a life that doesn’t resemble a shred of contemporary times. It was a man’s world and everything that a man wanted to do was up to him, without regrets. Everyone appears to be a chain smoker and drinking bourbon before meetings was a commonplace ritual. Even more, women with college degrees aspired to be secretaries, sexual harassment in the office wasn’t a crime and cigarette advertising is about making people forget that tobacco is harmful (well I guess everything hasn’t changed).

Set in New York City on Madison Ave, Mad Men is revolves around the fictitious Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency and the denizens that work there. Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm) is a star executive, cool and suave, yet feels as if his life is unraveling. It doesn’t help that a young hot shot that wants his job.

Then there’s Peggy (played by Elisabeth Moss), a new secretary who follows foolish advice to bed any man with a good job in the hopes of living rich in the suburbs. You can’t help but feel sorry for her as she is misguided by pretty much everyone surrounding her, excluding Don, who smartly fends off a pass she makes at him.

Despite its 1960s setting, Mad Men makes the viewer reflect on the paradigms of today’s culture and corporate workplace. Knowing that the world these characters live in will soon change makes the subplots and predicaments all the more interesting.

All in all, it was a strong pilot. Similar to The Sopranos, these characters all have flaws and evils, and it will be intriguing to see how each one deals fights to do right (in their own eyes). In closing, Mad Men has promise and all should take a peek at this engaging new drama. It airs on AMC on Thursdays at 10pm/9pm Central.