The dramatic story of an advertising agency takes place in America in the 60s. For us, this time remains in the distant past, and the series “Mad Men” gives us the opportunity to travel there. Reviews from viewers and critics have repeatedly called him the best television show.
How it all began
American screenwriter Matthew Weiner, who worked on The Sopranos, decided one day to write a draft version of the first episode. He still did not know what his idea would turn into, and had little idea of ​​what he was writing about, so he chose a topic that was close to him at that time - the history of the emergence of advertising agencies in the 60-70s of the last century. Leaving for now the working title Mad Men, Weiner showed the manuscript to David Chase. The executive producer became interested in the project and tried to “promote” among colleagues.
But unsuccessfully. The script was shelved. And all because there was not a single channel that would be ready to invest in an unknown project. The grid for all was painted for the seasons ahead. And when some of the shows began to come to a final end, they recalled Mad Men again. This time it was a stellar success - the AMC channel took it under its wing.
Creation Background
Since the authors wanted to show the life of America in those years as reliably as possible, they had to spend a lot of time and effort collecting relevant information. An appointed team of scriptwriters studied libraries and museums, raised archival manuscripts and documentaries. Influence and creativity of Alfred Hitchcock. Especially his some films.
So the “Madmen” were born. The plot of the series was built around several characters-workers. At the same time, they pursued luxury, hiding underneath emptiness and loneliness. “Live life like crazy” - this was the first slogan of the show. Hence its name.
Key Features
What is this show about? Advertising of the 60s, as such, is not interesting to the viewer. But through it is transmitted the American history of those years. Matthew Weiner deliberately did not deprive the show of abundant smoking scenes, believing that their absence would add credibility. It was in an attempt to show the viewer the former life that “Mad Men” came out. The series, reviews and opinions of critics about which you have yet to find out, set a difficult goal. And, as the high rating says, he completely coped with it.
10 years to show life
The scriptwriters took a ten-year period of the 60-70s. So, viewers are greeted by the Sterling-Cooper advertising agency, located in the best area of ​​the city, run by the ambitious and creative Don Draper, played by John Hamm. The audience is interested not only in his life, but also in the life of his colleagues. The show raises a variety of topics, from social to personal. And even touches on some political issues and the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
The series “Mad Men”: reviews
The vast majority of critics' opinions contain only extremely positive reviews. According to them, the show is included in the list of the greatest TV shows of all time. The series took Emmy four times in a row, which is a record. Viewers noted, first of all, a personal story for each of the heroes. The characters themselves are spelled out clearly and vividly. It’s impossible to find “Lyapov” behind the screenwriters, which indicates their painstaking work.
The atmosphere conveyed in absolutely every episode is captivating. Reliable scenery, costumes and props make you completely immerse yourself in the era of that time, the era of political and cultural events. And no hint of a modern age.
“Mad Men” - the series, whose actors are matched to their characters, stayed afloat (and seven seasons is a pretty good mark) thanks not only to their talent and dedication, but also to the brilliant work of the selection team. Can you imagine any other actor in the place of your favorite character? Complicated. Almost impossible. The heroes and the actors who played them became one whole. And this is a big plus in the piggy bank of the show.
American actor John Hamm endowed his character Don Draper with incredible charisma, sometimes slightly strange. From the first episode, he takes his charm, and closer to the third year of the story begins to change, so to follow this becomes doubly pleasant.
Elizabeth Moss, approved for the role of assistant secretary Peggy Olson, played in the first season quite primitively, but then her game became more interesting (it was not for nothing that the actress won an Emmy nomination), like her heroine, who had matured, was even more grasping and not so simple anymore.
Christina Hendricks, who played the fateful Joan Holloway, woke up famous after the release of the series, although she starred a lot before.
Vincent Cartizer got the role of the slippery careerist Peter Campbell, and he coped with it perfectly.
And, of course, it is impossible not to mention January Jones, who embodied the image of the “cold bitch” Betty Draper.
Throughout the seasons of the show, many well-known actors participated as guest stars.
“Mad Men” - a series whose actors woke up famous after its release, is considered by many to be the best work on their track record. Perhaps there is not one of them who would complain about difficulties in filming or shortcomings in the images or storylines. I would like to hope that the show gave them a great opportunity to grow professionally, and wish a lot of equally interesting projects.
At the center of the story are simple things.
Acquainted with the show, the audience met not only the atmosphere of the 60s, transmitted with colorful accuracy. What else do Mad Men offer us? The series, reviews of which give it only positive ratings, does not show work and the world around, but people. With their values ​​and aspirations, full of hope and resentment. They live an ordinary life, conquer the peaks, fail. A strong psychological drama is not complete without love stories filled with a palette of human relationships, passion and deceit. You remain a researcher studying the behavior of mere mortals.
A separate feature of the series is the original narrative, when the viewer receives an idea, a hint, but not further development, and he must guess himself. So “Mad Men” is also a kind of detective story. And only after a few episodes the viewer finds the long-awaited answer. If you watch the entire series in this way, at the end you will see a real story about human psychology, inherent not only to the inhabitants of the 60s, but also to the heroes of modernity.
The series “Mad Men” (2007-2015 - the years of the show) is undoubtedly a cult creation of American television. Many awards and nominations, high ratings, inclusion in the lists of the best world-class shows. Do you still have doubts about starting to watch it?