The 'mad men' referred to in the title of the new AMC series of that name aren't the diabolical terrorists you'd find on, say, "24." They're actually Madison Avenue men, vintage 1960 New York, where the only real madness was how many martinis could be downed at lunch and how many appalling things one could say to women in the organization without consequence.
In spite of that, or really because of it, "Mad Men" is something of a guilty pleasure, but also a genuinely involving drama. The man (of course) behind it is Matthew Weiner, fresh from a writing and producing stint on "The Sopranos." Weiner knows that all that un-PC stuff, all that cigarette smoking, will draw us in, but that it's the story that keeps us coming back. And what goes on at the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency -- romance, pitches, practical jokes, backstabbing -- makes for a grand old time.
The show airs Thursdays at 10pm, and you can buy past episodes at iTunes.
written on Tuesday Sep 4, 2007
advertising,
time warp,
tv.
