Mad Men

There are times during the week when I have reached my children's television limit. I cannot stand the high-pitched sing-songy "Ehh-Ohs" or a cast whose gaudy bright costumes were pulled from the United Colors of Bennetton's 1990 fall line. And when my 15-month-old is asleep, and I have just enough energy to work a remote control, I need something more intellectual like television!

And I’ll be honest, the last thing I need is to watch more TV. But after a marathon feasting of AMC’s new drama, Mad Men, I realized that this is the kind of show that I’ve needed all summer long.

Mad Men is set in the cutthroat machismo world of 1960s Madison Avenue advertising, following the men who toast their martinis with one hand and strangle the competition with the other. We are also privy to the catty and complicated lives of their coiffed secretaries and wives during a time when divorce was taboo but a pregnant woman finishing a pack of smokes was the norm.



Few characters have any redeeming qualities. There's the dashing Don Draper who cheats on his wife, the boss Roger Sterling who also cheats on his wife (whose name is MONA! Why are unattractive characters named MONA?) and the slimy Pete Campbell who would cheat on his wife if it would get him a promotion. Luckily, her name is not Mona.

But aside from the philandering, there's a story here about greed and lies--the seedy underbelly of a world that makes us buy, buy, buy. And while Mad Men doesn't sugar coat the sexist and racist views of the advertising alpha males, it offers up a decadent serving of much-needed drama with plotlines as crisp and tailored as the suits. The meticulous attention to costume details and stunning set accuracy provide the jaw-dropping visuals that make you forget you're watching something made in 2007.

If you need a break from Teletubbies but still need some good television, check out Mad Men every Thursday night at 10 PM (9 Central) on AMC.