Mad Men: The Complete Collection [DVD]

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Weiner collaborated with cinematographer Phil Abraham and production designers Robert Shaw (who worked on the pilot only) and Dan Bishop to develop a visual style that was "influenced more by cinema than television." [24] Alan Taylor, a veteran director of The Sopranos, directed the pilot and also helped establish the series's visual tone. [29] To cast an "air of mystery" around Don Draper, Taylor tended to shoot from behind him or would frame him partially obscured. Many scenes set at Sterling Cooper were shot lower-than-eyeline to incorporate the ceilings into the composition of frame; this reflects the photography, graphic design and architecture of the period. Taylor felt that neither steadicam nor handheld camera work would be appropriate to the "visual grammar of that time, and that aesthetic didn't mesh with [their] classic approach"—accordingly, the sets were designed to be practical for dolly work. [24] Finances [ edit ] The San Francisco Chronicle called Mad Men "stylized, visually arresting…an adult drama of introspection and the inconvenience of modernity in a man's world." [26] Not only is the agency of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce in the business of spinning them—or at least warping the truth—to sell product, but the main character, Don Draper, is built on a lie. Just like one of his campaigns, his whole identity is a sweet fabrication, a kind of candy floss spun out of opportunity, innuendo, and straight-up falsehood. Mad Men Casting Call". AMC. Archived from the original on October 1, 2011 . Retrieved September 15, 2011.

Saraiya, Sonia (July 18, 2017). " 'Mad Men' at 10: The Last Great Drama of TV's Golden Age". Variety. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020 . Retrieved April 16, 2020. Megan Draper (née Calvet) ( Jessica Paré); recurring Season 4, regular Seasons 5–7: Don's wife (as of the beginning of Season 5) and a junior copy writer at SCDP. Initially Megan is a receptionist at SCDP, but following the death of Miss Blankenship, she takes over as Don Draper's secretary. In the Season 4 finale, Don takes Megan on a trip to California to take care of his kids. In spite of being involved with Faye Miller, a marketing research consultant who works with SCDP, he proposes marriage to Megan and she accepts. In the episode " Lady Lazarus," she leaves the firm to pursue her dream of acting, and (with the help of Don) lands her first acting gig in one of SCDP's commercials by the Season 5 finale. Don seems to be more honest with Megan than he was with Betty, apparently telling Megan about his true identity between Seasons 4 and 5. At the same time, he retains some of those possessive qualities he displayed during his previous marriage, although Megan is more stubborn and combative than Betty. Megan relocates permanently to California to pursue her acting career and she and Don divorce during Season 7. Megan is originally from Montreal, and French is her first language. Kondolojy, Amanda (May 19, 2015). " 'Mad Men' Final Episode Sets Finale High for Both Adults 18–49 and Total Viewers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 21, 2015 . Retrieved May 19, 2015. Mad Men is a compelling insight into the harsh reality of life in the 60s perfectly portrayed through the dealings of a prestigious ad agency in New York's Madison Avenue. This was the era of astonishing sexism homophobia and the last golden years of the guilt free cigarette as mass consumerism took hold and helped form the American dream. Includes all three seasons of the modern television classic. Andreeva, Nellie (September 23, 2012). "2012 Primetime Emmys: 'Mad Men's Historic Shutout". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 25, 2012 . Retrieved September 25, 2012.Lambie, Ryan (June 17, 2010). "Why 'Mad Men' is the best show on TV". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012 . Retrieved March 14, 2012.

Mad Men is widely considered one of the most influential shows in the medium's history, and it had an important impact on television history. It raised the profile of AMC, and it was the first series on basic cable to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, winning a record four times, tied only with Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, The West Wing and Game of Thrones for most wins in that category. Mad Men 's success allowed AMC to greenlight other series, such as Breaking Bad, and it also inspired several other networks to launch their own prestige drama series. As a result, many TV critics credit Mad Men and AMC with starting a new wave of Peak TV. [154] [155] [156] [157] Many elements of the show were commended including its unique episode and season structures, subtle and atmospheric tone, exploration of feminism, attention to detail and its overall approach regarding history. [158] [159] [160] a b Tschorn, Adam (October 13, 2009). "Brooks Bros. Dapper Draper Caper: Selling Limited 'Mad Men' suits". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 5, 2010 . Retrieved January 21, 2010. Best Written TV Series Of All Time' From WGA/TV Guide: Complete List". Deadline.com. June 2, 2013. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013 . Retrieved June 3, 2013.

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Franklin, Ruth (November 30, 2011). "Ruth Franklin: The Mad Men Revolution". The New Republic. Archived from the original on January 3, 2012 . Retrieved March 14, 2012. Inspired by the iconic Zippo brand, the DVD box set of the first season of Mad Men was designed like a flip-open Zippo lighter; Zippo subsequently developed two designs of lighters with "Mad Men" logos to be sold at the company headquarters and online. [194] The DVD box set, as well as a Blu-ray disc set, was released July 1, 2008; it features a total of 23 audio commentaries on the season's 13 episodes from various members of the cast and crew. [195] Licensed merchandise [ edit ] Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Mad Men Matthew Weiner and the cast of Mad Men at the 67th Annual Peabody Awards Aviva Dove-Viebahn wrote that " Mad Men straddles the line between a nuanced portrayal of how sexism and patriarchal entitlement shape lives, careers and social interactions in the 1960s and a glorified rendering of the 'fast-paced, chauvinistic world of 1960s advertising and all that comes with it.'" [66] Melissa Witkowski, writing for The Guardian, argued that Peggy's ascendancy was marred because the show "strongly implies that no woman had ever been a copywriter at Sterling Cooper prior to Peggy, but the circumstances of her promotion imply that this was merely because no woman had ever happened to have shown talent in front of a man before," pointing out that Peggy's career path bore little resemblance to the stories of successful ad women of the time such as Mary Wells Lawrence and Jean Wade Rindlaub. [67] In 2013, the U.S. President Obama said "Peggy Olson gave him insight into how his strong-willed grandmother dealt with life in a man's world." [68] Alcoholism [ edit ]

Allister, Graeme (August 1, 2008). "How Mad Men became a style guide". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 16, 2015 . Retrieved September 29, 2012. The 100 best TV shows of the 21st century". The Guardian. September 16, 2019. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019 . Retrieved November 3, 2019. Aside from that, I won't go any further in reviewing the actual show, but I will say a few things about the box set. I bought the Complete Seasons 1-7 Blu Ray Collector's Box Set, and first off the series looks and sounds amazing in HD. There's also an exclusive bonus features disc which was a pretty interesting watch after finishing the series, featuring interviews with the cast, creator Matthew Weiner, a few key members of the production crew, and an archive of some of the prominent ads from each Season.a b c Umstead, R. Thomas (July 26, 2010). " 'Mad Men' Delivers 2.9 Million Viewers In Season Four Premiere". Multichannel.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017 . Retrieved February 14, 2012.

Alan Taylor, Phil Abraham, Jennifer Getzinger, Lesli Linka Glatter, Tim Hunter, Andrew Bernstein, and Michael Uppendahl were regular directors for the series. Matthew Weiner directed each of the season finales. Cast members John Slattery, Jared Harris and Jon Hamm also directed episodes. Don Draper is joined by a rich cast of supporting characters, many of whom deserve a show of their own: The ambitious young Campbell who is utterly sleazy most of the time, but has occasional moments of growth and even cuteness.Peggy Olson starts out as Draper's secretary, but her growth into a strong, confident woman mirrors what is happening for Woman in the 60's. Silver fox Stirling - he may be morally bankrupt but gets some of the best lines. I could go on . . . Goodman, Tim (July 23, 2010). "TV Review: Identity key as 'Mad Men' starts". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 31, 2011 . Retrieved March 14, 2012. The first part of the seventh season, titled "The Beginning", premiered on April 13, 2014, and garnered 2.27 million total viewers and a 0.8 adults 18–49 rating. [135] This was down 48 percent in viewers and 38 percent in adults 18–49 from the sixth season premiere, and down from the sixth season finale. The first part of season seven concluded on May 25, 2014, to 1.94 million viewers and a 0.7 adults 18–49 rating, down in both from the season 6 finale. [136] This brought the average for the first part of the season down to 2.01 million viewers. [137] The second part of season seven, titled "The End of an Era", premiered on April 5, 2015, to 2.27 million viewers and a 0.8 adults 18–49 rating; identical to the season 7 premiere. The series finale of Mad Men aired on May 17, 2015, to 3.29 million viewers and a 1.1 adults 18–49 rating. 1.7 million of these viewers were aged 25–54, [147] and 1.4 million were ages 18–49, [148] making it the highest viewed and highest rated episode since the sixth season premiere. [139] This episode brought up the part two average to 2.12 million viewers, and brought up the overall season seven average to 2.06 million viewers. [137] Authenticity [ edit ]

On April 7, 2013, the sixth season premiered to 3.37 million viewers, and a 1.1 adults 18–49. [132] This was down from the fifth season premiere, but up from the fifth season finale. The sixth season finale on June 23, 2013, attracted 2.69 million total viewers, and achieved a 0.9 adults 18–49 demographic rating; on par with the fifth season finale. [133] This helped bring the season average up to 2.49 million viewers, down just slightly from the season five average. [134] Mad Men is nothing more than the fulfilment of every possible stereotype of the early 1960s bundled up nicely to convince consumers that the sort of morally repugnant behavior exhibited by its characters…is glamorous and vintage.… [U]nlike the TV 'Mad Men,' we worked full, exhausting, joyous days: pitching new business, creating ideas, "comping" them up, storyboarding them, selling them, photographing them, and directing commercials. And our only 'extracurricular activity' was chasing fly balls and dunking basketballs on our agency softball and basketball teams!