> MAD MEN
2007–2015
Period drama following Don Draper and a Madison Avenue advertising agency through the social upheavals of the 1960s.
Overview
Mad Men uses advertising careers and private lives to examine identity, ambition, gender, work, and consumer culture.
Key Facts
- Created by Matthew Weiner
- Stars Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss
- Runs for seven seasons
History and Development
Weiner wrote the pilot before joining The Sopranos. AMC’s production became a defining early success for the network’s original dramas.
Format and Structure
Client campaigns mirror personal conflicts without reducing them to simple lessons. Time jumps between seasons let fashion, politics, and workplace expectations change around the characters.
Impact / Legacy
The show influenced period design, slow-burn character drama, and television’s treatment of work.
Did You Know?
- The agency changes names several times.
- Real advertisements are woven into fictional pitches.
- “Carousel” is one of its most celebrated presentations.
