Mad Men

:

Season 1
  • Network: AMC
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 19, 2007
Season #: 7.5, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 650 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 592 out of 650
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 650
  3. Negative: 25 out of 650
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User Reviews

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  1. lindab
    Jul 25, 2007
    0
    The in-your-face-over-exaggeration of sexually overcharged or weak females in the workplace as meat for carnivores in power is insulting. Gynecologists "smoking" during a naive woman's pelvic exam, then more or less saying that her wanting birth control meds makes her "easy" and if he sees she's abusing them, she'll be limited in their use??? Ridiculous...all of it. I was The in-your-face-over-exaggeration of sexually overcharged or weak females in the workplace as meat for carnivores in power is insulting. Gynecologists "smoking" during a naive woman's pelvic exam, then more or less saying that her wanting birth control meds makes her "easy" and if he sees she's abusing them, she'll be limited in their use??? Ridiculous...all of it. I was in the legal field, had few friends or co-workers who smoked and if someone of power made a suggestive remark, they were told it wasn't appreciated...and it never happened again. The sexual remarks, smoking and naivety is so exaggerated in this series it's laughable. I was very attractive, with a great body and on BC meds. So I was shocked when I saw this portrayal. As with today, you either can or can't control a situation. The one thing that's different is that in the 60's we didn't hide behind the fear of "sexual harrassment" charges to those in higher power. We simply took care of any problem ourselves...and were much stronger women for it. Feminism has not helped the female gender...and it has helped to emasculate the male. Sad.… Expand
  2. EricS
    Jun 16, 2009
    3
    My wife and I watched two episodes. We won't be watching a third. Mad Men is a hamfisted portrayal of a some of the more obvious biases and blindnesses of the early 60s. As if every day dawned in 1960 in order to provide white men with opportunities to manifest their sexual and racial biases and -- along with all the women and negros -- to smoke all the day through. I can only My wife and I watched two episodes. We won't be watching a third. Mad Men is a hamfisted portrayal of a some of the more obvious biases and blindnesses of the early 60s. As if every day dawned in 1960 in order to provide white men with opportunities to manifest their sexual and racial biases and -- along with all the women and negros -- to smoke all the day through. I can only explain the positive reviews of this show by surmising that the critics like to be assured -- as this show does minute by minute -- that we in the early 20th century are so much more enlightened than those Neanderthals in the mid 20th. Don't waste yout time on this one.… Expand
  3. MarkS.
    Aug 14, 2007
    0
    I gave this an unbaised shot at first, the show proved slow, akward, boring, and seemingly uncomfortable with itself, thus I wrote it off without a negative word to be said or written. However, I get innundated with nonstop self-aggrandizing commercials, "making-of" mini-movies, and bold quotes from professional critics whom I now USED to have respect for singing the praises of this I gave this an unbaised shot at first, the show proved slow, akward, boring, and seemingly uncomfortable with itself, thus I wrote it off without a negative word to be said or written. However, I get innundated with nonstop self-aggrandizing commercials, "making-of" mini-movies, and bold quotes from professional critics whom I now USED to have respect for singing the praises of this ridicilious piece of trash, so I feel compelled to dissertate in order to create, if even in only some marginally fractional inconsequential way, some balance to this very unwarranted hype. First off all the depictions of female stupidity, weakness and superficiality, of chauvinism, bigotry, racism and antisemitism, of simplistic "bad-habits", of manipulation and philandering in business and life, of unprepared, unmotivated, simple-minded advertising agency employees and typical office-politics are regressive and totally uninteresting to begin with, let alone when they are executed with bland, amateurish acting, bad timing, bad, nonsensical, inaccurate and even utterly incorrect writing when it tags itself as so totally realistic. And secondly, since when is it such an accomplishment to dress a period-piece accurately, especially with such simple props, locations and attire? Has this not been done in TENS OF THOUSANDS of television & film productions in the "pre mad-men" era, even "gasp" going back to the 1940's and "OMG" even prior to then! WOW! I find it amazing that some big critics are wiling to put their professional reputations on the line by assigning "perfect 10's", in other words "the absolute epitome of media production", to such a totally ineffectual, inconsequential waste of time.… Expand
  4. ednrder
    Dec 13, 2010
    3
    overrated. just started watching the show. the first season was average. i should stop here. but since its "the best show on tv" i'm guessing it gets better in the second season.
  5. kelsikelsi
    Sep 5, 2011
    3
    Let me preface with this statement: I wanted to like Madmen. I really really wanted to like it. I have been in a horrible lull in television. All of my staples are off air for a while and NetFlix has been making me question its loyalty to distracting me from being stuck in rural hell. I started Madmen because I religiously check Metacritic for show ideas and it just kept coming up on greatLet me preface with this statement: I wanted to like Madmen. I really really wanted to like it. I have been in a horrible lull in television. All of my staples are off air for a while and NetFlix has been making me question its loyalty to distracting me from being stuck in rural hell. I started Madmen because I religiously check Metacritic for show ideas and it just kept coming up on great shows lists.

    Let's begin with what I do like. I constantly mental note the fashion. Jane is a bad ass **** Jon Hamm's acting skills aren't horrendous... thinking... thinking... grasping... I've got nothing. I can honestly think of nothing more. I couldn't even finish the available episodes because I simply can't give a **** about a single character or story line. Please allow me to go further.

    I suppose Madmen writers and creators will say that the show is a bit of a satire. But it's satire like blackface is satire. It is... but you're a dick if you do it because you're not hitting your point. Shows in the 1950's/60's like Leave it to Beaver and I Love Lucy, flooded the airwaves with subservient domestic wives. The effects of this plus the push from lady's magazines caused an era of repressed, sad women that felt that their red lipstick and roasts were the only glue that kept their families together. Madmen does poke a little at this past sociological dark period, but at times I feel the glorification and glamorization of Mrs. Draper leans a little towards the promotion of the doormat wife. Madmen further punches women in the proverbial snatch by making Jon Hamm's incessant affairs so god damn acceptable all the while Mrs. Draper's perfectly reasonable reactions to her husband's affairs are portrayed in a way that make her seem difficult and nosy.

    Yes, Madmen is a period piece. Yes, the period was one of psychological and sociological repression of women, but where the show takes a wrong turn is in a further promotion of the misogynistic attitudes that should not be apparent in the 21st century. Why does the show make Mrs. Draper so **** when she kicks her cheating husband out of the house? Why is Mr. Draper shown to be such a classy, evolved man, when his behavior is modeled after Hank Moody of Californication (or the real David Duchovny for that matter.)

    I feel that in order for Madmen to pull the audience into the 1960's, they have lost integrity in their characters and their story. They have taken the fictional Leave it to Beaver Cleaver family as the reality for the 50's/60's family. When truly, by this time in American history nearly 40% of women and mothers were already in the workforce, most families were lower middle class, and many families adhered deeply to their cultural/ethnic heritage. Sociologist and TV aficionado Stephanie Coontz writes, "Contrary to popular opinion, Leave it to Beaver was not a documentary." Madmen missed that message.

    to read more of my reviews go to: televisionhypnotism.blogspot.com    … Expand
  6. tomw
    Jul 20, 2007
    3
    what it lacks: a gritty directorial and production style, to service a gritty, shark's den of a subject. what it has: the potential to be all it claimed it was and possibly all it could be.
  7. EM
    Aug 25, 2007
    2
    All the subtlety of a campaign commercial: there's nothing but preaching to the converted here. If you don't believe that everything good and holy in this world was invented sometime in -- and by -- the Kennedy administration, you won't believe this show. I found it particularly disappointing since the advertising leading into the premiere led me to expect a naughty (but All the subtlety of a campaign commercial: there's nothing but preaching to the converted here. If you don't believe that everything good and holy in this world was invented sometime in -- and by -- the Kennedy administration, you won't believe this show. I found it particularly disappointing since the advertising leading into the premiere led me to expect a naughty (but fun) show about naughty people doing naughty things with alcohol, cigarettes and sex at work before we decided (correctly) that these were all very bad. But still fun. Except no one on this show is having any fun at all. And neither will you (unless you require endless validation on how much better you are than your parents -- or their parents).… Expand
  8. MarieG
    Aug 18, 2009
    3
    I anxiously awaited the second season. I was greatly disappointed in the homosexual scene. I was offended by the visual content. I felt that it crossed the line and was very inappropriate.
  9. Blackops1231
    Oct 13, 2014
    2
    I know a lot of people love this show and I respect that, but I honestly find it very boring. The plot is uninteresting to me and there is almost no action. To me mad men just seems like a well-written soap opera. If you think cinematography and writing matter more than simple enjoyment, this is definitely worth watching for you. If you just want a good show that doesn't make you askI know a lot of people love this show and I respect that, but I honestly find it very boring. The plot is uninteresting to me and there is almost no action. To me mad men just seems like a well-written soap opera. If you think cinematography and writing matter more than simple enjoyment, this is definitely worth watching for you. If you just want a good show that doesn't make you ask yourself ''when is this going to be over?'' and a show that's not so slow and more exciting, than I'd highly recommend you skip it.… Expand
  10. thanaton
    May 15, 2014
    0
    Mad men made this show alright. I don't know what kind of audience they are trying to target with Mad Men but I'm 20 and this show doesn't appeal to me at all, I guess they are going with the older crowd. This show has very poor dialog, very uninteresting plots nobody cares about, I like the idea of a show being set in the 1960s but couldn't they have picked anything more boring than anMad men made this show alright. I don't know what kind of audience they are trying to target with Mad Men but I'm 20 and this show doesn't appeal to me at all, I guess they are going with the older crowd. This show has very poor dialog, very uninteresting plots nobody cares about, I like the idea of a show being set in the 1960s but couldn't they have picked anything more boring than an advertising agency?

    I don't care about this show at all, it's completely boring and bad.    … Expand
  11. skeer562
    Dec 24, 2017
    0
    Tasteless, crude, and disappointing. The show is very offensive, and it doesn't seem very interesting either. If it was at least interesting maybe I could over look some of the trash in it.
  12. 19joycedivision
    May 15, 2018
    1
    This is a series mainly about smoking, drinking and, well you know what. Women are easy to the point of laughable, in this show...
    Now, I love drinking and I love smoking... and who knows, I might even be tempted to the odd romp, but for a series?
    Sexist... and I feel insulting to women... Listen, I like the clothes that people are wearing... Some women are really pretty... But for me    This is a series mainly about smoking, drinking and, well you know what. Women are easy to the point of laughable, in this show...
    Now, I love drinking and I love smoking... and who knows, I might even be tempted to the odd romp, but for a series?
    Sexist... and I feel insulting to women...
    Listen, I like the clothes that people are wearing...
    Some women are really pretty...
    But for me just to easy...
    Sex sells... we know the concept well...    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

16
#16 Best TV Season of 2007
9
#9 Most Discussed TV Season of 2007
2
#2 Most Shared TV Season of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. Sioux City Journal
    Reviewed by: Bruce Miller
    May 29, 2013
    80
    Interestingly, a lot of nothing adds up to a big something.
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  2. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Gloria Goodale
    83
    It's very filmic both in execution and ambition as it explores life before Betty Friedan and the Surgeon General's warnings on cigarette packs.
    Read full review
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    83
    What gives Mad Men its zing is that play is part of work, sexual banter isn't yet harassment, and America is free of self-doubt, guilt, and countercultural confusion.
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