Friday, September 19, 2008

Mad Men and Emmy history

Television history could be made soon:

"The chain-smoking, booze-swilling, skirt-chasing advertising executives from "Mad Men" are expected to make Emmy history when U.S. television's highest honors are handed out Sunday. The AMC network's critically acclaimed period piece, set in the social cross-currents of New York's Madison Avenue in the early 1960s, is the overwhelming favorite to win this year's Emmy prize as best drama series. If it prevails, "Mad Men" would become the first show from a cable network other than HBO to claim the prestigious best-drama title, marking a new turning point in the 60-year-old Emmy competition and prime-time television itself."

I hope it wins. I watch it; it's a great show.
The thing about it is, it doesn't just feature chain-smoking, booze-swilling, etc for the heck of it. What it does is create the culture and atmosphere of the early 1960s, and it does it very accurately and well. Its plots are complicated, subtle, and nuanced; and they will surprise you. If you haven't checked it out yet, do.