Mad Men on Netflix - what's it all about?!

[Italiangreyhound]

Mad Men leaves Netflix in a couple of days, I'm on season 6 and hoping to finish it before it leaves Netflix.

I find it visually stunning, all those lovely dresses, and very well written.

But, what's it all about?

It's hard to know what kind of drama it is, not a comedy, or a tragedy, but with elements of both.

Anyone watched it all and want to share their thoughts?

It's fantastic television, I watched when it first aired and have watched through a few times since . The writing is good the cast are amazing and the sets and props are beautiful. It's about human nature and the things people do to get on in life

To me, the ending shows Don's creative genius but also how he is a bit of a fake at heart, always looking for inspiration to make commercials and more money. The whole meditation retreat just gave him some insight into where he needed to go next with campaigns to keep it all up to date.It also shows how any sort of 'alternative' ideas are soon made mainstream by being cynically repackaged. Or maybe it shows it changed him and made him want to make a commercial with 'heart'! I really don't know... But I do remember that advert when it came out and how much we all loved it!

@thisoldcity
I love your thoughts on this.

Gutted it’s gone from Netflix I was enjoying watching it. Now I’ll have to pay to watch on you tube.

Mad Men is loosely based on the advertising men of Madison Avenue and their values, ways of working etc. It also reflects the development of advertising during the 1960's. Peggy Olsen was based on a few women who made it up the ladder in the male dominated, sexist industry. Health and safety, casual racism etc all part of that era. Don Draper represents the creative genius types of the time, as well as flawed character traits.

I find Roger really sexy!

Same !

I absolutely loved it and must get round to rewatching it. Things I loved -
Betty Draper speaking Italian in Rome
Don and Peggy’s story arc of mutual respect
Don and Anna (Draper)’s relationship (the widow of the man whose identity he stole) - her house became his safe haven
The scene where Peggy takes her box of things out of the office near the end - she is a badass in that scene
Roger and the moon landings
The lawn mower!!!!

It’s like a long novel really, with lots of room for character development, and a visual feast.

Have a look in charity shops. I’ve spotted the box sets a few times.

I think it's all about women

I don’t really know what it’s ‘about’ (except maybe women, as the poster above says) but I think the writing and ensemble acting is almost unmatched.
I did think it lost its way a little bit in the period when Don was married to Megan, and I’m not sure I love the ending, or anyway the wider episode with all the material about the retreat.
But I love the period detail and the way you see events in history through their social context. Who is it who gets married the day of or after JFK’s funeral?
I also love some of the character development and relationships. Peggy‘s rise through the professional ranks, her personal growth and her awakening to women’s issues and feminism is fabulous, and her acting is tremendous.
I think Don genuinely respects her, and he genuinely respects hardly anybody, man or woman.
I agree that Joan for a while acts as men expect her to, and in a way it benefits her, but when she starts wanting a more challenging job and finds herself ignored just for being a woman, she changes her point of view. The episode where the men in the office basically prostitute her out for the sake of a client is heartbreaking, shocking and angry-making.
Having said that, most of the time I love her and Roger’s relationship; he adores her, albeit in his rather flawed and male chauvinist way.
There’s a very moving and thought-provoking moment when Betty is talking about a friend of hers and their college days, and says something like, ‘I was an anthropology major; can you imagine?’

I was excited about where Betty's character might go but this was her high point (in season one).

I just remembered Betty's fat suit that was used to hide her real life pregnancy. That was a low point.

Think it was Roger's daughter who got married the day after JFK's funeral @LittleBitofBread

I thought I was the only one!

I forgot about when Joan said to Danny:

"I can't wait until next year when all of you are in Vietnam... you're in the jungle and they're shooting at you, remember you're not dying for me because I never liked you,"

Ouch

Its on Disney + in case it’s not already been said

It was so sad, how Betty’s story ended. She seemed to be finally happy, going back to college and then she got ill.

I’ve signed up for a 30’day free subscription to Amazon prime so will try and watch all of series 3-7 before it runs out !

One of the historical details i always remember is the day they get a computer and it needs its own room to be built in!

dan and betty and children drove somewhere, had a picnic, on a rug, then threw the left overs, whatever they were? on the grass.
that very true of the time

Brilliant line. And both gorgeous

I did this one summer when I’d time off, and it consumed me. I loved it.

I watched all 96 episodes in a matter of weeks when I was lying in bed with a fractured sternum. It’s a fantastic show.