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« Marci's Blog
MAD MEN: The Most Nominated Drama that Almost No One Watches
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Very interesting artivle Marci. I am thankful that a huge audience isn't the only think that can keep a show on the air.
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Jul 18, 2008 11:39 AM
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Me too, Ranger. I know Mad Men isn't your cup of tea, but I hope all of the Emmy hoopla will bring it a bigger audience.
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Jul 18, 2008 11:46 AM
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Hi Marci --
That was a very interesting article. I found it telling about the section on the ratings. For cable it would seem that ratings don't really mean as much and yet in regular network world show still live and die by the antiquated system. And it also really shows that popular doesn't always equal great and a great show doesn't have to be popular to be consider successful. Some of my favorite shows are on cable outlets -- and I doubt many of them would have survived the frenzied and schizophrenic regular network workings. I think the networks are really going to have to relook at how they do business if the want to keep up with the 100 plus channel concept and the continued use of DVRs.
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Jul 18, 2008 11:47 AM
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I agree, CA. It's heartening that great, but little watched, cable dramas like Mad Men and Damages can be recognized for their artistry even with anemic ratings. Both of these shows would have been canceled after two or three episodes if they had been aired on broadcast networks. I'm gravitating more and more to cable too.
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Jul 18, 2008 11:55 AM
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I know Mad Men isn't your cup of tea, but I hope all of the Emmy hoopla will bring it a bigger audience.
I'm going to give it another try - they are running a marathon next week, plus they have been running a season one recap show that I am going to watch. I REALLY want to like this show!
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Jul 18, 2008 12:07 PM
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Good for you, Ranger! I hope you'll like it on your second try. I can tell you from my own experiences during that era, it's a very accurate portrait of the office culture of that time.
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Jul 18, 2008 12:11 PM
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I'm going to give it another try - they are running a marathon next week, plus they have been running a season one recap show that I am going to watch. I REALLY want to like this show!
Right there with ya Ranger. I could see that Mad Men was quality programming I just couldn't get into when it premiered. I am hoping that it strikes my fancy when I watch it again.
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Jul 18, 2008 12:13 PM
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I've never watched this show. Until the article I didn't know it was on AMC. I've seen it mentioned but thought it was maybe on HBO or Showtime. I have no idea when it is on here, but if I can sample it I will try. However, Emmy noms mean little to me since I think they've lost touch with what is really good.
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Jul 18, 2008 1:18 PM
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I watched a 1/2 hour recap "The Best of Mad Men" this morning. That gave me a little bit of insite as to what the show is about. I liked it. I really dropped the ball by not watching this show it it's first season, but I've decided to give it a shot this season.
The AMC Man Men Season 1 Marathon is this Sunday. It starts at "noon". So whenever "noon" starts in your time zone....over here that's 9:00 am. All 13 episodes in a row. Not sure I'll be able to watch all 13 in a row but I'll certainly be tuning in or taping some of them.
Thanks Marci! 
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Jul 18, 2008 1:25 PM
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I would give it a try, Cindy. You may find the rampant sexism and all of the other isms portrayed somewhat offputting, but it's an accurate portrayal of American culture in 1960. It's good to look back sometimes to see where we were as a society so we can evaluate how far we've come. It's also great drama with superb acting and superior production values.
One of the treats for me was seeing the office equipment we used back then, especially the IBM typewriters; and being taken back to the old plugged switchboard was a hoot.
Also, the hair styles and wardrobe on the women are just as I remember. You'll notice that there are no slacks on the women in the office. They were verboten in the offices I worked in until the late 1960's. And, even then, they had to be pantssuits. Dress codes didn't allow for slacks and tops until the early 1970's.
Lynn - Thanks for the info on the marathon. I'm glad you're giving it a try.
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Jul 18, 2008 2:12 PM
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Thanks for the link Marci! I think this is the first time I've ever been compared with an opera watcher from another century.  I thought it was interesting too how they predicted that soon all scripted TV will end up on cable and there'll be nothing but sports and crappy reality on networks. God forbid! What a travesty that would be. And yet, each year I have fewer and fewer shows on network that I look forward to watching. And then TV truly will become the opiate of the masses because you'll have to pay to get any quality scripted programming. Talk about dumbing down America--the concept alone is enough to get my blood boiling.
Cindy, given your tastes, I think you should try it out. I think you'll actually really like it. The writing is really very good. Painful sometimes, but very very good. Well-actualized characters in complex storylines.
Ranger and Lynn I hope you'll try it too. You might not like it or maybe you will. But you'll at the very least appreciate the quality, which is top-notch. The characters are not all sympathetic. In fact, most of them are not! But the stories and characters are complex and that made it interesting to me. I didn't watch the show last summer but I managed to record it when they repeated it after Breaking Bad and I haven't regretted it. Even my brother (who, on principle, hates everything I like) thought it was pretty good and got caught up in the storyline.
Plus, Ranger, Christina Hendricks and January Jones. That's all I'm going to say.
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Jul 18, 2008 2:58 PM
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I think this is the first time I've ever been compared with an opera watcher from another century.
Famin - And imagine my surprise to find out that I'm an "upscale" viewer. My bank account would disagree.
Thanks for all the great comments. So true!!
And yes, Ranger--Christina's Joan is quite the office vixen, and typical of a lot of women I worked with at that time. But, as with the other characters, she has more going on with her than the obvious.
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Jul 18, 2008 3:16 PM
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Famin - And imagine my surprise to find out that I'm an "upscale" viewer. My bank account would disagree.
Maybe it means we have "upscale" tastes. My bank account would agree with THAT!
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Jul 18, 2008 3:59 PM
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Well, I do have upscale tastes, but not the income to match. Materially I always have to settle for less, but at least I don't have to settle when it comes to television programs.
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Jul 18, 2008 4:11 PM
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