Thursday 15 April 2010

Mad Men - the sequel


A little bit of perfection came to an end last night, and Wednesday nights now have a bit fat hole in them.

The third series of Mad Men, the drama set in a 1960s New York advertising agency was outstanding because it took something that was already excellent and made it even better. Everything was great - the writing, the acting, the sets and the clothes..ah, the clothes. The clothes are so completely wonderful that I often have to freeze frame just to drink in the sheer fabulous detail of Betty’s gloves or Trudy’s frothy skirts.

The character development, three series in, is deep and satisfying and but equally important is the social and political commentary on the vast changes rumbling through Sixties America. So ice queen Betty Draper's growing discontent with her life as a housewife is also a subtle reflection of the nascent feminist movement.

I acquired my very own own character in series three, although I don’t know her name. The wife of the English executive sent from London to run the company spoke for anyone who’s ever been a trailing spouse when she described New York: “It’s not London. It’s not even England.”
She bridled when her husband suggested calling a taxi to take her home, because home meant England. And she lit up with joy when she heard that the company was going to be sold - because it meant going back to blighty. My husband couldn’t believe it. ‘it's you! Did you write this?’ he asked.

Most women I know are enthralled by Don Draper, whose many character flaws are mitigated by his unhappy and complicated background and his gorgeous face (mmm, see above. Played by the very talented Jon Hamm). Most men I know are captivated by the lovely Monroe-esque Joanie and dream of liberating her from her deeply unworthy husband.

Anyway, Mad Men series three is over and Mad Men series four is, for us Brits, just a distant speck on the horizon. So today my agent, a fellow Mad Men fanatic, and I have been dreaming up a follow up series, set in the 1980s centred on lovely lisping Sally (or Thally), daughter of Don and Betty.

My predictions go like this:

Don - has a new young wife and triplets. Still philandering on the side. Exhausted.
Betty - gets into feminism in the 70s. Flirts with lesbianism, but by the 80s is a right -wing columnist. Dynamic and scary.
Joan running the business, brilliantly. Divorced three times. No kids but very rich.
Peggy and Pete finally get together and are reunited with their adopted son. Unhappiness all round.
Sally - adorable basket case. Anorexic.
Bobby - artistic loser.
Gene - serial killer.

Any other Mad Men fans like to join in?

12 comments:

  1. This is going to be the first of your posts in yonks that I haven't commented on, as frankly this is all lost on me.
    *Plentymorefishoutofwater - One Man's Dating Diary*

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  2. Go and buy yourself a dvd of series one..it is brilliant, I promise.

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  3. Hello Keren. I think by the 80's Sally is working in advertising but deep in therapy; her mum, Betts, is First Lady, Pete and Peggy have their own highly successful agency and are riding the advertising boom and Don...still craggily handsome,now works in advertising in London and one day hires a temp and it's me, fresh out of uni and..oh dear, gotta stop here as feeling a tad flustered...

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  4. remind me who gene is ...

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  5. i had no idea you were that homesick!

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  6. Candy: Gene is Don and Betty's baby - only a few months old and already feared and hated by Thally and quite possibly Don.
    Jenny..excellent...but I think you'll find that job already went to me..

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  7. Nah, you were off sick that day or on a CND march or something and i was your replacement... But not to worry, I only lasted a day...not the greatest temp and too busy making coffee for Don and coming up with stupid slogans to do any proper work.

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  8. I love the characters you thought up Keren. I haven't seen the series, (I don't watch much TV as it is but I don't think German television has picked up on it yet) but you do make it sound interesting.
    Just so you know, the last series I flipped my beans for was Californication. I also loved Rome, The Tudors, Fringe and The X Files and that's about it.
    Why am I telling you this?
    I don't know either, whatever, now you know. Take it easy.

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  9. My husband also loved Rome and The Tudors - I somehow managed to miss them. Apart from Mad Men I love Damages, loved Life on Mars , quite like Ashes to Ashes and that's about it.

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  10. Oh yeah, Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes were cool too.
    Another one my wife and I bought was Sharpe, the television series from the early 90's set around the English soldier promoted from the ranks in the Napoleonic wars in Spain.
    Terrible acting, awful plots and laughable action, but somehow we love it still!!!
    There's no accounting for taste...
    I'll leave it there before I let any more skeletons out of the closet.

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  11. I've never watched that show and I've never watched Glee so I guess I'm truly out of it! I love Coronation Street though!

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  12. Never seen Mad Men. I am obviously missing out on a great deal.

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