Topic: Mad Men
I was just wondering... Why isn't there a thread about Mad Men?
It's an incredible TV Show, extremely well-written, well-directed, and the actors are amazing. Am I the only one to like Mad Men here on NE?
- garrize
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- garrize
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Re: Mad Men
So I guess no one is a Mad Men addict here...
- theConundrumm
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Re: Mad Men
not quite an addict, but i do get a little bit shaky if i don't get my fix regular like... i was sold purely on the visual aesthetic alone, but turns out, as you point out the writing and acting are top notch...
i'm going to eat your brains and gain your memories...
- garrize
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Re: Mad Men
Thank you! I was feeling kinda lonely here...
- z1rra
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Re: Mad Men
So, the s04e07.
I don't usually get much emotions from tv shows. This one somehow got to me though. Sad with a hint of hope. To me, this felt like a definition of a drama. Intense and emotional.
- marco1475
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Re: Mad Men
paisley1 wrote:
Mad Men's a great show, but at the same time, it leaves little to discuss.
See, it's been the exact opposite for me. I started watching the show two years ago when I moved to Maryland and had to spend my first weekend here with no TV or internet and nothing to do. So I went to Best Buy and bought the first seasons of Damages and Mad Men. And I believe that if it wasn't for having absolutely nothing else to do that weekend (and no furniture) I wouldn't have finished that first season of Mad Men. I thought it was boring, nothing was happening, and even the style aspect didn't thrill me.
But then once I got an internet connection I somehow decided to download season 2 (don't ask me why). It was better, but a real breakthrough came towards the end of that season. Suddenly I loved every moment of every episode that followed. The same decisions that were made in season 1 seemed to have more weight and more dire consequences in season 2, because I understood and knew the characters much better.
I don't think, however, that it was the show that changed. Around that time I started reading the discussion forums for each episode on AintItCool.com and I saw each episode in a completely new light. Suddenly things made more sense, the motivations of characters were explained and I simply understood the show much better. And trust me, those discussions were looong - there was always plenty to discuss about each episode. It is actually a miracle that such good discussions were started (and still last) on that site, because it is not known for intelligent and thoughtful users 
Anyway, I consider myself to be reasonably bright, so it wasn't that I didn't understand Mad Men before. It's just that the very insightful and intelligent discussion broadened my understanding of each episode, exposed me to new views and alternative explanations about the characters' motivations (which are never spelled out and always open to interpretation) and made me cherish the show so much more. Thanks to that it is one of my all-time favorite shows ...
"We're on the side of the demons, Chief. We're evil men in the gardens of paradise, sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go."
-- Colonel Tigh
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- BlackBox
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Re: Mad Men
marco1475 wrote:
It is actually a miracle that such good discussions were started (and still last) on that site, because it is not known for intelligent and thoughtful users
Hmm - I see what you did there 
- Northy
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Re: Mad Men
Orlando wrote:
Those two images pretty much sums up the show. 
11 2011-03-30 02:12:59 (edited by marco1475 2011-03-30 02:14:34)
- marco1475
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Re: Mad Men
Mad Men Season 5 Postponed until 2012
The interesting part:
TVLine wrote:
As reported by sister site Deadline, Weiner is on the verge of inking a two-year deal worth close to $30 million, but is pushing back on three of AMC’s asks for Season 5: integrated product placement, the cutting of two minutes per episode (to accomodate increased ad time), and the elimination or reduction of two series regular cast members.
Weiner’s prospective payday would make him the highest-paid showrunner in the business, leading at least one peer to question his stance on the seemingly sensible sticking points. “You can’t ask a network for 10 million [dollars], then bitch when they want to expand their ad revenue source,” Sons of Anarchy boss Kurt Sutter opined on Twitter. “Whore or saint, pick one.”
I like Weiner's stance, because product placement could get ugly, I don't want two-minute shorter episodes, and I sure as hell don't want to lose two regular cast members. But his stance seems counter-productive when you take his salary into account. I wonder if those three points that AMC is pushing for are purely money issues (i.e. solvable by Weiner taking a pay cut), which would make Weiner a "whore" or whether those are AMC's demands irregardless of what it costs to make the show (i.e. it doesn't matter how much Weiner gets paid), which would make him a "saint" fighting for his creative freedom and his actors.
"We're on the side of the demons, Chief. We're evil men in the gardens of paradise, sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go."
-- Colonel Tigh
-- Colonel Tigh
12 2011-03-31 03:04:00 (edited by marco1475 2011-03-31 03:06:02)
- marco1475
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Re: Mad Men
There's actually a revealing short interview with Weiner about the whole situation.
Matt Weiner wrote:
First of all, the number that’s been published is not true. Second of all, I offered to have less money, to save the cast, and to leave the show in the running time that it’s supposed to be. The harder that I’ve fought for the show, the more money that they’ve offered me.
Now this is his account, so who knows if that's true, but it does paint AMC in a bad light. It could be all part of Weiner's negotiating tactic.
Also in the interview Weiner makes it clear that AMC wants him to cut two regular cast members per season - so if he signs the three-year contract he would have to cut a total of six characters before all is said and done.
"We're on the side of the demons, Chief. We're evil men in the gardens of paradise, sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go."
-- Colonel Tigh
-- Colonel Tigh
- marco1475
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Re: Mad Men
Mad Men Creator Inks Long-term Deal, Show Renewed Through Season 6
From the article:
TVLine wrote:
First and foremost, there will be no cast cuts, Deadline reports. As for running time, the Season 5 premiere and finale will remain 47 minutes in length, while Weiner has the option to submit two cuts of the other 11 episodes — a 45-minute edit for broadcast, and a 47-minute version for other platforms (e.g. VOD). Product placement will be accommodated when organic to storyline and under Weiner’s complete creative control.
Yay the good guys won! Also looks like video on demand seems to be the way to watch it from now on.
On a different note the fact that season 5 will premiere early in 2012 means only that we have to wait longer for it - the show will still be eligible for Emmy awards, since Emmy eligibility runs from July to June and Mad Men usually premiered in September.
(As a side note, I haven't verified it, but since Breaking Bad is postponed as well, again due to contract negotiations, and will take Mad Men's September slot, this year's Emmy will be Breaking Bad-less so maybe a different show has a shot at some of the acting categories?)
"We're on the side of the demons, Chief. We're evil men in the gardens of paradise, sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go."
-- Colonel Tigh
-- Colonel Tigh
- Orlando
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Re: Mad Men
Breaking Bad is not postponed, it was just moved to June/July.
15 2011-04-02 03:14:59 (edited by marco1475 2011-04-02 03:16:31)
- marco1475
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Re: Mad Men
Orlando wrote:
Breaking Bad is not postponed, it was just moved to June/July.
Merriam Webster wrote:
Definition of POSTPONE, transitive verb
1: to put off to a later time
What you call "moved" I call "postponed"
"We're on the side of the demons, Chief. We're evil men in the gardens of paradise, sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go."
-- Colonel Tigh
-- Colonel Tigh
- Orlando
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Re: Mad Men
Well, for me 'postponed' is when there are some internal issues, that take effect on the show itself, just like Mad Men. But 'moved' is when it is just changed to be on a better schedule time.
- marco1475
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Re: Mad Men
OK, fair enough. I read somewhere that Breaking Bad had similar negotiation issues, which is why the production and the air date have been postponed, but doing some more research right now it seems it was just AMC's decision.
"We're on the side of the demons, Chief. We're evil men in the gardens of paradise, sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go."
-- Colonel Tigh
-- Colonel Tigh
- Orlando
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Re: Mad Men
- Orlando
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Re: Mad Men
Oh yes, Mad Men is back.
Wonderfully crafted characters, fantastic dialogues, Acting with a capital A, I just can't believe how masterfully nothing is really happening, but so much stuff does happen, if ya know what I mean.
Not to mention how they keep the smallest details to be exactly how they should be.
But this was just an excuse to post pictures. :D
- z1rra
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Re: Mad Men
Anyhow, loved the first ep... Missed this show.
- mapu
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Re: Mad Men
Is it necessary to watch the first season or can I skip it and still get what's happening from seaon 2 or 3 onwards. I am asking because I couldn't sit through the first episode of season 1. It was just too boring...
- toidol
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Re: Mad Men
mapu wrote:
Is it necessary to watch the first season or can I skip it and still get what's happening from seaon 2 or 3 onwards. I am asking because I couldn't sit through the first episode of season 1. It was just too boring...
You should watch all of it or just leave it. The pace won't change,so if you found the first episode boring, you might want to skip the whole show.
I just have to say it really is well worth the effort to get to know the characters.
- Orlando
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Re: Mad Men
This show is about its characters, their story and it's cultural background (really, the details are fantastic), you can't skip a season. And give it a few episodes.
- Wizard
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Re: Mad Men
Agreed, it's a tad slow, but well worth it.
And you do have to watch it all to understand the relationships between the characters.
DRM "manages access" in the same way that Prison "manages freedom".
http://xkcd.com/488/
http://xkcd.com/488/
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