The season premier of the hit TV series Mad Men was broadcast on the US cable channel AMC tonight. Sadly, AMC isn’t available in Canada (unless you have a grey market satellite dish), so I will have to wait a bit to see this episode, which will eventually be carried on the Canadian channels Showcase and CTV. (Episodes from the first two seasons of Mad Men can be downloaded from the CTV website).
In case you don’t know, Mad Men is a TV show set in New York advertising agency in the early 1960s. I’m told by somewhat who was an adult at that time (my father) that the show captures the feel of the period quite well. The most striking thing for the modern viewer is the casual sexism the male characters display for towards their female co-workers. Unlike so many period pieces, this show goes beyond recreating the period and gives us believable characters and a very compelling story line. Mad Men is one of my favourite shows. It’s also one of the most popular dramas out their. Indeed, the show is so popular that it has a started a mini-trend of people emulating the 1960s fashions of the Mad Men characters. Banana Republic, a US chain, has launched a Mad Men line of clothing, which is being promoted by actors from the show.
Frank Rich had a piece about the launch of the third season of Mad Men in Sunday’s New York Times. Today’s Toronto Star carried lavish praise of the show.
The Past Speaks 
Hi Andrew:
I’m happy to report that AMC is available without satellite on my cable package in London, Ont. And the newest episodes appear the following Sunday afternoon on Bravo…..
Alan
I guess I was wrong to generalize on the basis of the cable company here is Sudbury. I’m glad to hear that AMC is available in the more tropical parts of Ontario!