Mad Men

In this detailed analysis, Edgerton (The Sopranos), a media professor at Butler University, examines the making of the TV show Mad Men (2007–2015), contending that it was “one of the most skillfully produced, artistically innovative, and culturally resonant scripted series in the history of television.” Chronicling the show’s long path to air, Edgerton recounts how creator Matthew Weiner sold the series to AMC after rejections from FX, Showtime, and HBO (where David Chase, Weiner’s boss on The Sopranos, had championed the project to no avail), and had to convince AMC brass that actor Jon Hamm was “sexy enough” to cast as ad executive Don Draper. According to Edgerton, the core of Mad Men’s appeal was its “frequent use of critical nostalgia to foreground and interrogate” the “reactionary” stances on class, gender, race, and sexuality that were challenged by 1960s counterculture. For example, Edgerton suggests Draper’s interactions with women illustrate “the slow enervation that was then occurring to the male position,” citing a scene in which Draper walks out on a meeting with a prospective woman client because she’s outspoken and assertive. Edgerton’s smart analysis highlights the brilliant ways that Mad Men punctured rose-colored views of the ’60s, and the behind-the-scenes stories captivate. Fans will be enthralled. (Apr.)