Mad Men is a US tv series from the creators of the Sopranos, set in one of Manhattan's top advertising agencies during the early 1960's.

It is very sophisticated as well as being darkly comical, focusing mainly on Don Draper, the creative director of Sterling Cooper, the fictional agency where most of the drama is set. While we see a lot of his work, family life and affairs, the background is showing the birth of the independent woman, as well as the discrimination felt by homosexuals and black people.

It's been nominated for 16 Emmy awards this year, and has already won 25 awards for the first season.

Does anyone else watch this show, and if so, what do you think?

I absolutely love it, the first series was so fresh and it reminded me of Life on mars a pre political correctness world were woman gays blacks were not entitled to respect and I look on now and laugh at the assumptions of that age. The first series was set around advertising campaigns and that was always interesting how household brands became prominent in our lives today. I think it has lost its way in the current series as the show focuses on the individuals rather than the campaigns. But it is still interesting even the shape of the beautiful woman of the early 60s.

Yes, I've seen a couple of episodes and found it very well made and quite clever. I had intended to get the whole series to watch when I'm not so busy.

What channel is this shown on Gollum? It sounds good.

Its on series 2 on RTE the box set of series 1 is for rental in xtrabucks well worth getting, best tele in years.

Mad Men is very good. And the lead actor is quite yummy. It's very interesting to see life and working practices in the early 1960s, before feminism and minority rights became an issue. Of course, we're still seeing that era through the bias of our own. And being able to drink whiskey and smoke in the office - wow, how things have changed!

I think one of the male characters is a closeted gay man played by an out gay actor.

Well he is closeted as they all were then. Yeah the drinking in the office and the drink driving and the non existing black people. Donald Draper cool name is yummy.

I tried to watch it but just felt nauseous looking at all those wierdos smoking like whores on a dock,as an ex smoker it makes me feel queasy to see grown men indulging in this nefarious practice.

smoking like whores on a dock

LOL Brilliant - what a fab image!!!
Oh that one's entering the El-exicon, definitely,,,

great series,somehow it reminds me of the film :far from heaven: in itsdepiction of period!

In series 2, one of the minor characters comes out of the closet to the disgust of most of the staff.

The series one finale had one of the best twists in it, despite being something that really should have been obvious from around episode 4.

If you can manage to hide a major plot point in plain sight, you really are doing a good job writing the show.

I think there are actualy two gay charachets in Mad Men . One is (for the era) a relatively senior ranking bi woman and the other is the art director of the agency, a gay closet case in a marriage of "convenience" to his wife.

It must have been utterly horrible to habe been a gay adult then. Stonewall is only 40 years ago and being openly gay in the workplace has really only been possible for most in just the past 15 years or so.

@Gollum do you know which one of these come out in Series 2?

Easily one of the best shows on television in eons. Very well written and produced, it really has a good feel for another era. The first season is on DVD, can't wait for the second to be as well. Maybe I love it 'cos I've always loved clothes from the early '60s..think the narrow ties, white shirts and three button jackets are hot. Grin. The fellow that plays one of the junior office guys that gets a story published is my type for sure. Looked it up...he's "Ken Cosgrove" played by Aaron Staton.

Its brilliant.

I've watched it all, twice.

We also did a few seminars on it on a module in college.

For those like me who love Mad Men the first two series are available on the RTE Player...

http://www.rte.ie/player/#s=a%20to%20z&ch=M

They did this so that everyone who missed them could catch up before the third series starts later on in January...