Mad Men: Best Show On TV?

I think we all see that title thrown around a lot, right?  You see it in criticism, in advertising, on message boards and blogs.  In the last several years, I’ve seen that phrase applied (sans question mark) to “The Sopranos”, “Lost”, “The Wire”, “Battlestar Galactica”, “C.S.I.”, “Dexter”, “Mad Men”, and I’m sure I’m missing a handful.

Is it me, or does it seem like calling a show the “Best on TV” is kind of stupid?

I mean, my explanation for this is simple- who watches everything?  How can someone possibly make a serious claim to knowing what the best is unless they’ve seen it all?  Best I’ve seen?  Sure, absolutely.  Best of everything?  As soon as I hear that, I figure I’m hearing an opinion from Advertising/Marketing or someone given to hyperbole.*  Or maybe just a moron.

Furthermore, we’re dealing with episodic stories, and no show delivers every single time- so on what specific entry/entries should one base an opinion?  I absolutely LOVE “Battlestar Galactica”, and have even proclaimed it to be the best I’ve seen on TV to some friends.**  But it, too, has some weak links every season, episodes that don’t do anything with the main story or display inconsistent characterization or are just flat out dull.  Same for “The Sopranos” or “Dexter” or “Lost”.***  In a way, the number of poor episodes actually becomes part of the argument in favor of the show- “Galactica” had a couple of ugly back to back episodes in the middle of Season 2, but at least it didn’t give us the stinkbomb that was the first half of Season 3 of “Lost”.

So, all of that said, “Mad Men” is the best show on TV.

“Mad Men” centers on the people working at a fictional advertising agency in the 60s- their work, their families, their drinking and smoking.  For the most part, the story isn’t driven by some overarching plot (contrast with “Galactica” or “Lost”) but by the characters.

And what a fascinating lot of people they are.  Don Draper, brilliantly portrayed by Jon Hamm, is our protagonist, and he suitably embodies the concerns of the show.  He’s gifted, handsome, a picture of material success- but also given to hurtful actions and haunted by his past.  Draper (and everyone else) carves out a place for himself in a world that is sexist, racist, and on the cusp of radical change.

Facade is a critical part of the show.  Men must look and act like the men around them, women have their prescribed roles to fill, and the business they’re in is all about creating appearances and controlling the message.  Thus, the visual presentation to the audience is critical to the success of the show, and the creators nail the look in spades.  The lighting, the sets and props, the costumes and makeup, the cinematography- all come together to create a stunningly beautiful reality.

The rumblings beneath the surface, the subtext, is critically important too, and here again “Mad Men” is a resounding success.  The depths of these characters are dark, conflicted, and surprising both to us and to the characters themselves.  We often realize truths about these people before they do- but not always.

“Mad Men” is written, shot, directed, performed and edited extremely well.  It’s brilliant in execution and delivery, and every piece of the story connects with the others around it.  In fact, throughout the 13 episodes of Season 1, I found barely a weak moment (let alone an episode).  My only lament about the show is that I have to wait ten days for the start of Season 2 on AMC.

“Mad Men”: Best Show On TV?  Since I’ve not seen every epidsode of “How I Met Your Mother”, I probably can’t say that, even though I am given to hyperbole and a moron.**** So how about this: “Mad Men” is the best show I’ve seen on TV since “Battlestar Galactica” ended its 4th Season.

And it may very well hold up when “Lost”, “Galactica”, and “Dexter” et al return in the fall.

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* Uh, naturally, I do this all the time.

** See?

*** I’ll note at this point that I’ve never seen “The Wire”, so maybe it’s the exception.

**** Told ya!

~ by Chris Vander Wal on July 17, 2008.