Mad Men

Inside Sterling Cooper

Mad Men follows the people of a New York advertising agency through the 1960s. Created by Matthew Weiner, the AMC drama ran for seven seasons from 2007 to 2015.

Jon Hamm plays Don Draper, Sterling Cooper's creative director. He is exceptionally good at presenting an appealing idea, whether he is selling a product or making an impression. The show places that professional confidence beside a much less settled private life.

An office full of competing ambitions

Elisabeth Moss plays Peggy Olson, who joins the agency as a secretary. Christina Hendricks is office manager Joan Holloway, with a precise understanding of how the workplace operates. John Slattery plays agency partner Roger Sterling, and Vincent Kartheiser plays the ambitious account executive Pete Campbell.

Outside the office, January Jones gives Betty Draper's domestic world its own tensions. The series is as interested in what people expect from a marriage or a friendship as it is in the next successful campaign.

Why watch it?

Mad Men combines detailed character writing with a strong sense of its period and considerably more comedy than its sombre reputation might suggest. A careless remark can matter as much as a major professional decision because the show gives us time to understand the people receiving it.

The pace is measured, and the appeal lies in observation rather than constant action. Read the Mad Men review for the full recommendation. Boardwalk Empire offers another substantial period ensemble; Succession is a useful contrast for the workplace power games.