When 2007 kicked off, AMC was a network best known for the fact that it had, after putting Halle Berry’s “Catwoman” into its screening rotation, given up all pretense that the letters in its name still stood for “American Movie Classics.” Before the end of the year, however, people had stopped talking about AMC’s movies and started buzzing about its original programming, thanks to the unexpected success of a new hour-long drama about – of all things – an ad agency during the 1960s. Given that the show’s creator, Matthew Weiner, had arrived from a stint on HBO’s “The Sopranos,” nobody was really surprised that it was good. But there’s good, and then there’s “Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series” good, and you’d damned well better believe that “Mad Men” falls into the latter category.
The characters of Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Betty Draper Francis (January Jones), Roger Sterling (John Slattery), Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) and Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks) have come a long way since the premiere of “Mad Men,” with the show’s mesmerizing characters going through the same changes America was experiencing at the time, which is to say that things have evolved considerably over the years. And we expect that trend to continue throughout the show’s run on AMC.
Here in the “Mad Men” Fan Hub, be sure to check of our collected content about the show, including interviews, features and DVD reviews.
“Mad Men” Cast Interviews
“Mad Men” cast and crew discuss the fifth season (March 22, 2012)
We spoke with the creator and cast of “Mad Men” at this year’s PaleyFest about what to expect from the fifth season.
Interviews with “Mad Men” cast for Season 3 (August 14, 2009)
Will Harris interviews Vincent Kartheiser (Pete Campbell), Christina Hendricks (Joan Holloway), Rich Sommer (Harry Crane) and Jon Hamm (Don Draper).
Rich Sommer interview (August 7, 2009)
Rich explains getting cast as Harry Crane: “(“Mad Men”) was my final audition of the pilot season. It had been three miserable, horrible months where I had zero callbacks, zero positive reception. And then that happened.”
Elisabeth Moss (July 28, 2008)
“I just felt like (Peggy) was a character that I knew. She’s a young girl at heart, basically, and I’m a 25-year-old girl, so I’ve been there. It doesn’t matter what time period she’s in. It’s still the same thing.”
More Cast Interviews
Elisabeth Moss (September 21, 2010)
We spoke to Elisabeth about an upcoming movie, and of course asked her about Peggy: “I think that 90% of what Peggy does, she’s learned from Don. I think that she really respects him and looks up to him, and I think he’s starting to ask her to make these decisions on her own. He’s giving her more and more responsibility…and that’s what she wants, but it’s also a little bit scary, and I think that she’s obviously continuing her evolution into becoming who she will be.”
Anne Dudek interview (July 19, 2011)
We interviewed Anne about “Covert Affair” but Will also asked some questions about her role as Francine in “Mad Men.”
Kiernan Shipka interview (February 4, 2011)
Kiernan describes her method acting of getting into the Sally Draper role: “I’ve known Sally for so long, I’ve almost become her in a way. It’s pretty easy to get into Sally.”
Features
No, seriously, “Mad Men” really is coming back! For real this time!
February 22, 2012
After a 17-month hiatus, “Mad Men” is finally returning to AMC. Will Harris previews the upcoming fifth season.
TV in the 2000s: The Shows that Defined the Decade (December 6, 2009)
Check out this overview we published on Premium Hollywood: “I have a feeling that the deepest parts of the series have yet to be presented, and that much of what we’ve seen over the past three years has been a sort of buildup.”
“Mad Men” Blog
Check out our episode recaps on our blog at PremiumHollywood.com.
Cast Profiles
January Jones
This beautiful blonde was perfectly cast as the lovely wife of handsome Don Draper.
Christina Hendricks
This curvy redhead became a sensation with her portrayal of Joan Halloway, the sexy and ambitious office manager.
Scenes from “Mad Men”
Peggy vs. Roger
This scene is brialliant and holarious. Peggy stands up for herself when Roger is desperate for help getting out of a jam, and Roger dishes out some fantastic one-liners along the way as usual.