Mad Men

I was talking to Michael Longley recently about tv. He never misses Mad Men, as much for the dialogue as for Christina Hendricks! He said it, not me!

So it's only taken me 3 years but I have finally started watching series 1 of Mad Men. It's a great watch. Michael was right about the writing, the dialogue is razor sharp, the frocks are fab, and, you have to admit, there's a certain nostalgia for everyone smoking their heads off and drinking well before the sun is above the yard arm, kind of! But, the problem is, I know too much! Over the years I haven't turned away from spoiler alerts in newspapers and magazine. I've even watched Ep 1 of the 4th series for review, although I had to have two diehard Mad Men friends come round to watch it with me to get me up to speed with the subtle nuances of series 1, 2 & 3 that would have gone over my head. 

It's a funny way to watch something. For example, all the way through episode 1, I was wondering where Don Draper's wife was. So I didn't get the shock factor, after scenes where Don was with another woman, of the moment he walked into a suburban family home, kissed his wife and went into the children's bedrooms as they lay sleeping. A killer punch for any screenwriter, except I already know.

If I had a kitten heel , I would kick myself with it for not watching the show from the get go. Maybe the only thing for it is to get Will Dean's Ultimate Guide to Mad Men, a book version of all his tv blogs, so I can feel connected with the moment passed.