Time magazine’s TV critic James Poniewozik has an epic history of “Mad Men” in the current issue, so I invited him to talk about the show and its impact. Among the questions I asked:
- Was the show about Don Draper falling through his life, as he does in the title animation?
- Why didn’t we see more of Don Draper doing what he does best — creating ad campaigns (e.g. the Carousel slide projector)?
- While Don may have been the central character, wasn’t Peggy was the soul of the show?
- Are you happy with the way Betty, Pete, and Joan’s stories have ended?
- What about the growth of both actress Kieren Shipka and her character, Sally Draper?
- “The Sopranos” changed TV dramas — what was the impact of “Mad Men”?
- Did AMC give creator Matthew Weiner a lot of freedom from the beginning?
- How much did the show obsess about getting even the smallest details right?
- Did the show lose its way at any point in its run?
Listen to our conversation here.