I didn't intend to talk about TV on this blog but I can't let 'Mad Men' pass without a mention. I'm hooked, and mainlining it on a weekly basis. Set in 1960's New York, it's a sexy, stylized and provocative drama that follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising, an ego-driven world where key players make an art of the sell. The latest season (3) of the show takes place in 1963. (Season 4 airs in the U.S. later this year).

I love it for it's stylish art direction and attention to detail - every desk, lamp, machine, telephone, pen, and probably paper-clip is painstakingly correct in period detail. The pace seems as laid back as the shows main characters, as if not much happens, but that's illusory, it's all underneath like that swans feet thing.

‘Mad Men’ has received critical acclaim, particularly for its historical authenticity and visual style, and has won multiple awards, including nine Emmys and five Golden Globes. It is the first cable series to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, winning the award in 2008 and 2009.

The series revolves around the conflicted world of Don Draper (actor Jon Hamm, above left), the biggest ad man (and ladies man) in the business, and his colleagues at the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency. As Don makes the plays in the boardroom and the bedroom, he struggles to stay a step ahead of the rapidly changing times and the young executives nipping at his heels. The series also depicts authentically the roles of men and women in this era while exploring the true human nature beneath the guise of 1960's traditional family values. Here's a scene from next week's episode with Don Draper & his wife Betty:



Last year Brooks Brothers launched a limited-edition Mad Men suit. The suit is designed by Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant and inspired by suits worn by Mad Mens top ad men, Don Draper and Roger Sterling. The suit is made from "gray sharkskin fabric" and its two-button jacket features "narrow lapels, diagonal pockets and side vents." It was priced at $998. It sold out.