#23 - Mad Men: The End of an Era

In celebration of the highly anticipated conclusion of the AMC series Mad Men, the Film Society paid tribute to the show with a gala event in Alice Tully Hall. Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner and stars Jon Hamm, January Jones, Christina Hendricks, and John Slattery joined journalist Chuck Klosterman, who moderated the lively on-stage conversation about the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning series, looking back at the popular TV show's seven seasons. The event, which took place Saturday, March 21 here at Lincoln Center, was dubbed "Mad Men: The End of an Era." Mad Men is set in the '60s initially at the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York. The series has received widespread critical acclaim since its debut nearly eight years ago for its historical authenticity, visual style, costume design, acting, writing, and directing. The series' list of awards include 15 Emmys and four Golden Globes. It is the first basic-cable series to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. Before a packed house, most of the cast members walked out on stage fittingly with cocktails in hand. Before opening the 90-minute discussion, Klosterman noted that many people who have been ardent viewers of Mad Men had not lived through the era, which the series so meticulously depicted. "What's amazing is that [there are many] people who feel nostalgia for an era they never actually experienced," he said. "But that also [shows] the power of advertising…" The event featured favorite clips from various seasons of the series, curated by Weiner and cast. The podcast includes quick synopses of the clips to contextualize the conversation. Mad Men premiered in July 2009 on AMC. The cable network will begin airing the final episodes of the series on April 5. This podcast is brought to you by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Film lives here. www.filmlinc.com