The Best Way to Waste an Hour

I'm really into AMC's show MAD MEN. It's historical fiction about the early advertising industry in the US coming into its own following World War II. One thing I really find fascinating is the inclusion of historically accurate social and business events from the early 1960s. As a designer, I think its particularly cool how the show sneaks in historically important ad campaigns, campaigns that actually went public in real life, and show the psychology and deliberate manipulation of the public. In some ways it's almost an expos`e of the way the advertising industry very consciously established the modern paradigm of mass consumerism that has dominated the last 50 years of American life.
The show has unique cinematography and is shot in a simple, subtly filtered way that emphasizes color and contrast. The writing is superb and the show has a uncanny addictiveness about it, but for me it's the style of the show that wins the most points. The wardrobe is immaculate, the atmosphere of each shot luscious, and the overall aesthetic has a rich, saturated feel. The credits and opening sequence are stunningly graphic as well, reminiscent of both Hitchcock and early James Bond movies.