'Mad Men' on AMC HD - Page 2

Episodes 2 thru 5 here, and no HD, hopefully the new HD will show up tomorrow, anybody notice when the new episodes usually show up? I usually catch them on Friday after I get off work, never really noticed when they actually went up on the On-Demand server.

While watching episode 6 (Babylon) tonight, I spotted an ad for Mad Men in HD on Demand. I'm TWC Austin.

TTx

Comcast Seattle (Jerald) just added episodes 4-6 in HD

Great show BTW,

101 - 106 are available here, in HD. 101 "Ends" 08/30.

All 6 HD episodes showed back up today (Chattanooga Comcast), but they all have the new tag associated with them.

Back on in Baltimore. 1-6.

only seeing the closer on twc in raleigh.

make sure you are looking in the right place. for a while i was checking the regular hd-ondemand channel and the only tv show they had was the closer.

then somebody in another thread mentioned that it is on the new HD Showcase channel -- which is a separate channel. that is where it is here in hawaii -- may be different for you. here the hd showcase channel is right above the HBO and Showtime premium HD channels in the guide.

i will take a look for it tonight, thanks.

I wonder if this HD Showcase channel that some have is only available from TWC in areas where they've already rolled out SDV? Perhaps that's why we don't have it here in Charlotte. Bummer because I'd love to see this show in HD; their attention to detail is remarkable.

that is possible. we do have some channles using SDV here in hawaii according to some reports.

mad men looks really good in hd.

dont seem to have HD Showcase here in Raleigh

Best show on television. Brilliant.

One thing that hit me in this last episode is remember just how alien life was back then as compared to today. I think we look at shows like Rome and Tudor, and we're not really that surprised that things were so different back then -- though of course in both those cases the differences presented on screen were substantially muted from what was the reality. However, Mad Men, while being a very accurate depiction, is sometimes as shockingly alien as what the reality of Rome or Tudor would have been, had they chosen to show the full reality on those two shows. And most of us were alive when the events of Mad Men were going on. Amazing.

i'm loving this show. but can someone explain a joke to me -- may have been in the episode before last.

the big boss is talking about nixon's team dropping by and then he says luckily nixon himself won't be there or he'd have to move the piano out of the room.

am i missing something? is it beause the room isn't big enough to hold nixon's ego and a piano? or his security detail? something else?

You're probably right then, even though the clip you linked to is Mar. 3, 1963 and the show is set in early 1961. He must've come out publicly with his piano playing before this piece. It was interesting to watch him play, no emotion at all registered on his face. Thanks for clearing up the question!

TTx

ha, that's pretty funny. i had not heard that before.

The attention to detail on this show, from the language they use, to the costumes and props, to historic accuracy with regard to plotlines, is truly remarkable. This show has quickly become a "must see" for me even if I have to endure it in awful, letterboxed SD. Yep, it's that good.

Garrett, you're right. I meant to say that it was set in early 1960. They referenced the kids not playing with an Etch-a-Sketch in the back seat of the car (they went with a slinky instead) because Etch-a-Sketches weren't released until later on in 1960. The attention to detail on this show is scary...and a welcome change for a wanna be content continuity editor...

TTx

The producers have said the show is set in 1960.

I noticed that the audio glitches have disappeared since the On Demand HD episodes reappeared. I can actually watch the show without the constant nuisance of my left eye twitching every time the audio hiccups.

Yes, they went away a few weeks ago. Actually, all six episodes (at that time) were deleted, and then re-added (they were all labeled "New") so some of us speculated that they were all remastered to address the problem.

I haven't watched the Mad Men since the first episode, but with regard to "historic accuracy", was it ever revealed as to why this 1960 period show used all musical selections from the year, 1956 (Band of Gold, Shangri-La, On The Street Where You Live, etc.)?

Perhaps these musical inaccuracies have been corrected in later episodes?

Perhaps that's not an "inaccuracy". I rarely listen to commercial radio these days but when I do, I hear songs not only from today but also from several years back. I expect radio stations in 1960 also played a wide selection of music, not just songs from that particular year.

More importantly though, is the fact that musical selections on TV shows are intended to convey mood and emotion for the viewer. The producers' selection of songs is probably more focused on that aspect than on the same slavish devotion to period-accuracy that is contained within the visuals.

But it is impressive that your knowledge of those songs extends to the year they were released. There are very few songs to which I could do likewise.

As a young man growing up in the 1950s/1960s, I can assure you that music (and dancing) was an important part of that generation's identity. Unlike today (before FM), Radio Stations played either:

1. Currently released "popular songs" (for their young audience) in 1960 by artists such as, Brenda Lee, Elvis, Connie Francis, Paul Anka, etc. The number 1 song of 1960 was "A Summer Place", an instrumental by Percy Faith (ref: Joel Whitburn's Billboard Listings),

2. Swing or Big Band (for the over 40 age set, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, etc.)

3. Country & Western, (Grand Ole Opry, Louisiana Hayride, etc.)

Because at that time there was still an abundance of interesting current pop "singles" being released each month, it's highly improbable that any Radio Station (or Juke Box) would offer/play "hit" songs that were four years old, no matter how popular they once were. Remember, this was before it became fashionable for Radio Stations to play "Oldies but Goodies" & "Golden Favorites, etc.

As a professional musician who performed many of these songs, I can testify that it was important for any Band working during this period, to "keep up" with the latest single releases. As soon as a recording by a popular artist was released, you had to learn it immediately, so you could perform it at your next engagement. This is what your audience wanted to hear, not 4-year-old hits of the recent past (1956, by the way, was a wonderful year for music).

I'm sorry if I appear to be taking this personally, but there was so much great music during the early 1960s that could be used for this presentation. Why not give it it's due?

Good point Ben. Perhaps they picked the music these particular characters would be listening to? But I suppose the would be listening to even older music.

A very interesting point, Ben. Thanks for taking the time to explain radio play in the time period. To Barth2k's point, as deliberate as this show is to detail, they may be foreshadowing a flashback for Don set in the year 1956. That, or to archiguy's point, poetic licensing on Hollywood's part.

TTx

another great show. Dom not getting wooed but also his wife getting a semi second chance at modeling. Interesting she has some Versace packed away. Gianni would only be 13 in early '60.

I'm still laughing at the ending though. what a great mom...