AMCtv.com awards the Talk forum and blog commenters quoted in our weekly "Hot Topics" post with prizes like a Mad Men mug or a Mad Men 2010 calendar (limit one per person).

Among many of the questions Season 3 left hanging was whether Don fought harder to keep Peggy in his life than he did his own wife. Commenters had different theories as to why that might be.

• "I always thought Don felt Betty was above him in class, because Don is really Dick. Betty was a person Dick needed to become Don." -- 60'schild

• "Don doesn't know how to save a marriage or even be in one. He knows only what advertising tells him what a marriage is." -- 485Madison

• "There's no future with Betty; it's all future with Peggy." -- Auburn Annie

Log onto the Talk forum to join in this conversation or start a Mad Men topic of your own. As always, your comments throughout the blog are welcome.

Season 3 ended weeks ago yet the show continues to get attention in the papers, including a best of the decade list, some creative fan fiction, and a shoutout from none other than Hillary Clinton. Check it out...

• The New York Times mentions that real-life agency McCann is having fun with its Mad Men notoriety. The agency bought space in trade publications like Adweek and Brandweek declaring "Welcome, Sterling Cooper," and created a website with video clips of their mentions on Mad Men.

• ABC News talks to Matthew Weiner in Sydney about the renaissance of quality TV; in the piece, Mad Men's creator references everything from The Sopranos to Miami Vice.

Continue reading "Hillary Clinton Watches Mad Men; Movieline Assesses a Non-Existent Episode 14" »

Freelance photographer Porter Hovey knows how to take a good picture. She also knows how to pose for one. And because of that, she's the winner of Banana Republic's Mad Men Casting Call, a competition that thousands entered. AMCtv.com talked to Hovey in honor of her big win and got the lowdown on what comments her pic generated (and whether she sees herself as a Jackie or a Marilyn).

Q: How did you put the look together?

A: My sister and I, we did it together. We had the vintage pram, and I thought: This is the perfect opportunity to use it. My sister and I did a vintage baby clothes sale last summer and my ex-boyfriend bought the pram in Virginia and brought it up on the Chinatown bus. It's the nicest thing anyone has ever done -- because it's huge. The little jacket is from a thrift store down the street that specializes in clothes from the era. I have a bunch of clothes that are vintage and went through what would be most appropriate for this character.

Q: Was there a particular character who inspired you?

Continue reading "Porter Hovey Wins Banana Republic Casting Call for Mad Men Season 4" »

Just as the first Mad Men Caption Challenge hearkened back to Season 1 via some office horseplay, so does this one -- and it's a twofer: Pete's rifle from "Red in the Face" and Betty's firepower in "Shoot." Have ideas as to what Pete and Betty might be talking about? Let us know in the comments section below with a memorable quip of ten words or less.  (If you're curious, the illustration is by none other than Dyna Moe of "MadMenYourself").

On Mon., Nov. 23, we'll narrow the submitted entries down to five selections. Readers will then vote for their favorite. On Wed., Nov. 25, we'll announce the winner who will receive a Desktop Mad Men and a Season 2 poster; four runner-ups will each receive a Season 2 poster.

Click here to see the winner from the second caption challenge.

Sometimes Sally relies on her fists instead of words, but when the oldest Draper kid does share what's on her mind, it can be quite profound. Oftentimes, it's also incredibly endearing.

Have a favorite Sally quote? Tell us below.

We'll randomly choose one contributor to win a Mad Men poster, a Mad Men Dyna Moe desktop set, or some Mad Men DVDs. Your selection may even end up on the Mad Men website. All submissions should be posted in the comments section below and must include the season and episode from which the quote is taken.

If you stayed up late to watch  Saturday Night Live this weekend, you got to see January Jones channeling a flatulent Grace Kelly, a heroic Dairy Queen employee and a '50s housewife/hostess among other characters.

Of most interest to Maddicts probably was the opening monologue in which Jones bantered with devoted Mad Men fans -- referred to as "Mad Mennies." One nice touch: The Mad Mennies declared Betty to be their favorite character -- with a dissenting Fred Armisen tossing in, "I like Peggy." (He should. He's married to her!) And who knew the show's theme song had lyrics?

Didn't get a chance to watch? You can watch the entire episode online on Hulu.

The Season 3 Finale catalyzed all sorts of analysis. But before we get to all the breakdowns, be sure to check out the link to a video of January Jones on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, an article on Jon Hamm's cultural significance and a hilarious comparison of the show's characters to the X-Men:

•  This list in the NY Daily News is about Jon Hamm's cultural impact. The evidence? He competes with Cupid (setting up Elisabeth Moss and Fred Armisen), and revived interest in Ann-Margret.

• Before you watch January Jones on Saturday Night Live tomorrow night, you can watch her play beer pong with Jimmy Fallon.

Continue reading "Matthew Weiner Talks to the Daily Beast; Mad Men Gets an X-Men Mashup" »

Now that you've gotten your Mad Men finale debates out of the way (Will Betty marry Henry? Can Sal ever return? What about Suzanne Farrell?), it's time to discuss the clothes. The finale's plotlines may have been particularly shocking, but the clothes were pretty much on par -- and maybe that's exactly the point.

This season has been all about unraveling, from Betty's marriage and Peggy's morals to Don's very identity. We got a hint of this at the very beginning of the season, when the stewardess slowly peeled off every layer she wore. Now that the artifice has been stripped, we can finally see what's underneath each person -- their desires, their feelings, who matters to them (and alternately, who they're willing to abandon). That means the archetypes we've explored all season in the clothes are more important than ever.

Continue reading "The Mad Men Fashion File - All Is Revealed" »

Behind every great show is a brilliant crew. Take a look at what the production team behind Mad Men had to say about crafting the series you've come to know so well.

• "I think that generally our camera technique is transparent -- we don't want the audience to feel the camera or know it's there. " -- Christopher Manley (Director of Photography)

• "I try to think like a painter and know where to put the focus." -- Dan Bishop (Production Designer)

• "I wanted the placement of the blood to be just right, so I went down on the floor like Joan would have, and pretended to be cleaning up the blood." -- Janie Bryant (Costume Designer)

Continue reading "Mad Men Season 3 Interviews - The Crew" »

In the lull between Mad Men seasons, why not check out the AMC Monthly Newsletter? The Newsletter keeps you up to date with all the goings-on across all the AMC blogs, including this one. This month's featured links include our interview with Jon Hamm (using questions submitted by the fans) and the Which Mad Men Are You challenge.

And for all of your hardcore fans of '60s pop culture, check out all the special online content relating to AMC's new miniseries The Prisoner, a re-imagining of a cult TV show from your favorite decade.

Don't miss out.