In the summer of 2006, Paul Levinson, a PhD in Communications and Media Studies at Fordham University, wrote an op-ed for Newsday about how television was entering a new Golden Age, spurred on in large part by cable programming. Soon after, he started a blog to track the era, and Infinite Regress was born. The title refers to the visual effect of pointing a mirror at another mirror. "That's what's happening when we watch television," he says. "We are looking at ourselves looking at ourselves, because we are not just watching television, but bringing our memories and self-conceptions into everything we watch."

One of the shows Levinson chose to focus on was AMC's drama about 1960s ad men. "Mad Men may well be one of the best shows in all of television history," he says. "It is not only superb television, but a brilliant example of looking at ourselves through the lenses of where we think we have come from as men and women. To watch it is to walk into a time machine to 1960. The acting, the story lines, the dialogue, the sets, the clothing make for an exhilarating look at ourselves and our conceptions of society."

Levinson's approach towards Mad Men is unique if simple. While new episodes were airing, he made it his mission to write reviews minutes after the end of each airing. However, he says, "I reviewed the show not just as a fan, but as a scholar and author of books about the media -- I brought an analysis of narrative development and references that come up." In Episode 6, for example, Joan tells Peggy that "the medium is the message." Levinson used the opportunity to analyze whether that phrase -- which originated with Marshall McLuhan in 1960 -- would be commonly known by an office manager of that era (not likely, but possible).

In between seasons, Levinson's focus has moved to other shows, though he did post congratulations on Mad Men's Golden Globe wins. But when the second season airs he plans to resume his reviews, and hopes to repeat with other members of the cast an October 2007 podcast interview he held with Rich Sommer. "I love everything about the show," he says. And we love everything about Infinite Regress.