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Talk is a public forum where you can ask questions and share your commentary with fellow Mad Men fans.
Yet more hints on the first ep
Good golly, the hints are coming out of the woodwork now. Here's an article from Cable360:
http://www.cable360.net/blog/?p=242
Mad Men Season 3 Begins With a Bang
Not to worry, I won't reveal plot details for the Mad Men season 3 opener (Aug 16, 10pm ET, AMC), except to say fasten your seat belts.
Matthew Weiner, who created the 1960s-set series, wrote this ep and his roots from The Sopranos show here. While I would never say anything is perfect television, this ep is close. There's not a wasted word or moment in the entire opening episode. It's that tight. Nothing, not even the choice of music, is insignificant. Like a wonderful piece of classical music, themes are introduced, developed, re-worked and then return later.
Close watching will yield hidden treasures. I'll admit, I viewed this episode twice, in quick succession, and was captivated even more the second time than during the first quite enthralling go-round. Like The Sopranos, there's so much to take in, gestures, costumes, small bits of dialogue that seem insignificant are not. There's an homage to Hitchcock, a whack at today's recession spoken in the board room of London Fog almost 50 years ago and as I said above, the music is key.
Addicts of this series probably already know the tag line for this season is "change," and that hits you squarely, and relatively soon in the episode. As you might recall, the ad agency Sterling Cooper was going through some changes late last season. But hang on, some other changes are far more significant than that.
Fortunately, of course, what hasn't changed is the superior writing, acting and characters. In fact, there are a few new characters in this episode who promise to add some deliciously juicy complexity to the already strained world of Mad Men. Yes, these are the times before the World Wide Web, but Weiner craftily has woven a web of intrigue that hopefully will sizzle for weeks. OK, can you wait until mid August?
This is TORTURE !!!. I can honestly say that I've NEVER had it this bad for a TV show before. It's like an addict craving that next fix.
I have already warned my family that they will be putting their lives at risk if they bother me while this show is on.
Thanks AA and everyone who has given us a little peek at what's to come.
Chatty
Anybody want to guess on the music? 1963 was a great year for pop music, all sorts. How about Leslie Gore's "It's My Party" (and I'll cry if I want to); or "Walk Like a Man" by the Four Seasons; or Skeeter Davis' "The End of the World" (also "I Can't Stay Mad At You")? And then there's "He's So Fine" (Chiffons) and "My Boyfriend's Back" (The Angels). Song of the year was "The Days of Wine and Roses" (boy, does that fit) and best pop vocal was by Jack Jones singing "Wives and Lovers" (ditto) with Peter Paul and Mary receiving a Grammy for "Blowin' in the Wind."
Others: Charade, Make the World Go Away, Our Day Will Come, The Times They Are A-Changin' (theme for the season?), I Will Follow Him, Another Saturday Night, and a slew of early Lennon-McCartney songs such as All My Loving, From Me to You, I Saw Her Standing There, I Want to Hold Your Hand, I'll Get You, It Won't Be Long, and the immortal "She Loves You."
Sorry, folks, I was 11 in 1963 and was totally immersed in the music, all kinds (standard, pop, rock, blues, you name it.) CAN NOT WAIT!!
Me,too, AA...being 12 in 1963, I loved all the songs you mentioned....esp. all the "girl groups" music! God, we had great "tunes" back then, huh? I still would like some Matt Monro (Walk Away was in '64, I believe) such a gorgeous voice. He sounded like a cross between Frankie S. and Steve Lawrence.
I do hope some Beatles' classics are incorporated into S3, too. How would they choose, though, with so many fantastic songs, even at that early stage in their careers?
There are some neat clips on YouTube of Jack Jones (wow, what a Mad Men-type dude....could give Don a run for his money any day....as handsome as he was a good singer, IMO)
That time period is sooooo rich in great musical choices...all gorgeous....like the '50's, only more diversified.
Are we sure we know MM is going to recommence in 1963?
Sure? No, but an early publicity still for the season shows Don and Betty with baby leaving the hospital and getting into that blue car. Since she told him in October 1962 (Cuban missile crisis) that she was pregnant, it looks like we pick up sometime in spring 1963. Of course this COULD be child #4 and we've skipped ahead to '64. Less than 3 weeks and counting.
I absolutely cannot wait!
Now I've got my MM mug to sip cocoa in front of the TV, too!
@SCFan,
You mention you like those Girl Groups. I surely do, too..
You may like to read the exclusive interviews I did with "Little" Peggy March and the great Brill Building giant, Ellie Greenwich.
The interviews are at:
http://www.retrosellers.com
Click on Lennon's glasses to get inside; once inside, click SPECIAL FEATURES and browse till you find those two interviews!
Matt Weiner never passes up significant historical events for adding texture to his story lines. There will be an episode, possibly the last one of the season, taking place on Nov 22, 1963. That's my prediction.
Or the Beatles in NYC in Febraury 1964.
Cool link, there, ras....Thanks!
Enjoyed reading your interviews as well as the one there on Matt Monro...there is something about that man's voice that is just heavenly, IMO.
Thanks again for the neat link...so much to read that is "60's Cool!" there!
....."Groovy".......I should have said!
or....."Fab" or....."Gear"..... whutevah.....
Does anyone know what the music at the beginning of "For Those Who Think Young" is? The song played while all the women are getting ready for work? I thought it sounded a bit modern for the year so I'm intrigued. I liked it, too, so would like to know more about the artist.
My bad... it was the beginning of "Maidenform" lol...
The Decemberists' The Infanta....which, I don't think "fit" at all, either, MsFab.
I think something like "Sweet Old Fashioned Girl" by Teresa Brewer would have fit better....JMO
Or how about "I Enjoy Being a Girl"( from "Flower Drum Song"?), SC?
Love that one, Mambo! Something to show the irony of having to "truss up" (yes that describes it!) like we used to have to do every morning!
Wow... so it is a modern song... I liked it a lot, but it seems weird that they'd use anything but period music on the show. Not sure how I feel about that.