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Just like its season premiere in July, Mad Men‘s fourth season finale last night was up a fraction from last season’s closer to post the largest audience for a season finale of the AMC period drama, 2.4 million viewers. Season 4 was Mad Men‘s highest-rated to date. It averaged 2.3 million viewers, 25% increase over Season 3.
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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It was a disappointing season finale, but an outstanding fourth season nonetheless. Season five seems like an eternity away.
Which of these is the top cable drama that began or ended in the last five years?
And how would you rank ‘em?
Mad Men, The Wire, Breaking Bad, True Blood, The Sopranos
For me:
1) Mad Men
2) The Sopranos
3) The Wire
4) Breaking Bad
5) True Blood
1) Breaking Bad
2) The Wire
3) Mad Men
4) Deadwood
5) The Sopranos
True Blood definitely does not belong on that list.
Of the four here’s mine:
1)The Wire
2) Mad Men
3) Breaking Bad
4) The Sopranos
What is this, a Facebook quiz? Really…
Yeah, sorry, you lost a lot of credibility by adding True Blood in there. That’s not even an average cable drama.
Just because it has a lot of cultish fans, does not make it a good show.
I agree with the True Blood. Besides where is DEXTER?
From what I’ve seen so far, you’d better add Boardwalk Empire to that list.
I agree with Jon that Boardwalk Empire is great already. The last three episodes were spectacular.
Boardwalk Empire might beat Mad Men at next years Golden Globes. I would not be surprised.
Boardwalk Empire is getting better with each episode, from an already great beginning. It certainly deserves to clean up with awards.
I love Mad Men, but at the end of the day, it’s just a very well crafted soap opera. Boardwalk Empire is so much more.
No love for Rubicon?? #1 for me.
After last night’s finale, I would surely hope that season two is a go. This is one of television’s finest and with everything that has been laid out this season and last night, I feel like a renewal is likely.
Nope. Beautifully shot — but that’s about all it has going for it.
If it had the pacing of Mad Men or Breaking Bad (i.e. 5 times faster than the pace it actually has) it might have been a great show.
FAR, FAR too slow. Not slow in an intelligent way — just far, far, far, far too slow.
the last three episodes dripped with dramatic tension… nothing slow about anticipation every word that comes from the characters. AMC really needs to give this another season
I completely agree. Rubicon is a breath of fresh air. If there’s a second season, I’ll be watching.
I love MM, but I was very disappointed. Nothing earth-shattering. Can’t elaborate ’cause it would be a spoiler, but I hope the next season has the little girl be a hell-raising teen in the Village or run away to the Haight. And BRING SAL BACK!
Top 3 dramas in the last decade that truly stood out include:
1. The Wire
2. Breaking Bad
3. Mad Men
I had high hopes for Boardwalk Empire but soon lost interest after watching the first 3 episodes…
Boom!
Episodes 4 and 5 of Boardwalk are incredible!!!!!!!!!!!
4 is written by Konner and Nagle. 5 is written by Konner.
So satisfying and such satisfying pay off.
The first two episodes were doing heavy lifting. But now the show is up and it is as good as tv can get.
I urge all of you who were impatient with 1 and 2 to check out these episodes. You will not be sorry.
The finale was weak but Mad Men did produce strong enough episodes earlier in the season to contend for Best Drama during awards season. The finale just didn’t make me excited for the next season or hit me with memorable scenes like previous seasons or this year’s Breaking Bad.
Onto The Walking Dead!
Great season but terrible finale. I don’t think there has been a better hour of television in recent memory than “the suitcase” episode. But the finale was the worst episode of the series thus far. Definatley can’t compare to last years utterly amazing finale(one of the ballsyiest finales or moves a TV show has ever made). That the show is up 25% is pretty fucking good and something AMC should be proud of. They are slowly building a brand and if Walking Dead is as awesome as the buzz AMC in 2-3 years will have what HBO had during it’s prime era of The Sopranos, Rome and The Wire. They just need to drop the censoring BS. It’s 2010 and they are a cable network there’s no reason to censor. HBO will always have that over them. Showtime is completely a joke now. Weeds is a joke from it’s once greatness and thus far this season of Dexter is just horrible. Everyone thought HBO and Showtime were the two big guys but it’s more HBO and AMC. AMC just needs a good,nay great comedy series to go with their bleak dramas. Breaking Bad, Mad Men and Walking Dead aren’t shows that leaves one feeling great so they need a comedy to balance things out. Make it so AMC!
I’m curious to know just why you felt the finale was the worst episode of the season? After last week’s episode, I was concerned they were leaving themselves nowhere to go with the good Dr. Faye pushing Don to let his secret past as Dick out in the open.
For me, this finale was brilliant in its character layering as Don juggled the women in his life trying to decide which one was the ball he wanted to be left holding. Don spent the struggling with the loss of his childhood dream of creating the “perfect life” with a “perfect family” when Betty kicked him to the curb, then tried to wrap his head around the concept of moving beyond secrecy with a strong, modern woman capable of standing by his side. I loved how close the finale let him come to it, then sucked him so suddenly back into the fantasy of creating the perfect family with Megan at the center as the mother-figure he longed for as a boy and expected Betty to be. I thought it was beautifully done, but I definitely want to know why you, and others, consider the episode to be awful.
off topic but why no New York accents on Mad Men or Rubicon.
Ms. Blankenship didn’t have a New York accent?
And the Cara Buono character Dr. Miller is an obvious New Yorker -
RE “the list” of the top cable shows…why no FX shows on the list? All shows listed are/were great, but for my money Sons of Anarchy is right up there ..also a big fan of Damages and royally pissed at FX for dumping it ..I don’t HAVE Direct TV! Either one beats True Blood by a mile. just sayin’
Totally agree Ronnie,
Damages is an amazing show and I’m also a huge fan. Can’t wait for Season 4 next summer.
1.) The Wire, there is no competion. This show was a spectaular examination of American cities and their ills.
2.) Mad Men. Season 4 was astounding. The acting, the story lines, the dialogue. This show is just amazing and mesmerizing. I am a Mad Men looney and I loved the finale. I knew he would pick Megan, but the finale stunned me but was perfect. The season was a symphony with crescendos in the middle like “The Suitcase”. one of the best hours of TV to date. Also, the episode where Roger loses Lucky Stike’s The finale was quiet yet incredibly potent and the path was laid out if you paid attention and are attuned to Don Draper’s motivations. The best examination of corporate culture on TV.
3.) The Sopranos. What great storytelling and writing. Season 1 and 2 were perfect but the rest uneven. I loved the finale. Total escapism, great, acting, characters and stories. The mob is an American obsession, but not relevant to most of us.
4.) The Sheild. The best premiere in the history of TV. I loved this series and was sad when it ended, perfectly. Pure escapism. Vigilante cop takes down the bad guys with amazing quips. It’s more than that but all I have to say right now.
5.) sex and the City some of the cest writing on TV. Yes it was crass but clever, heartfelt and fun. I miss the girls.
Other greats Breaking Bad, Lucky, Rescue Me, I must say I love bored to Death. True Bood is good but not great, fun and campy.
Great shows on the networs today 30.Rock, modern Family, first season
Sorry for any typos, Thanks Nikki, I have been dying for a Mad Men post from you. A fabulous show that reminds us where we came from, the American psyche, our angst despite such largess. Don draper, Peggy, Joan Holloway, Toger Sterling, Pete, Birt, Lane, Megan Dr Faye- how many shows have so many characters that make such an impression, not many. Betty, Sally, Henry, Glann, etc… The clthes, the dialogue, the drama, love it!!!!!
I think the best drama show– really without peer– is The Sopranos. David Chase turned poorly educated, lower middle class mobsters into characters of Shakesperian complexity through great writing, storytelling and acting. HBO shows half a dozen episodes on demand at a time and I’m stunned to see how well the shows hold up and also how much dark humor there is in them. It is the Beatles of the television world. I think Mad Men wins the silver, (The Stones of the TV world?). The writing is often brilliant and the characters complex. I think the third best drama of the last decade was the first four seasons of The West Wing (U2? Springsteen?). Not the same thing as the previous two, but the best network drama of all time.
AMC’s “Mad Men” has been one of my favorite television shows over the last few years. If it wasn’t for this show and “Dexter” I would never turn on my television. I’m still suffering separation anxiety since “Lost” ended its run.
Say what you want about True Blood. Ratings-wise, it beats Mad Men by a long shot. I think it averaged around 4.5 million viewers this past season. With its season premiere bringing in 6 million. Considering it’s on a premium cable channel, that’s impressive. Not saying that makes it a better show, but it’s definitely more popular.
I loved the MAD MEN finale. I loved how Betty’s horrible behavior led Don to his new wife. And I can’t wait to see what Peggy and Betty will do next season. I keep hoping that Peggy is Don’s endgame… That conversation Peggy/Joan was so cool.
But the new Mrs. Draper makes total sense right now. He digs her, she’s good with the kids… Those California scenes were very convincing. We know it can’t last. He’s Don Draper much like Chuck Bass is Chuck Bass.
Because they’re in Manhattan, not Staten Island.
Erika, the question wasn’t about popularity but quality. They’re different things. The Closer does terrific numbers, but I don’t think people are arguing it’s one of the great dramas of its era.
The Closer is a consistently great show. Best crime show on TV network or cable.
Boardwalk Empire is the best show on all TV. Period. Loved this weeks episode.
Mad Men is sometimes good, sometimes too self involved for its own good. Just like Matt Weiner.
Mad Men is an AMAZING show. Matthew Weiner is a genius and the show is wonderfully cast. This is the best program on Cable or network since The Sopranos. The attention to detail in every aspect of the show speaks volumes about Mr. Weiner’s vision, understanding of people, history and the evolution of human behavior and the times. There’s no other drama on TV, right now, that comes close to rivaling how spectacular this program is. This is what GREAT storytelling is about. He’s provided a gift to those of us who truly love television and the entertainment industry, in general, in a time in which it is otherwise devoid of little intelligent, original or interesting SCRIPTED storytelling. God Bless, Mr. Weiner. I pray that he has another great show waiting in the wings, for when Mad Men bows out of the game. We need more Matt Weiners. …Creative Geniuses. Who are really creative — not fakers that studios allow to get over.
LOVED the Mad Men season and loved the finale!!! It’s all about Don’s journey, the emotional roller coaster of his life, Great Storytelling… Can’t wait for Season 5!!! Waking Dead is going to be fantastic. AMC has become the standard of excellent television.
1.Mad Men
2.The Wire
3.FNL (yes it’s on NBC, but it’s also on Direct TV)
4.Son’s of Anarchy
5.The Shield
Sometimes, a Facebook quiz is fun:
1. Mad Men/Deadwood…just absolute, towering achievements in CINEMA (not just tee-vee), with not only superb writing, acting and directing but also impeccable production design and cinematography, better than most features.
2. Sopranos…though seasons 5 & 6 faltered; please MM, do not go down the same path
I love Mad Men and this was an amazing season, but I didn’t buy Don’s instant commitment to Megan. He even looked like he was tripping. I kept waiting for him to wake up and to find out it was all a dream.