US drama series Mad Men has won over the critics and hauled in awards but creator Matthew Weiner admits he cannot believe the success of his show – especially in Australia.
The Emmy award-winning series, centred on the advertising industry of Madison Avenue, New York, in the 1950s and ’60s, starts its third season here early next year on pay TV station Movie Extra. It also airs on SBS.
Weiner wrote the series a decade ago and was knocked back a few times before finding a taker. Since then, however, it has become one of the most popular shows in the US.
“To be honest with you, three seasons in I can’t explain to people how unlikely the success of this show is – and how big it has got,” he said.
“When you look at the globe and see where Australia is and realise that your words are on TV here it’s pretty exciting.”
Centred on creative director Don Draper, played by Jon Hamm, the series is about his work and complicated family life, and the misogynistic world of the industry.
It doesn’t shy away from politically incorrect lines and sex scenes.
Weiner says he thinks the recent financial crisis has helped its appeal.
“We are in a period of looking backwards right now and we’re trying to figure out what happened,” Weiner said.
“And we are unreasssured by the fact this has happened a million times and it keeps happening and this is one of the big costs of being capitalist.”
Despite the success of the show, Weiner doesn’t know how long he’ll keep it going. Australia is a season behind the US, where the third series has already wrapped up.
“I will go until it’s too hard for me to tell new stories,” he said.
“I don’t want to get bored of it and I don’t want to exhaust it with the audience.”
Weiner, who addressed the Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) conference in Sydney on Wednesday, said he wanted to inspire Australians to follow their creative instinct.
“I feel like it’s my responsibility because I’ve been struck by lightning. I’ve gotten to come from nowhere after working for 20 years,” he said.
“I know everyone’s marketplace is different but I would like to help people focus themselves on being true to themselves artistically.
“I’m here to share not a formula for success but to share the engine that was inside me that got me to here.
“You have to keep struggling and get inspiration from places and if I can fan the flame in someone here, we may all benefit in getting some amazing piece of entertainment – that’s why I’m here.”
The Age
