Earlier this week, I proudly declared June 17, 1015 "Mad Men Day" in Los Angeles in honor of Mad Men's tremendous creative achievements and its great economic impact as a local TV production.For the past eight years, Sunday nights have given us a window into a bygone era when America's counterculture was taking shape, a glimpse into the lives of fascinating characters with unique lives and experiences that represent an important piece ofour American experience. Created by Matthew Weiner, produced by Lionsgate Television and aired on AMC, the critically acclaimed drama Mad Men premiered on July 19, 2007 and completed its seventh and final season this year on May 17 after 92 episodes. Set in New York City, Mad Men takes place in the 1960s at a New York City advertising agency on Madison Avenue. The show centers on Don Draper, played by the ever-popular Jon Hamm, a senior executive at the agency, and depicts the people in his life, in and out of the office.That's the thumbnail sketch. It is hard to synopsize such a deeply written and deeply loved show like Mad Men. Millions of words have been written about it, millions of people have watched it, and millions of us now, including me, are sad that it's done. Anyone of you who watched it knows that Mad Men managed to perfectly capture the style, politics, culture and personality of the past, while also providing us incredible insights into the anxieties, fears that we Americans continue to struggle with today.
Photo: CD2
During its run, Mad Men deservedly won widespread acclaim, earning 15 Emmys, 4 Golden Globes and dozens of additional awards from various organizations. And one of the show's most unique characters in the show is our great City of Los Angeles.Los Angeles was a critical part of the show all along as we moved through the stages of Don Draper's existential journey and the story's development.
As important as the show's artistic merits, Mad Men was an incredible supporter of keeping production local in Los Angeles. Although Mad Men takes place mostly in New York, the series was filmed almost entirely downtown at Los Angeles Center Studios. From downtown to Koreatown, Angelino Heights to Pasadena, Mad Men spent nearly $200 million during it's production, and employed hundreds of actors, producers and writers and countless crew members in Los Angeles. It provided jobs and created economic activity for our city by keeping production local in its seven-season run.Thank you Matthew Weiner and the entire cast and crew for creating this marvelous piece of television history that not only revived a part of our past, but also breathed new life into the industry on which this town was built.