Mad Men: Season One

Ostensibly drenched in retro style, Mad Men is a series built around various layers of grey. Moving at an almost lethargic pace, it's slow moving narrative is intentional so you can take in the complexities of each and every beautifully drawn character. Jon Hamm makes the leap to leading man status as Don Draper, the incessantly suave, advertising messiah who has kept his agency, Sterling-Cooper, amongst the elite of Manhattan's 'Mad Men'. But Don has a deeply mysterious past that he keeps hidden from those around him; even his beautiful, obedient wife, Betty (a wonderful January Jones). Despite the magnet-like charisma that Hamm exudes, Mad Men is really an ensemble piece that plays like a snap shot of 1960's New York at the upper end of the social ladder. It's a testament to the talent of Hamm that by saying very little, he manages to draw you completely in to Don's personality - despite his often brazen lack of a moralistic centre. Former Soprano's writer Matthew Weiner has cast his show superbly all round, with young Christopher Walken doppelganger Vincent Kartheiser playing the dangerously ambitious Campbell with a sliminess so believable you'll find yourself cursing him out loud. But even then, Campbell shows, if not redeemable qualities, a certain understanding as to why he acts in the manner he does. This is because of the commitment Weiner has given all of his characters. At first you assume that new secretary Peggy will be the conscience of the show, but even she, having sampled some success, finds ambition her driving force in a world run by men. It's Don who really knows how to play the game, though; but in the reverse is his past, full of repressed emotions he has no idea how to deal with, so keeps hidden from the impeccably slick, inviting surface. A smart, slow-burning, brilliantly acted series that marks cable network AMC as a genuine contender amongst the well established likes of HBO