TV Profile: AMC's Mad Men

Let's venture into some familiar territory. Mad Men has been on the air for the past four seasons, and has been showered with awards and critical acclaim. It won the Emmy for the Outstanding Drama Series twice, awarded by the Screen Actors' Guild for the Outstanding Performance of an Ensemble in a Drama Series, and countless more nominations and wins spanning not just the acting, but the different parts of the production, such as set design, cinematography, and even opening sequence! There is reason behind all this success. Simply put, Mad Men is an amazing and high quality television show!

Mad Men is set in a post-World War 2 world, when Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy were at one point still alive. Smoking could be done inside offices. Drinking alcohol during work hours were acceptable. Oh, and the women and African Americans were yet to achieve equal rights. The story finds it home in an advertising agency, Sterling Cooper, along Madison Avenue, New York. Even then, the frantic and glamorous life of advertising men were celebrated, and at the same time, shown for what it is.

We follow the life of Don Draper, the head honcho in the creative department, and his wheelings and dealings inside the advertising world, and his personal space, his home. The mystery, intrigue, and the interplay of the different facets of the characters bring to life this period piece and the people in front and behind the camera breathes to life the world these Mad Men lived in, and what they had to face.

Let me stick more to what makes the current season of this TV show a must watch. And I definitely think, it's the cast and characters that populate the show!

Read about them after the jump!

The TMZ Clones: Tweetbiz and Dokumentado

Filipino networks have this penchant for copying shows from other countries. We've had clones of Dawson's Creek (ABS-CBN's Tabing Ilog), Dancing With The Stars (ABS-CBN's U Can Dance and TV5's Shall We Dance), and who could forget the many variations of the American Idol done by both ABS-CBN and GMA. From those competitions and occasional dramas, the networks have moved to include the entertainment reporting style of Americans.

If you watch some of the gossip shows, one would notice the similarities with Entertainment Tonight or the Daily Ten. But I think what has caught the Filipino's taste is the satirical gossip reporting of TMZ. To be fair, the original show is a riot, and the concept of making it seem like a conference of the gossip columnists on whether a story is worth a mention on TMZ's website transports us to a behind-the-scenes look on where the gossip is coming from. And of course, I have to mention the sound effects and side comments they always have when they throw the story up into discussion. It always cracks me up when they report on Justin Bieber, they always have this high-pitched voice doing the Bieber voice. Genius!

So what did the two shows copy and scrap? Read after the break!

TV Profile: Rubi, Ang Bidang Kontrabida

Most of the time, I avoid Pinoy Soap Operas. It's largely because the stories they want to tell aren't compelling enough. I'm sure every Filipino can name the stereotypical situation of the Pinoy soap, like the rich guy falling in love with a poor girl or it could also be the wicked stepmother treating ruthlessly the innocent and frail protagonist.

Local networks usually steer clear of the complex emotions, coherent storyline, and round characters, especially during the time when there was no end date for these kinds of shows. But Rubi is probably the only show I'd follow religiously, if I always had the time. And it's not because it is against the grain per se, but it's because while it does fall prey to the tried and tested, the writers (both the Mexicans and their Filipino counterparts) have found a way to at least develop the complex character of Rubi, slip in timely awesome zingers, and cast the perfect actress for the role, Angelica Panganiban.