DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Contributors

ALEX STRACHAN

MIKE HUGHES

KIM AKASS

MONIQUE NAZARETH

ROGER CATLIN

GARY EDGERTON

TOM BRINKMOELLER

GERALD JORDAN

NOEL HOLSTON

 
 
 
 
 
'Mad Men' in England: One if by Land, Two if by Sky, and Why to Be 'Mad as Hell' at Rupert Murdoch
March 25, 2012  | By Kim Akass  | 18 comments
 
mad-men-joan-top.jpg

[TV WORTH WATCHING guest columnist Kim Akass, a TV scholar from England, takes the occasion of the Season 5 premiere of AMC's Mad Men in the States, and its impending premiere Tuesday on Great Britain's Sky satellite network, to explain, from an overseas perspective, why she's mad as hell -- at global media mogul Rupert Murdoch... DB]

By Kim Akass

So Mad Men is coming to these shores this week?

mad-men-5-party.jpg

I should be glad, of course I should. The return of one of the best shows to come out of America since The Sopranos should be celebrated. In New York, the fifth season apparently has been greeted with themed shows and parties: people (no doubt) dressed in 60s garb, smoking cigarettes and drinking whisky sours.

After a hiatus of 17 months, Mad Men is, no doubt, going to be under much scrutiny. Jace Lacob, television critic of the Daily Beast, has already seen the two-hour episode that kicks off the fifth season, and says "It surpasses its expectations. It is beautiful, it is surprising and it is emotional."

So why am I not celebrating?

Along with co-conspirator Janet McCabe, I have been writing about U.S. TV for many years. Our first foray into the academic world of television was through our contribution to This Thing of Ours (David Lavery, editor).

It was a taste of things to come, as all the American contributors were writing about the third season of The Sopranos while here, in England, we had to wait nearly a full year for it grace our screens. This was in the days of videos, and when the Internet took forever to load a page of script. Episode guides came in books, and even HBO had not quite caught on to the power of the web in spreading the word.

sopranoa-finale.jpg

When the last episode of The Sopranos aired in the States, we spent days flying across rooms switching off TV and radio reports in case of spoilers. We did not want to know if Tony had died. We had a full eight months to wait until the season started in Britain. We could revel in the non-end of a finished show if we wanted to.

The Internet changed everything.

American networks are now wise to the fact that if they don't screen a show in Britain at least in the same week as it is screened in America, then everyone will download or stream it in our ever-increasing inability to wait. The water-cooler show is now global, as first Ugly Betty and now Mad Men are screened within days of their first airing Stateside.

So, again, why am I not celebrating?

I should be eagerly anticipating the first episode of Mad Men, luxuriating in the thrill of the return of Don Draper and Joan Holloway. Longing for those louche lounge lizards with a flair for 60s sexism.

But no.

Thanks to my old frenemy Rupert Murdoch, I am now going to have to wait even longer to watch this season. It may premiere on March 25 in America and March 27 in Britain -- but, of course, it has been bought up by the evil telly snatcher and will be available only for subscribers to Sky.

Like The Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (see above), Murdoch dresses up his exclusive channel, Sky Atlantic HD, as a glossy and shiny treat that will give TV viewers the shows that we would otherwise be denied. Shows such as Treme, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones and Mad Men, along with the whole HBO back catalogue, and miniseries like Mildred Pierce.

Once tempted to part with our money (by changing providers and buying into the whole Sky TV package), we soon discover the ugly truth. HBO shows, made for screening without adverts, are practically unwatchable on Sky Atlantic, because of the ads interrupting them. The sad truth is that Murdoch does not care much about TV, but he does care about the money to be made out of it.

get-jack-back.jpg

(Of course this is not something I should be surprised at. After all, we are talking about the man that pulled Sky One away from Virgin viewers slap bang in the middle of seasons of Lost, Nip/Tuck and 24. And then he taunted us with advertising campaigns to "Get Jack Back" and the like.)

Of course, I could join the illegal downloaders and watch the series on my laptop -- a practice that, out of some misguided loyalty to scheduled TV and the fear of being caught and losing my job, I have long avoided.

And then there is the sheer sumptuousness of Mad Men. How could I possibly watch this show on a small laptop when it was made to be screened on my large HD TV?

I could ask Janet to copy the show for me. Her inability to get any cable TV other than Sky is now paying off, as she is able to remain true to our first love of HBO and other U.S. TV through her ability to tune into to Sky Atlantic.

But then there are the adverts. As Janet as talked about elsewhere, the main issue with HBO and AMC shows being on Sky Atlantic is the interminable adverts. In a weird switch of cultures, it is now the Brits that suffer an overload, in shows that, for the most part, originally were made to be screened without them. Imagine that.

Mad-Men-Season-5-Ken-Cosgro.jpg

In a weird time-warp moment, it seems that I am now going to have to wait until Mad Men comes out on DVD before I can watch it properly.

Which means that I am again going to be cutting articles out of newspapers and magazines while trying to avoid the content. I will again be flying across rooms switching off TV and radio reports to avoid spoilers.

And, most sadly, when everyone else has those global water,-cooler moments I will have to walk away -- a 'Billy no mates' with nothing to say about the latest, hottest season of the latest, hottest show to hit our screens.

Thanks, Mr. Murdoch. Thanks for everything.

--

Kim Akass is a Senior Research Fellow and lecturer in Cutural and Contextual Studies (Film/TV) at the University of Hertfordshire. She has published widely on U.S. TV, is co-founding editor of Critical Studies in Television, and is co-editor (with Janet McCabe) of the Reading Contemporary TV series for I.B. Tauris. She is currently working on a book about mothers in the media for I.B. Tauris, and is webmistress of CSTonline. (And someday, just for us, she might explain the meaning of 'Billy no mates.' - DB)

 
 
 
 
 
Leave a Comment: (No HTML, 1000 chars max)
 
 Name (required)
 
 Email (required) (will not be published)
 
KIGYA
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 1  | Go to page: 
18 Comments
 
 
Sarah jos
Wow, happy to see this awesome post. I hope this think help any newbie for their awesome work.

https://sarahjosbeauty.com/
Sep 15, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
Saephanch
I need an advice. I am currently processing a crypto recovery,with an agency called, Email: alliancedigitalrecovery@outlook.com
Whatsapp: +44 7452 247277 and we did some transaction validation. Out of 200k USD which was lost they where able to recover 90% of my lost, and I have only received only 60k USD and its been four days already since we started. I am a bit worried, i will like to know if they took the remaining of my money or if it is actually impossible to recover entirely everything i lost?
Aug 27, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
Saephanch
I need an advice. I am currently processing a crypto recovery,with an agency called, Email: alliancedigitalrecovery@outlook.com
Whatsapp: +44 7452 247277 and we did some transaction validation. Out of 200k USD which was lost they where able to recover 90% of my lost, and I have only received only 60k USD and its been four days already since we started. I am a bit worried, i will like to know if they took the remaining of my money or if it is actually impossible to recover entirely everything i lost?
Aug 27, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
The best faux leather jackets are the ones that actually make you happy. And our effort is to provide you with the best jackets. So visit our site now.
Jun 13, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
Wow, happy to see this awesome post. I hope this think help any newbie for their awesome work. By the way thanks for share this awesomeness from
Jun 4, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
I really amazed to read this blog post. It is so unique and informative.
May 28, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
Thank you for your kind words! I'm here to support you on your learning journey whenever you need assistance or guidance. Exploring new topics and engaging in meaningful conversations is what makes this journey enjoyable and rewarding. Let's continue to learn and discover together!When organizing an event in New York and in need of staffing services to ensure everything runs smoothly, here's a guide to finding the right provider:
Apr 29, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
davidlean
This is excellent article
Feb 20, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
This is excellent article, thank you for the share! This is what I am looking for, hope in future you will continue sharing such an superb work.
Feb 1, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
If you are looking for a Pre NCT Check then you should take a look at the Logic fleet service centre's website
Dec 26, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
The phrase "Mad Men in England" suggests a compelling exploration of media dynamics. The reference to "One if by land, two if by sky" invokes historical intrigue. The notion of being "Mad as Hell" at Rupert Murdoch hints at a provocative analysis, promising a captivating perspective on media influence and public sentiment.
Nov 19, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
A good article, a good book can change the fate of so many people. Thanks for the valuable sharing, please keep it up to date and I will always follow you.
Nov 3, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
fleet solutions dublin is the best fleet management software company in dublin. fleet management software is a type of business software that connects all employees with their vehicles, client data and tracking.
Oct 26, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
https://pornpax.com/
If you are a connoisseur of 18+ videos, check out this site! This site is an absolute godsend. The range of categories is huge and the videos are always selections. If I want to relax or just have a good time on a boring evening, this site consistently delivers. The interface is intuitive, making it easy to find and enjoy the perfect video for every taste.
Oct 16, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Fantastic blog. Reading your articles was enjoyable. For me, this was a really enjoyable book. I have it bookmarked and am eager to read more things from it. Continue your wonderful effort!
Sep 19, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Check out these crazy outfits
Jun 16, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Guest Kim Akass had an extremely interesting talk and answered almost all the questions the audience was still wondering.
Jun 7, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Of course, I could just download the series onto my laptop like everyone else and watch it that way, but I've resisted doing so out of misplaced devotion to regular TV and a fear of being discovered and losing my job.
May 4, 2023   |  Reply
 
Top off your Dr. Lily Houghton costume with a wide-brimmed hat. It is made up from 65% polyester and 35% wool
Aug 7, 2024
 
 
 
 
 Page: 1 of 1  | Go to page: