These similarities between "Mad Men" and "The Sopranos" can get overworked. Sure, both shows were offered to HBO by David Chase. Both were immediately embraced by TV critics (who spent much of the off-season ginning up comparisons between the two). And yeah, both were slice-of-life dramas that challenged comfortable notions of the American dream ... and both were advertised on New York City transit.
But beyond that? Did "The Sopranos" ever emblazon its logo on hundreds of Zippo lighters? Did it issue specially branded GAF ViewMasters with slide wheels of its stars, like "Mad Men" did (pictured)? I think not. Did Michael Kors pay homage in his fall collection to the fashion style of Paulie Walnuts? Did House Beautiful feature Carmela's remodeling work in its June issue? I think not.
And I haven't even gotten to the creators. Matt Weiner has less in common with David Chase, whom he worked for the last three seasons of "The Sopranos," than he does with ad man Don Draper, around whom the drama of "Mad Men" turns. I taped 45 minutes of Weiner giving critics a tour of the Draper household and workplace on two soundstages of L.A. Center earlier today. That man can sell — or in our case, make us feel good about something we've already bought (J.D. Power, the adman's best friend, calls that "initial satisfaction"). You'd be lucky to get David Chase to talk for three minutes straight without looking around furtively for a publicist.
I realize that there was some sort of aesthetic to the design of the Sopranos' New Jersey casa. I just don't want to know what it was, any more than I want to know who did Carmela's hair. But the Draper house! It's a time capsule treasure. The kitchen was loaded with lovingly collected knick-knacks: knitted potholders, a recipe book called "Quick Meals for Busy Days," even an LP by loungemaster Martin Denny found on a serving cart. I understood why Bryan Batt, whose Magazine Street shop was the one featured in House Beautiful, jokingly told us that "they search my bag every time I leave the set."
As Weiner held court in the living room, answering questions about everything from the show's philosophy about change (basically, it happens slower than you think) to film-versus-HD (AMC pretty much insisted on a TV show that looked like a movie), my eye wandered over to the cream-colored sectional. The throw pillows were in burnt orange, to match the rug and drapes; and aqua blue, to match the wallpaper. For a moment I wondered if these were the last colors Marilyn Monroe saw before she died. (The answer to that morbid question is "probably not." As Weiner pointed out, New York design style was dramatically different from L.A. design style at that time. Which is why he couldn't trust movies from that period to tell him what NYC looked like — they were all filmed in L.A. with local furniture.)
The hour is late, so I'll save the details about the clothes that inspired Michael Kors. For as sure as I still have employment as a TV critic, I know I'll be writing more about "Mad Men" before its second season premiere July 27.
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