Mad Men TVs

[electron]

Has anyone noticed how bad the TVs work on the TV show Mad Men? They often show what's on the TV that the Mad Men character is watching. I know they are trying to show that in the old days you didn't automatically get a perfect picture, but of course they go overboard. It looks like a guide on what can go wrong with a picture. Take Don Draper, he has the best of everything, yet he's watching a TV with bad reception, rolling picture etc. Just wondering if you guys find this a little bit offensive. I realize it's just a show and they are doing this for effect, but at least give the rich guys a nice working '60's set. BTW happened to see part of Point Break (1967) last night and Lee Marvin was watching a nice color set with remote control!

[jeyurkon]

I haven't seen the show, but I might not find it offensive.

I remember, when I was young, our next door neighbor trying to watch a football game that was only broadcast by a station on the fringe. He was constantly adjusting it to try to keep it from rolling because of the weak snowy signal.

However, if they're making it appear that all reception was that way, then yeah, I'd be offended.

[newhallone]

I have yet to see the show. What little I know of the show someone of his character would not except a bad picture. He would have the best.

[leadlike]

Yeah, all tvs on that show have been depicted with rolling, fuzzy, pictures. I guess NYC was a fringe area at that time. They still have yet to depict a color broadcast, though they have shown color televisions.

[Eric H]

I've noticed this too. While I wasn't offended it is annoying.

I though Dons entire house was fairly modest considering his income, he grew up poor and I just took it as part of his character to live that way.

Now that he's single and living in an apartment he has a GE Slimline set which would have been about six years old in 1965.

Did anyone catch the line a couple episodes back where Roger has a meeting with "Bill" Asher in Hollywood about a new show he's producing?

He asks Don if he'd like to go, says Asher would probably cast him in the show (as Darrin Stephens) an pretty sly joke since Mad Men often references Bewitched in one way or another.

[Sam Cogley]

Originally Posted by leadlike

Yeah, all tvs on that show have been depicted with rolling, fuzzy, pictures. I guess NYC was a fringe area at that time. They still have yet to depict a color broadcast, though they have shown color televisions.

I could imagine NYC having horrible multipath and interference problems with all of those tall buildings reflecting signals this way and that.

[electronjohn]

Don & Betty live in the 'burbs...might be a partial explanation there. Also have noted most sets use rabbit ears...I'm thinking the set decorator had a role there. It IS an excellent, period-perfect show. We kick ourselves for not being "early adopters"...so I've picked up used copies on DVD. We avoid watching the current season (#4) and are about halfway through Season 3. Funny...last night we were watching an episode with a scene involving Peggy, her sister & her Mom. Mom was trying to watch TV...and and was beating the thing like Steve Buscemi in "Fargo". Peggy bought her a new set...21-23" B&W console which I didn't ID>