Mad Men is a show that transcends its logline, offering a deep dive into the changing mores of America across the 1960s as the Consumer Age came into dominance. The detailed recreations of the era, the fab fashions, and Don Draper's fascinating antihero aura captivated audiences, but if you're looking for more of that vibe, there are plenty of movies, books, podcasts, and video games that can scratch that itch.
The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit, by Sloan Wilson, is an obvious influence on the show, with its story of Tom Rath, a World War II veteran and family man making his way up the corporate ladder while dealing with what we would now recognize as PTSD. The Best of Everything, by Rona Jaffe, offers the perfect alternate perspective on the Mad Men era, following five young women who work at a big office in Manhattan and detailing their lived experience as people with dreams, as sex objects routinely harassed at work, and as willing participants in extramarital affairs and other scandalous behavior.
Confessions of an Advertising Man, by David Ogilvy, is a must-read for anyone interested in the world of advertising, with its lessons learned from decades in the business and establishment of Ogilvy as a kind of Ad Guru for the 1960s. Revolutionary Road, by Richard Yates, is a classic, tragic novel that explores the theme of affluent ennui and suburban malaise, with its empty lives and outsized dreams.
Seconds, by David Ely, is a 1963 novel that explores the theme of identity and self-reinvention, with its story of a successful man who signs up with a company that fakes his death, remakes him into a physically younger man, and sets him up with his dream career in an all-new life, to disastrous consequences.
Mad Men might be a literary show, but it's also a damn fine-looking show, with its pitch-perfect recreations of the era. If you want some feature-length entertainment that explores the same time period and similar themes, you can't go wrong with the movies listed below.
A Single Man (2009) follows middle-aged professor George Falconer on the day he has decided to commit suicide due to the unbearable grief he feels after losing his long-time partner. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) is a 1960s-set period piece about a brilliant man who won't get out of his own way, struggling with poor decisions, grief, and simple bad luck. The Apartment (1960) is a contemporaneous depiction of what office life was like in 1960 Manhattan, with its rampant sexism and alcohol-soaked chicanery.
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967) is a funny, bright take on the 1960s business world that's somehow more joyous and also more cynical than Mad Men. Patterns (1956) was explicitly named as a major influence on Mad Men by Matthew Weiner himself, with its story of manipulation, ambition, and greed in a corporate office setting.
If you're a fan of Mad Men, you'll love the whole vibe of the video games listed below. L.A. Noire is an obvious choice, with its immersive recreation of 1947 Los Angeles and its use of many Mad Men actors. Disco Elysium is a game that offers a similar vibe to Mad Men, with its antihero main character and struggles with identity and sobriety.
BioShock is a demented first-person shooter that explores the themes of narcissism and consumerism, with its pitch-perfect 1960s visual design and deep character study. One Late Night is a free-to-play indie horror game that captures the eerie vibe of working late at an office, with its empty corridors and clues to a haunting. What Remains of Edith Finch is a walking simulator-slash-mystery that offers a similar vibe to Mad Men, with its deep characterization and exploration of generational trauma.
Podcasts can also help you find an audio drama offering a similarly absorbing story to Mad Men. They Coined It is a recap podcast that offers detailed, insightful analyses of every episode except the finale, making it the perfect podcast if you want to really dig in and catch every cultural reference, literary allusion, and subtle character note.
In a Snit offers a feminine and feminist perspective of the show, digging into the fashion and sexual politics, while The Diarist is an absorbing audio drama with Mad Men vibes, set at a 1950s New York advertising firm. Bronzeville is a period story that offers a different experience with similar levels of intricate character work and literary storytelling, set in 1940s Chicago in the Black neighborhood known as Bronzeville. Mad Men Deconstructed is a podcast that offers historical context and a deeper psychological investigation of the show, judging everything from the perspective of the 1960s rather than our modern-day point of view.
