We all think we’re so clever. Especially if you are a successful television executive who has developed a hit show that “breaks the rules,” you think you are going to think outside the box and pull something over everyone else. But the inevitable fallout often is that you will only be fooling yourself.
The creators and producers of Mad Men had a great idea; instead of producing a final 13 episode season, they’d copy Breaking Bad and split the final season into two 7 episode arcs. This would mean that instead of racking up awards for one year, they’d win twice as many awards over two years! Brilliant!
Except the Golden Globe nominations were announced and Mad Men got zippo. None. Nada. Zamboni.
Breaking Mad Men into two 7-episode “seasons” diluted the brand to the point where nothing stood out when nomination time rolled around. Mad Men’s seasons have tended to be erratic, but built to a strong conclusion. Featuring only seven episodes for nomination purposes meant that the performances couldn't be judged in the context of the full season. Don Draper may do something inexplicable in episode 5 that pays off in episode 12, but if episode 12 is broadcast in 13 months, it remains inexplicable.
And when it comes to television awards, momentum is everything. It’s almost as if shows earn “slots” in certain categories, and the default is the show will get a nomination in that slot unless something changes. The West Wing went from great to mediocre when Aaron Sorkin was pushed out as showrunner, but it kept getting Best Drama Emmy nominations because it owned a slot. And of course Golden Globe slots translate to Emmy slots many months later.
Mad Men had a best drama slot, a best actor slot for Jon Hamm, a best actress slot for Elizabeth Moss, a best supporting actor slot for John Slattery, and (for Emmys) slots for direction and writing. Now when its final “season” rolls around next year, nothing is certain. In the vast, ever-expanding television landscape, it is easy to discard an old reliable if something newer and shinier comes around.
The most criminal Emmy snub of all time was Hugh Laurie never winning Best Actor for House, but the fact is he wasn't even nominated for House’s last season. The same fate might befall Jon Hamm, who was a sensation when Mad Men first debuted (and won a Golden Globe in 2008) but who gets little press these days (and his film career hasn’t exactly taken off). I've never been sold on Hamm as a great actor; I've often thought he was a minimalist actor that allowed people to project what they felt about Don Draper onto him. But anyone who could nail the final monologue in The Wheel has to have some acting chops.
The bottom line is Mad Men got greedy. They thought they could get two bites at the award apple by stretching their “final season” over two seasons. And now they've been shut out at the Golden Globes. Time will tell if this has any repercussions on the Emmy nominations when they come out in several months.
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