Mad Men

In 1960 the admen of Madison Avenue were inventing the modern art of persuasion: the come-ons, the irony and even, says suave, cynical ad exec Don Draper (Jon Hamm), our idea of love. This razor-sharp drama captures a pre-p.c. era, from the casual sexism to the lax parenting to the omnipresent cigarettes, an apt symbol of a profession dedicated to blowing smoke.