About
"From when I got onto Becker, I was starting to do something else at night. This was my mistress. I had this idea. I don't know where it came from, I don't know how it developed -- doing a show set in the 60s… But what I really wanted to do was a story about someone who was like me -- who was 35 years old and had everything and was miserable."
In his eight-hour interview, Matthew Weiner talks about writing on TV shows including Becker and The Sopranos, and his creation of the series Mad Men. He details the writers' room on The Sopranos and working with David Chase, as well as pivotal episodes from the series including The Sopranos' finale. He talks in-depth about the concept behind his series, Mad Men, pitching it to AMC, and the attention paid to the style of the show, which is set in the 1960s. He discusses casting the show, specific storylines and the concepts behind them, and the then-future of the series. Weiner talks about the gap between seasons 4 and 5 of Mad Men, and describes his contract negotiations with AMC during that time. He recalls the various themes and storylines of seasons 5 and 6, including "Joan Holloway" becoming a partner, the suicide of "Lane Pryce," and the disintegration of the marriage of "Don Draper" and "Megan Draper." He outlines various technical aspects of the show, including updating the wardrobe to match the styles of the times, and making the switch from shooting Mad Men on film to video starting with season 5. He speaks of plotting out the end of Mad Men for seasons 7a and 7b, including "Don Draper's" downward spiral, the deaths of "Bert Cooper" and "Betty Francis," and his decision to use Coca-Cola's iconic "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" commercial as the finale of the show. He recounts his feelings about the end of Mad Men, and talks about his then-current activities. Karen Herman conducted parts one and two of the interview on October 11, 2010 and November 12, 2010 in North Hollywood, CA. Adrienne Faillace conducted part three of the interview on June 8, 2015 in Los Angeles, CA.
Highlights
Matthew Weiner on the autobiographical nature of his characters on Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on design choices for Mad Men; on the attention to detail for the period; on how the writers' room has changed
Matthew Weiner on fame and what he's gotten out of Mad Men's success
Matthew Weiner on making viewers cry at Mad Men and confounding viewers' expectations
Matthew Weiner on "if you can write, you can write your way out of anything"
Matthew Weiner on advice to aspiring writers
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early childhood; on his parents' influence on Mad Men; on the autobiographical nature of that show
On his childhood interests in trivia, history, and television; on wanting to be a performer
On being influenced by 70s TV shows and Woody Allen films; on the impact visiting Dachau concentration camp and Anne Frank's house had on him; on the shows he was not allowed to watch and how his parents limited the amount of TV he could watch
On the importance of music in his childhood and later in his scripts; on his early interest in writing and movies; on his earliest writings
On attending Wesleyan University; on his work ethic and his motivation; on knowing when to stop rewriting
Chapter 2
On being influenced by films; on applying to USC; on an internship with Bruce Glibert; on going to film school
On graduating from USC film school and getting married; on making the decision to be a writer
On graduating from USC film school and getting married; on making the decision to be a writer; on the influence television had on him; on writing his first film; on early TV work and spec writing
On being a writer on Becker; on working on the Mad Men pilot
On leaving Becker and joining Andy Richter Controls the Universe
Chapter 3
On being a writer on The Sopranos at the height of its success in season five; on the show's creator, David Chase; on the writers' room; on being an executive producer on the show
On writing specific episodes of The Sopranos: "Kennedy and Heidi," "Mayhem," and "The Blue Comet"
On learning the ending for The Sopranos; on his favorite moments from the show
On the legacy of The Sopranos, "the greatest TV show ever"
On pitching Mad Men to AMC
Chapter 4
On Mad Men characters "Peggy Olson," "Joan Holloway," and "Betty Draper"
On the Mad Men character "Betty Draper" and her children; on how he identifies with the characters
Chapter 5
On developing Mad Men; on the casting the show
On how much of the characters' backstories he had in place before Mad Men got picked up
On the controversy over the first cut of Mad Men; on the style of the show; on the complexities of that first episode
On the early relationship between Mad Men and AMC; on the high ratings for the show and budgetary constrictions
On winning an Emmy for Mad Men; on the show's popularity; on how he defines success
On the Mad Men audience and criticism of the show
On the style and realism of Mad Men; on the costuming
Chapter 6
On the Mad Men episode, "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency"; on the cardinal sin of television (a married woman having an affair)
On the emotional toll from writing emotional scenes; on the process he goes through with the writers and how much he reveals about the series; on how much he knows about the future direction of the series; on literary influences on the show
On the Mad Men storyline with "Don Draper" marrying his secretary; on how much the actors know of the show's storylines; on why he needs to reveal his story ideas to others
On David Chase's take on Mad Men
On the "business model" for Mad Men; on differences with the network over sponsors; on the use of "fake" ads in the show
On the merchandising of the show; on the extensive commentaries he's made about the making of the show; on what success has meant to him; on popular misconceptions about him
Chapter 7
On the then-future and finale of Mad Men and what he hopes to do after
On being inspired by other show-creators with multiple successes and his feelings about television
On advice to aspiring writers; on what he owes to AMC
Chapter 8
On the gap between seasons four and five of Mad Men and his contract negotiations with AMC; on Mad Men's season five premiere episode, "A Little Kiss," and the story arcs of that season; on using The Beatles' song "Tomorrow Never Knows" on the episode "Lady Lazarus"
On "Betty Draper's" (January Jones) cancer scare in season five of Mad Men; on plotting out stories and themes for Mad Men, the suicide of "Lane Pryce" (Jared Harris), and other elements of season five
On the Mad Men episode, "The Other Woman," in which "Joan Holloway" (Christina Hendricks) prostitutes herself to get an account for the firm; on "Megan Draper's" (Jessica Pare) career story arc in season five of Mad Men; on "Peggy Olson's" (Elisabeth Moss) story arc in season five of the show
On season six of Mad Men and using the news events of 1968 as a backdrop; on "Don Draper's" (Jon Hamm) affair in season six of Mad Men
On the final scene of season six of Mad Men, the cinematic nature of the show, and "Don's" downward spiral in seasons six and seven
Chapter 9
On switching from film to video starting with the fifth season of Mad Men; on running Mad Men storylines by Jon Hamm at the start of each season and collaborating with the staff writers; on the death of "Bert Cooper" (Robert Morse) at the end of season 7a and planning out season seven
On making viewers cry at Mad Men and confounding viewers' expectations; on collaborating with his writing staff on the end of Mad Men and the firing of "Don Draper" from Sterling Cooper; on the various cultural and historical references and influences for season seven of Mad Men, including the moon landing
On the gender equality themes of Mad Men season 7a; on "Don" and "Megan's" relationship and "Don" and "Peggy's" relationship in season 7b of Mad Men; on the time lapse between seasons 7a and 7b on Mad Men and updating the styles and fashions
On "Don's" situation at the start of Mad Men season 7b, "Don's" relationship with "Diana" the waitress, and fan reaction to that relationship; on wrapping up each character in the final episodes of Mad Men; on relating season six of Mad Men to "A Tale of Two Cities"
On dealing with writing and directing the final scenes of Mad Men; on directing Kiernan Shipka as "Sally Draper" in her final Mad Men scenes
Chapter 10
On "Don's" relationship with "Stephanie Horton" in the final episodes of Mad Men and the running list of story ideas for the show; on Mark Moses as "Herman 'Duck' Phillips" on Mad Men and stories they never got around to doing; on getting "Stan" and "Peggy" together at the end of the show
On wrapping up various stories on Mad Men; on using real life products and companies on Mad Men; on leading up to the Coca-Cola commercial finale; on how he believes Mad Men will be viewed in the future
On getting Mad Men memorabilia into museums; on what he misses about Mad Men and what the end was like for him
Shows
All in the Family
Matthew Weiner on watching All in the Family as a child but not understanding the levels of humor at the time
Becker
Matthew Weiner on the writing staff of Becker; on what the experience there taught him
Brady Bunch, The
Matthew Weiner on being influenced by style of 70's shows such as The Brady Bunch
Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)
Matthew Weiner on winning his first Emmy for Mad Men despite the show being "unknown"; on the 60th Annual Emmy Awards
I Love Lucy
Matthew Weiner on not being allowed to watch much TV as a kid; on being told I Love Lucy was sexist
Jeopardy!
Matthew Weiner on appearing as a contestant on Jeopardy!
Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on his parents' influence on his show Mad Men; "there's a lot of Betty Draper" in his mother, who pursued a law school degree later in life; on his parents' take on the show
Matthew Weiner on how many details on Mad Men are derived from memories of his childhood
Matthew Weiner on his first film script "Horseshoe" that was the genesis of Mad Men; on how he got the film finished on a very limited budget
Matthew Weiner on the genesis of Mad Men - which he started scripting while a writer at Becker
Matthew Weiner on his process for writing the pilot of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on the title of his show Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on pitching Mad Men to AMC; on the character "Don Draper"
Matthew Weiner on the inner workings of "Don Draper's" character on Mad Men; on when the wife of the man he's impersonating dies
Matthew Weiner on how all the characters on Mad Men are self-portrayals
Matthew Weiner on identifying with the characters "Peggy Olson" and "Pete Campbell" on Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on the character "Betty Draper" on Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on the character "Sally Draper" on Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on molding the character "Don Draper" alongside the actor Jon Hamm; on who he wanted "Don" to be
Matthew Weiner on shooting the second script (after the pilot) of Mad Men and the controversy over editing that episode
Matthew Weiner on the popularity of Mad Men and its audience
Matthew Weiner on the style and realism of Mad Men, including the costuming
Matthew Weiner on the Mad Men episode, "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency," which includes the infamous lawnmower scene
Matthew Weiner on the Mad Men episode, "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency"; on the cardinal sin of television (married woman having an affair); on the ending of season four
Matthew Weiner on how much of Mad Men has been pre-conceived
Matthew Weiner on how JFK's assassination played into Mad Men's plotlines
Matthew Weiner on literary influences on Mad Men, including John Cheever
Matthew Weiner on the reason Mad Men's "Don Draper" could not remain a bachelor
Matthew Weiner on the "business model" for Mad Men; on differences with the network over sponsors
Matthew Weiner on how Hilton was integrated into Mad Men although they were never a formal sponsor
Matthew Weiner on the then-future of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on the then-future of Mad Men and how he wants it to end; on not being done with the show yet
Matthew Weiner on the gap between seasons four and five of Mad Men and his contract negotiations with AMC
Matthew Weiner on Mad Men's season five premiere episode, "A Little Kiss," and the story arcs of that season
Matthew Weiner on using The Beatles' song "Tomorrow Never Knows" on the Mad Men episode "Lady Lazarus"
Matthew Weiner on "Betty Draper's" (January Jones) cancer scare on season five of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on plotting out stories and themes for Mad Men, the suicide of "Lane Pryce" (Jared Harris), and other elements of season five
Matthew Weiner on the Mad Men episode, "The Other Woman," in which "Joan Holloway" (Christina Hendricks) prostitutes herself to get an account for the firm
Matthew Weiner on "Megan Draper's" (Jessica Pare) career story arc in season five of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on "Peggy Olson's" (Elisabeth Moss) story arc in season five of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on season six of Mad Men and using the news events of 1968 as a backdrop
Matthew Weiner on "Don Draper's" (Jon Hamm) affair in season six of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on the final scene of season six of Mad Men, the cinematic nature of the show, and "Don's" (Jon Hamm) downward spiral in seasons six and seven
Matthew Weiner on switching from film to video starting with the fifth season of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on running Mad Men storylines by Jon Hamm at the start of each season and collaborating with the staff writers
Matthew Weiner on the death of "Bert Cooper" (Robert Morse) at the end of season 7a of Mad Men and planning out season seven
Matthew Weiner on making viewers cry at Mad Men and confounding viewers' expectations
Matthew Weiner on collaborating with his writing staff on the end of Mad Men and the "firing" of "Don Draper" from Sterling Cooper
Matthew Weiner on the various cultural and historical references and influences for season seven of Mad Men including the moon landing
Matthew Weiner on the gender equality themes of Mad Men season 7a
Matthew Weiner on "Don" and "Megan's" relationship and "Don" and "Peggy's" relationship in season 7b of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on the time lapse between seasons 7a and 7b on Mad Men and updating the styles and fashions
Matthew Weiner on "Don's" situation at the start of Mad Men season 7b, "Don's" relationship with "Diana" the waitress, and fan reaction to that relationship
Matthew Weiner on wrapping up each character in the final episodes of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on relating season six of Mad Men to "A Tale of Two Cities"
Matthew Weiner on dealing with writing and directing the final scenes of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on directing Kiernan Shipka as "Sally Draper" in her final Mad Men scenes
Matthew Weiner on "Don's" relationship with "Stephanie Horton" in the final episodes of Mad Men and the running list of story ideas for the show
Matthew Weiner on Mark Moses as "Herman 'Duck' Phillips" on Mad Men and stories they never got around to doing
Matthew Weiner on getting "Stan" and "Peggy" together at the end of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on wrapping up various stories on Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on using real life products and companies on Mad Men leading up to the Coca-Cola commercial finale
Matthew Weiner on how he believes Mad Men will be viewed in the future
Matthew Weiner on getting Mad Men memorabilia into museums
Matthew Weiner on what he misses about Mad Men and what the end was like for him
Partridge Family, The
Matthew Weiner on how he wanted to be "Danny Partridge" from The Partridge Family
Romper Room
Matthew Weiner on being a child performer on Romper Room
Sopranos, The
Matthew Weiner on the impact The Sopranos had on him and his writing for Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on writing for The Sopranos, and the hope it gave him for good television
Matthew Weiner on the time he took writing for The Sopranos and David Chase
Matthew Weiner on The Sopranos episode, "Sentimental Education," where "Carmela" has an affair
Matthew Weiner on the writers' room on The Sopranos; on David Chase's involvement
Matthew Weiner on The Sopranos episode "Luxury Lounge"
Matthew Weiner on the "Kennedy and Heidi" episode of The Sopranos, co-written with David Chase, and how the episode was about guilt
Matthew Weiner on The Sopranos episode "Mayhem" which he was very proud to have written
Matthew Weiner on "The Blue Comet" - the second-to-last episode of The Sopranos
Matthew Weiner on the finale of The Sopranos; on the secrecy surrounding the series
Matthew Weiner on The Sopranos' legacy
Topics
Creative Influences and Inspiration
Matthew Weiner on being inspired by creators who continue to have success like David Chase, Larry Gelbart, Mike Nichols
Emmy Awards
Matthew Weiner on winning his first Emmy for Mad Men despite the show being "unknown"
Historic Events and Social Change
Matthew Weiner on how JFK's assassination played into Mad Men's plotlines
Matthew Weiner on the Mad Men episode, "The Other Woman," in which "Joan Holloway" (Christina Hendricks) prostitutes herself to get an account for the firm
Matthew Weiner on season six of Mad Men and using the news events of 1968 as a backdrop
Matthew Weiner on the various cultural and historical references and influences for season seven of Mad Men, including the moon landing
Matthew Weiner on the gender equality themes of Mad Men season 7a
JFK Assassination and Funeral
Matthew Weiner on how JFK's assassination played into Mad Men's plotlines
Moon Landing
Matthew Weiner on the various cultural and historical references and influences for season seven of Mad Men, including the moon landing
Pivotal Career Moments
Matthew Weiner on being inspired by creators who continue to have success like David Chase, Larry Gelbart, Mike Nichols
Pop Culture
Matthew Weiner on using The Beatles' song "Tomorrow Never Knows" on the Mad Men episode "Lady Lazarus"
Matthew Weiner on using real life products and companies on Mad Men leading up to the Coca-Cola commercial finale
Matthew Weiner on getting Mad Men memorabilia into museums
Representation on Television
Matthew Weiner on the Mad Men episode, "The Other Woman," in which "Joan Holloway" (Christina Hendricks) prostitutes herself to get an account for the firm
Matthew Weiner on the gender equality themes of Mad Men season 7a
Technological Innovation
Matthew Weiner on switching from film to video starting with the fifth season of Mad Men
Television Industry
Matthew Weiner on the strained relationship between AMC and Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on the "business model" for Mad Men; on differences with the network over sponsors
Matthew Weiner on the gap between seasons four and five of Mad Men and his contract negotiations with AMC
Vietnam War
Matthew Weiner on season six of Mad Men and using the news events of 1968 as a backdrop
War
Matthew Weiner on season six of Mad Men and using the news events of 1968 as a backdrop
Women
Matthew Weiner on the Mad Men episode, "The Other Woman," in which "Joan Holloway" (Christina Hendricks) prostitutes herself to get an account for the firm
Matthew Weiner on the gender equality themes of Mad Men season 7a
Professions
Show Creators
Matthew Weiner on his ability to remember dialogue and moments vividly, which he later used in writing for television shows like Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on how he had difficulty differentiating between fantasy and reality with his childhood exposure to TV and film; on how that translates to his writing being "dreamlike"
Matthew Weiner on why it's easier to hustle your work than actually write and finish a product
Matthew Weiner on his first job punching up scripts for TV shows
Matthew Weiner on how invaluable it is to be funny as a writer
Matthew Weiner on his design choices for Mad Men; on the attention to detail for the period
Matthew Weiner on the emotional toll of writing
Matthew Weiner on his writing process and how much he reveals to others
Matthew Weiner on using The Beatles' song "Tomorrow Never Knows" on the Mad Men episode "Lady Lazarus"
Matthew Weiner on plotting out stories and themes for Mad Men, the suicide of "Lane Pryce" (Jared Harris), and other elements of season five
Matthew Weiner on making viewers cry at Mad Men and confounding viewers' expectations
Matthew Weiner on the time lapse between seasons 7a and 7b on Mad Men and updating the styles and fashions
Matthew Weiner on dealing with writing and directing the final scenes of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on Mark Moses as "Herman 'Duck' Phillips" on Mad Men and stories they never got around to doing
Writers
Matthew Weiner on his ability to remember dialogue and moments vividly, which he later used in writing for television shows like Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on knowing when to stop rewriting
Matthew Weiner on not wanting to use repetition in the dialogue of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on the writers' room on Mad Men; on taking risks
Genres
Awards Shows
Matthew Weiner on winning his first Emmy for Mad Men despite the show being "unknown"; on the 60th annual Emmy Awards show
Children's Programming
Matthew Weiner on being a child performer on Romper Room
Comedy Series
Matthew Weiner on how he wanted to be "Danny Partridge" from The Partridge Family
Matthew Weiner on being influenced by style of 70's shows such as The Brady Bunch
Matthew Weiner on watching All in the Family as a child but not understanding the levels of humor at the time
Matthew Weiner on not being allowed to watch much TV as a kid; on being told I Love Lucy was sexist
Matthew Weiner on the writing staff of Becker; on what the experience there taught him
Commercials
Matthew Weiner on his disapproval of real ads written in the style of Mad Men strategically placed during the show
Matthew Weiner on using real life products and companies on Mad Men, leading up to the Coca-Cola commercial finale
Drama Series
Matthew Weiner on his parents' influence on his show Mad Men; "there's a lot of Betty Draper" in his mother, who pursued a law school degree later in life; on his parents' take on the show
Matthew Weiner on how many details on Mad Men are derived from memories of his childhood
Matthew Weiner on his first film script "Horseshoe" that was the genesis of Mad Men; on how he got the film finished on a very limited budget
Matthew Weiner on the genesis of Mad Men - which he started scripting while a writer at Becker
Matthew Weiner on his process for writing the pilot of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on the title of his show Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on the impact The Sopranos had on him and his writing for Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on The Sopranos
Matthew Weiner on Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on identifying with the characters "Peggy Olson" and "Pete Campbell" on Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on the character "Betty Draper" on Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on the character "Sally Draper" on Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on molding the character "Don Draper" alongside the actor Jon Hamm; on who he wanted "Don" to be
Matthew Weiner on shooting the second script (after the pilot) of Mad Men and the controversy over editing that episode
Matthew Weiner on the popularity of Mad Men and its audience
Matthew Weiner on the style and realism of Mad Men, including the costuming
Matthew Weiner on the Mad Men episode, "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency," which includes the infamous lawnmower scene
Matthew Weiner on the Mad Men episode, "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency"; on the cardinal sin of television (married woman having an affair); on the ending of season four
Matthew Weiner on how much of Mad Men has been pre-conceived
Matthew Weiner on how JFK's assassination played into Mad Men's plotlines
Matthew Weiner on literary influences on Mad Men, including John Cheever
Matthew Weiner on the reason Mad Men's "Don Draper" could not remain a bachelor
Matthew Weiner on the "business model" for Mad Men; on differences with the network over sponsors
Matthew Weiner on how Hilton was integrated into Mad Men although they were never a formal sponsor
Matthew Weiner on the then-future of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on the then-future of Mad Men and how he wants it to end; on not being done with the show yet
Matthew Weiner on seasons five and six of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on seasons six and seven of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on season 7b of Mad Men
Game Shows
Matthew Weiner on appearing as a contestant on Jeopardy!
People
Woody Allen
Matthew Weiner on early influences, especially Woody Allen's films
Lauren Bacall
Matthew Weiner on Lauren Bacall's appearance on The Sopranos: "you're talking to someone you can't believe really exists"
David Chase
Matthew Weiner on writing for David Chase, creator of The Sopranos - whom he describes as "fearless"
Matthew Weiner on working for David Chase on The Sopranos: "I was living in his head"
Matthew Weiner on David Chase's legacy with the show The Sopranos
Matthew Weiner on his relationship with David Chase post-Sopranos; on telling him about Mad Men story ideas
Jon Hamm
Matthew Weiner on fighting for Jon Hamm to be hired on Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on "Don Draper's" (Jon Hamm) affair in season six of Mad Men
Matthew Weiner on the final scene of season six of Mad Men, the cinematic nature of the show, and "Don's" (Jon Hamm) downward spiral in seasons six and seven
Matthew Weiner on running Mad Men storylines by Jon Hamm at the start of each season and collaborating with the staff writers
January Jones
Matthew Weiner on casting January Jones as Mad Men's "Betty Draper"
Matthew Weiner on "Betty Draper's" (January Jones) cancer scare on season five of Mad Men
Robert Morse
Matthew Weiner on the death of "Bert Cooper" (Robert Morse) at the end of season 7a of Mad Men and planning out season seven
Conan O'Brien
Matthew Weiner on finding out his wife had once dated Conan O'Brien
Abraham Polonsky
Matthew Weiner on taking film classes with Abraham Polonsky at USC
John Slattery
Matthew Weiner on John Slattery on Mad Men