Hello!
This week’s episode of Criticism Is Dead is a one-off special, as we are still on our brief break. We discuss two of our (respective) favorite TV shows ever: Mad Men and 30 Rock, both workplace series with complicated protagonists.
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02:03 Mad Men, streaming on AMC+ and IMDb TV, is perfect television, from its incredible character work to its brilliant exploration of weighty themes.
This is:
one of Pelin’s favorite shows of all time
a series that many people were watching and rewatching early on in the pandemic
a reflection of a pivotal decade in American history
a meditation on social mobility, alienation, masculinity, feminism, the American Dream, and more
serious and dark and tragic and funny and charming
24:57 30 Rock, streaming on Peacock, Netflix, and Hulu, remains one of the most sharply written, joke-dense, affectionately acerbic sitcoms ever on TV.
This is:
one of my favorite shows of all time
acid and absurdist and a little mean but warm and hilarious
home to caricature-like characters that are written and performed so distinctly, they transcend their inherent trope-y qualities
extremely rewatchable (if you ignore some of the elements that have obviously not aged that well)
Bonus shortlists
Pelin’s list of other favorite TV shows (excluding ones we’ve already talked about on this podcast):
The Leftovers
Le Bureau
The Americans
Breaking Bad
Watchmen
Misfits
And mine (excluding ones we’ve already talked about on this podcast):
Veep
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Mad Men
That’s it for now. We will still be OFF next week, but we’ll be returning the week after that!
— Jenny
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Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to criticismisdead@gmail.com.
Some credits:
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu