15 shows that define prestige TV

10. Mad Men

AMC circa 2007 was about as far from a player in the prestige TV marketplace as it could be. It was mostly known for airing reruns of old Westerns. Then AMC put out Mad Men, which immediately catapulted it into the “what network produces the best prestige TV” conversation.

Don Draper might be the most iconic non-Game of Thrones character of the prestige TV era. The man exuded, well, manliness, the kind that could get him anywhere in the ’60s. It can now be clearly recognized as self-destructive toxic masculinity, but credit Jon Hamm’s Emmy-winning performance for keeping Don just likable enough to never change from anti-hero to full villain.

It’s also worth mentioning that Mad Men was low-key hilarious. In addition to birthing the “not great Bob” meme (God have mercy on your soul, Pete Campbell), it also featured great moments of comedy like Pete angrily falling down stairs and Ken Cosgrove tap-dancing. The best dramas can also do comedy extremely well, and Mad Men is a classic example of that.

The show’s legacy has been sullied by the sexual misconduct allegations levied against creator Matthew Weiner. (Mad Men consultant and UnREAL creator Marti Noxon called him an “emotional terrorist.”) His transgressions make the large amount of sexual harassment portrayed on Mad Men a bit tougher to stomach.

Those allegations are the only way to put Mad Men in its proper 2018 context. It is, however, still more than worthy of its status as one of the high points of the prestige TV era. Winning four Best Drama Emmys in a row will give a show that kind of (Roger) sterling reputation.