Last Night's Mad Men

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Oh my god! Last night's season finale of Mad Men was amazing, and it certified that there is no show, currently on the air, that can compete with it, in term's of quality. The fact that the show's producers and writers choose not to dumb it down and the network's executives don't pressure them to do so, is deserving of some accolades. What I'm hoping comes out of the critical success of Mad Men, is other basic cable networks taking a chance on well written television projects that are passed over by the major networks, for fear of not receiving large enough ratings. An episode of the series probably has an audience of about 2 million, when repeat airings are included, and, while yes it is a small number, AMC has very little original programing, so it can afford to keep a show with such a niche audience. Maybe A&E can have its own critical darling series, or Bravo, which is going to need something big, since it's lost Project Runway. Come on Bravo, you were willing to take a chance with Project Runway and it was a success, so why not take a chance with an original scripted series? The major networks seem to be flailing. Most of their shows aren't getting high ratings, and the shows that are successful are mainly crappy procedurals and reality shows. The networks do have some great programs, though not at the level of Mad Men, but they always seem to be in danger, because of low ratings. Pushing Daisies may not be picked up for a full second season, the new series Life on Mars continues to drop its ratings, so it may not get to a second season, and 30 Rock always seems on the bubble. 30 Rock may be safer because of the industry's love for it, although that didn't help Arrested Development to a fourth season, so you never know.