Mad Men – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Mad Men

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2007

48%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Prestige drama about 1960s ad men—brilliant, beautifully crafted, and absolutely not for your kids.

8.7/10

94%

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Mad Men

show

TV-MA, 2007

48%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Prestige drama about 1960s ad men—brilliant, beautifully crafted, and absolutely not for your kids.

8.7

94%

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8.7/10

94%

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Screenwise Verdict

Mad Men is legitimately one of the best TV dramas ever made—the critics and audiences are right about that. The writing is sharp, the period detail is meticulous, and it offers genuine insight into American culture, identity, and the psychology of persuasion.

But let's be clear: this is not remotely appropriate for kids or even most teens. Every scene features smoking and drinking. Infidelity is a recurring plot point. Workplace sexual harassment is depicted as normal 1960s behavior. The themes are psychologically complex and often dark.

If you're a parent looking for something to watch after the kids are in bed, and you want prestige television that actually earns the label? This is it. Just make sure the kids are actually asleep.

Age Fit

This is adult television, full stop. Despite Common Sense Media's 14+ rating, the mature themes, constant drinking/smoking, sexual content, and psychological complexity make this appropriate for 18+. It's not a family show—it's a sophisticated character study for grown-ups.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Mad Men is deliberately unwholesome by design—it's a period drama that accurately depicts 1960s workplace culture with rampant sexism, alcoholism, smoking, infidelity, and toxic masculinity. Characters model deeply problematic behavior (workplace harassment, drinking at work, cheating) as normalized period-accurate content. Not emotionally healthy for younger viewers, though it does critique these behaviors through dramatic consequences.

Imaginative

Brilliantly original prestige drama that reimagined what TV could be. The creative advertising campaigns within the show are genuinely clever and invite thinking about persuasion, identity, and American culture. Rich period detail and psychological complexity invite viewers to analyze character motivations and social dynamics. Elevated the entire medium of television drama.

Safe

Contains extensive adult content: frequent smoking and heavy drinking (often during work), sexual content and nudity, infidelity as a recurring theme, workplace sexual harassment, suicide references, and mature psychological themes. Common Sense Media rates it 14+, but that's generous—this is really adult content. No graphic violence, but emotionally heavy and thematically mature throughout.

Enriching

Exceptionally well-crafted examination of American identity, consumer culture, gender roles, and social change during the 1960s. Offers genuine insight into advertising psychology, workplace dynamics, and how people construct and deconstruct their identities. The writing is literary-quality (94% RT critics, 8.7 IMDb, 86 Metacritic), inviting reflection on ambition, authenticity, and the cost of the American Dream. Educational about mid-century history and social norms.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Genuinely exceptional writing and character development—widely considered one of the best TV dramas ever made
Rich historical window into 1960s American culture, advertising, and social change
Smart exploration of identity, ambition, and the performance of self in professional life
The ad campaigns within the show are cleverly written and offer insight into persuasion and consumer psychology
Sophisticated storytelling that trusts viewers to read between the lines

⚠

What to Watch For

Pervasive adult content: smoking and drinking in nearly every scene, sexual content, infidelity as recurring theme
Workplace sexual harassment and sexism depicted as period-accurate normalized behavior
Emotionally heavy—characters struggle with depression, identity crises, and existential questions
Slow-burn pacing that rewards patience but may feel dated to viewers used to streaming-era TV
This is emphatically adult television—Common Sense's 14+ rating is too low

Conversation Starters

"How did the advertising campaigns in the show try to manipulate people's emotions and desires?"
"What does the show reveal about how much workplace culture has changed (or hasn't) since the 1960s?"
"Don Draper constantly reinvents himself—what does the show say about authenticity versus performance?"
"How does the show use smoking and drinking as visual shorthand for character stress and social norms?"

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