Jon Hamm and the Cast of Mad Men Season 1
Jon Hamm stars as Don Draper, the creative director at Sterling Cooper, in Mad Men Season 1, which premiered on July 19, 2007 on AMC. The ensemble cast includes Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson, January Jones as Betty Draper, Vincent Kartheiser as Pete Campbell, and John Slattery as Roger Sterling, with the first season introducing the core team at the New York advertising agency.
The show is based on extensive research into 1960s Madison Avenue and uses real brands and agencies as background context for the fictional Sterling Cooper, with creators Matthew Weiner and Tom Palmer shaping a period drama that later expands into broader cultural commentary on gender, race, and business practices in America.
Mad Men Season 1 Plot and Key Episodes
The first season follows Don Draper navigating high-stakes client work, personal secrets, and office politics at Sterling Cooper, with major storylines including the launch of the Lucky Strike campaign, Peggy Olson’s rise as a copywriter, and Don’s complicated marriage to Betty.
Notable episodes include the pilot, which introduces Don’s mysterious past, and the season finale “The Hobo Code,” which explores themes of trust and professionalism in the workplace, while the season builds toward a shift in Peggy’s career trajectory and hints at deeper tensions in Don’s personal life.
Ratings, Awards, and Legacy of Mad Men Season 1
Mad Men Season 1 received critical acclaim and earned multiple nominations at the 2008 Primetime Emmy Awards, with Jon Hamm later winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in subsequent years, while the show itself won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series four times in total.
The series is widely cited as a landmark in prestige television, influencing later dramas and sparking renewed interest in 1960s advertising history, with AMC and Lionsgate Television continuing to distribute the show globally through streaming platforms and home media releases.