Tag Archives: Mad Men

From Breaking Bad to Modern Family: 2013′s Emmy noms confirm TV’s at the top of its game

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad

I write this day before the Emmy nominations are announced. As a member of the TV Academy I vote for the Primetime Emmys; and for several years now it’s been hard to choose a favorite in each category.  This year in particular has had an embarrassment of riches when it comes to outstanding TV.

Rather than try to predict the nominees (to be announced tomorrow) or the winners (revealed during the live broadcast on September 22), here is a very subjective list of can’t-miss current series. I am also including some guilty-pleasure shows I’ve been known to watch, none of which run the risk of getting an Emmy nomination.

Sometimes I come late to a series that has already become a phenomenon (24). Or I’ll skip it all together (Lost.)  I mention this to explain why I am the last person on the planet not to be caught up in Game of Thrones mania.  I watched the first episode and didn’t find a good reason to come back to that world or those characters.  But everyone tells me it grows on you, so I will catch up one of these days.

Another reason I’m not actively seeking another series to watch is that there are so many great ones that I’m hooked on already.

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Emmy Fever: Alum Talents Featured on Top Nominee “Mad Men”

Congratulations to all the talented professionals who worked on Emmy-nominated shows including Alumna Ellen Freund for her work on “Mad Men”

Art Center Alumna Ellen Freund FILM 79 is prop master on the hit AMC show “Mad Men.”  The show tied with “American Horror Story” for the most Emmy nominations with 17 each.  Among the many accolades, the steamy period drama series about Madison Avenue was honored for outstanding art direction.

Freund’s credits include “Twilight,” “Night at the Museum” and “Vanilla Sky.” To learn more about her career, check out this profile that recently ran on Huffington Post.

In the story, she says “Mad Men” is definitely the biggest challenge of her career. “It is my first time on a television series and the combination of a compressed time frame, limited budget and relentless schedules are very demanding. ‘Mad Men’ requires massive amounts of research to attain the level of accuracy that creator Matthew Weiner seeks and the entire crew strives for every day. The period is fascinating and visually stimulating, making it a real pleasure to work on.”