Interview: Kiernan Shipka Talks 'Mad Men'

he last season of AMC's critically acclaimed 'Mad Men' was full of shocking revelations, wild twists and flat-out amazing performances. Perhaps the most stunning was Kiernan Shipka, who plays Sally Draper, the eldest child of the unhappy Don and Betty Draper played by Jon Hamm & January Jones.

Sally had a lot to deal with this past year. The death of her grandfather Gene, the JFK assassination, and the separation of her parents have given the character much more to do and Kiernan grabbed hold of it and gave us some of the most heartbreaking moments of the season. Growing up on television can't be easy but the very mature 10-year old Kiernan seems to be handling success quite well. She has a new film coming out in July called Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore with Chris O'Donnell, 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer and Roger Moore and with the voices of Alec Baldwin and Bette Midler and is excited about the upcoming season of 'Mad Men'.

I had the chance to interview Kiernan and I found out that she is a wonderful and well-spoken young lady who talks all things 'Mad Men', her new film and who she met at this years SAG awards. Hope you enjoy it as much I enjoyed interviewing her!

JANAKI CEDANNA: I want to first congratulate you on cleaning up this award season; the Golden Globes, the SAG awards, the Producers Guild awards, that must have been amazing.

KIERNAN SHIPKA: Yes, it felt very amazing. I'm very fortunate to work on a show that's so recognized.

JC: I saw you up onstage and Christina Hendricks was giving you a shoulder pinch. It must have been pretty exciting for you. Was there anybody at the SAG awards that you wanted to meet?

KS: (giggles) It was very exciting for me! I got a chance to meet so many wonderful people and it was all just really special. I met Warren Beatty, I loved him in “Heaven Can Wait” and “Bonnie and Clyde”. I watch it on AMC all the time. Tina Fey, I love her! She’s so hilarious on“30 Rock” and she had one of the most memorable and funniest acceptance speeches a couple of years back. She named all the nasty bloggers by their handle names, it was quite hysterical. Sigourney Weaver of course, I loved her in “Ghostbusters” 1 & 2 and “Avatar”, she was great. Jane Lynch from “Glee”. I mean, I love her! I’m very hooked on the show right now and she is definitely my favorite character.

JC: How was it different from last year? You’re a year older.

KS: It was a little different from last year . . . I was older and I knew what to expect basically. I had more fun, was more relaxed and more confident.

JC: Last season you really established yourself as a character and a wonderful actress. How do you prepare for those dramatic moments?

KS: I try to get in the moment. I try to get as method as possible on set. I think the whole set, the hair, the make-up, the wardrobe really helps also.

JC: Your character Sally went through a really tough time last year like the death of grandpa Gene, the JFK assassination and your parents separation. What kind of effect do you think that’s having on her?

KS: I think Sally has gone through a really tough time this season and like you said, she’s had so many dramatic moments and it’s been quite a year for her.

JC: We already started to see her act out a little bit. Do you think there’s going to be a lot more acting out?

KS: I think so. I think next season will be really good for her. She’s gonna go through a lot.

Click Here to Read the Rest of the Interview at Mad Men Fodder!

-- Janaki Cedanna

'Mad Men' Poised to Rule Golden Globes!

AMC's 'Mad Men' has been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards this year for Best Television Series - Drama, Jon Hamm for Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama and January Jones for Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama (gotta love those categories!)

So will Mad Men continue it's streak of winning the Golden Globe for best Series as it has for the past two years? My prediction is yes, with onlyTrue Blood and an amazing season of Dexter with it's only real competition. In the other categories, Michael C. Hall is the only true threat to Jon Hamm while Anna Paquin and Glenn Close are the biggest threats to January Jones. Jones should be a shoe-in but will the disastrous hosting gig on SNL be held against her? My guess is that it will. Too bad since this was her best season so far.

The Hollywood Foreign Press is breaking tradition by having a host for the first time in 15 years. Brilliant comedian Ricky Gervais is hosting the always fun and alcohol laden event so get ready for a barrage of uncomfortable moments and perfectly timed sarcasm. Should be lots of fun!

Watch the 2010 67th Annual Golden Globes Awards this Sunday, January 17th on NBC at 8 PM EST and cheer on the Mad Men crew!

-- Janaki Cedanna

Mad Men: "Shut the Door. Have a Seat" Review

"I'm not going to let you break up this family" - Don Draper

The 3rd season finale of the gloriously decadent Mad Men has come and gone and let me tell you it's been one hell of a ride. I thought there was no way that after last weeks mind-numbingly and thought provoking episode show runner Matthew Weiner would be able to pull out another gem from his bag of tricks but I was completely and utterly wrong. Great writing, sublime acting and incredibly funny lines punctuated this phenomenal season ending episode.

My oh my, what an amazing ending to what has got to be the best television drama in American history. Many questions have been raised this year and on any other show the answers might have been neatly tied up, but not this show. As often stated, this years theme was about change and Weiner & Co delivered. Big time.

"Shut the Door. Have a Seat" was all about two things; Betty and Don's marriage and the fate of Sterling Cooper. Everything else was just along for the ride just like the audience. Old friends are thrown together to try and find a way to get along while Don can't seem to keep his marriage from crumbling. It was about betrayal, change, conspiracy, rebirth and redemption. But makes no bones about it but this was a FUN episode. The times are a changin', so let's dive right in!

-- Janaki Cedanna

Click Here for Full Review at TV Fodder!

Mad Men: "The Grown-Ups" Review

"The whole country's drinking!" - Pete Campbell.

In the second to last episode of this superlative 3rd season of Mad Men so much happened it was difficult to think straight. If any one episode marks the end of innocence of the show, this was it. On top of the main story line there was Margaret's wedding, Pete's frustration and ultimate realization, Betty's epiphany and rejection of Don and Peggy's bad choice in lovers.

It had to happen, right? Creator Matthew Weiner had repeatedly asserted that the timeline of the show would not touch on the President John F. Kennedy assassination but that proved to be a masterful bait and switch. Not only did "The Grown-Ups" feature this incredibly painful time in American history it made the whole circus and subsequent aftermath the focal point of the entire story. We know by now that Weiner likes to jump ahead in the timeline but it really took me by surprise when they went full-throttle three weeks ahead and dove right into the most shocking event in U.S. history. I mean last week was the Halloween episode!

Simply put, this show was epic storytelling as they managed to not only make us feel the characters pain over the realization the President had been killed but that it was expertly wound into the fabric of the story and the characters decisions. This episode will long be remembered for the new perspective it brought to the table and begs the question; Where were you the night JFK was assassinated again on Mad Men?

Just hitting the highlights . . .

On a cold Friday morning November 22nd, 1963 everyone is wrapped up in their lives at Sterling Cooper. I really gotta hand it to Matthew Weiner with his mind-numbing and ultra-realistic (and subtle) reactions to the murder of JFK and of Oswald. For a minute there I thought I was watching Oliver Stone's "JFK" but then I quickly realized that this was much better acted. Nice touch touch to have Carla spark up a Lucky Strike when she found out; Peggy's reaction when Duck plugged in the TV; the use of the actual broadcasts with Walter Cronkite's classic reading of the news; Margaret's typically selfish reaction to her wedding being ruined; Betty's decision to let the kids watch and be glued to the TV as well as her shouting "What's going on!" when she saw Oswald killed on live TV; Don's explanation to the kids; Roger's selfish decision to have his daughter's wedding the next day as planned and utterly classless speech; the irony of Cooper, Ken, Harry and Jane all gathered in the kitchen watching JFK coverage when RFK was killed in a kitchen five years later (Ok, that may be a stretch but was interesting nonetheless); and finally Betty's decision to rekindle her romance with Henry Francis (who oddly delivered the same advice that Don gave.) There's nothing like a Presidential assassination and murder on live TV to make you want to have an affair . . .

Pete gets called into Lane's office office to be told that Ken Cosgrove got the job as Senior VP of Account Services due to his ability to "make the clients feel like they don't have any needs" but that he will be Head of Account Management. Pete doesn't take the news well at all and commiserates with Harry. This will lead to a major Pete meltdown and subsequent epiphany. Seems old sneaky Pete is extremely troubled about the JFK assassination just like he was over the death of his father but this time he can't bury himself in his work. He's only got Trudy and her famous head gear to console and guide him. And boy does she ever. Trudy was pretty impressive with her unwavering advice and support of her extremely troubled and deflated man. Wonder if this will actually cause Pete to fall in love with her for real? Love his line about Margaret being a spoiled brat and realization that his co-workers are all heartless b*stards. I can totally see Pete becoming a protester or a beatnik in a couple of years, especially after seeing him in that Beatlesque turtleneck.

Peggy's roommate gives her grief about seeing Duck but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Remember all those times we haven't seen her in the show lately? That's because she was having a "nooner" with good old Duck (ok, it's been 3 weeks.) This Friday was no different but now she will have to lie for the rest of her life because the "Randy" Duckman turned off the news report so he can get some lovin and in one fell swoop gave himself a great story for the fellas and doomed "Pee Wee" to a life of embarrassment and humiliation. Not exactly a story to tell the grand kids. "Where was I when JFK got killed? I was f*ckin a Duck!" Nice.

Roger's daughter Margaret is throwing a temper tantrum before her wedding because Jane gave her an expensive gift and is offering her advice. Margaret plays the Mommy/Daddy game literally after Mona gives her tough love and not sympathy. She calls up Roger to complain to no avail. Are we really sure that Margaret is actually old enough to get married? I mean she acted like a pre-teen EVERY step of the way. Wow, what a great catch . . . Speaking of Roger, his treatment of Jane was right out of "Gone with the Wind" as I thought he was going to kick the door in and whisk her away but instead he drunk dialed Joan after nearly having his 50th heart attack because of carrying a passed out Jane to bed. Clearly he still has feelings for Joan. They would have made an electrifying couple. Maybe someday soon?

After all the shocking events and rekindled Henry affair good old Betty sees clearly and tells Don she no longer loves him. And thus we have our third assassination of the episode. It was a kill shot, plain and simple right to the chest of Don Draper sure as anything. When he collapsed into the chair after hearing that I felt sooo bad for him even though the writers have tried in earnest to make him unlikeable; it just didn't work. Credit Jon Hamm for inhabiting a multi-layered character that does despicable things and making him likable. The scene with Don coming into a dark office and seeing only Peggy there working spoke volumes about their relationship and showcased just how similar they are in many ways. Bravo!!!

Overall, I give this superlative and amazing episode 5.5 Lucky Strikes Out of 5 because of the deft way the subject matter was handled and how it affected every character on the show. I wasn't alive when JFK was killed but I believe this episode has given me a glimpse of what people must have felt and what this country went through and for that I'm extremely grateful to Matthew Weiner. If there was ever any doubt that this show will win another Emmy next year this episode has completely obliterated it. Extremely powerful stuff.

I can't tell you how sad I am that the season finale is already here as I have NO idea how they can possibly top this but I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with, that's for sure. Leave some comments if you want and please make sure you follow my "live" Tweets this Sunday during the epic finale!

-- Janaki Cedanna

Mad Men: "The Gypsy and the Hobo" - Review

"I can't trust you. I don't know who you are." Betty Draper

With only two episodes left in the stunningly intense 3rd season of Mad Men the show has reached a whole new level of tasty goodness. The show has always excelled at intricate and sometimes frustrating storytelling but as it's closing in on the finale all bets are off. We had confrontation, ghosts from the past (no, not Gene), tested loyalty, vase smashing and Halloween all wrapped up into a not so tidy package. The dialogue is always excellent but this week it was exceptional.

"The Gypsy and the Hobo" was centered around the "will she or won't she" plot line of Betty Draper. Will she confront Don about his secret past or will she keep it to herself and destroy him a little at a time? There was also a nice subplot involving Joan and her hubby/rapist Greg. Roger got a little face time this week after being relegated to the sidelines after he and Don had their nasty blow up. The peanut gallery of Sterling Cooper barely made an appearance and for the 2nd week in a row Pete was nowhere to seen. But these are minor quibbles as the show was simply explosive and had it's fair share of twists and turns and brilliant performances.

-- Janaki Cedanna

Click Here for Full Review at TV Fodder.

Mad Men: "The Color Blue" Review

"My goodness Sally Draper, try not to take everything so personally" - Betty Draper.

Crazy family members, lots of bedroom talk and secrets revealed is whatMad Men was all about tonight as the pace (and plot devices) picked up just in time for the home stretch. With only three episodes remaining the table is set for more than one massive showdown.

"The Color Blue" was another wonderfully crafted entry in a universe that is becoming increasingly more and more richly layered with subtext and danger. Absent in tonight's proceedings were what became of Sal, Joan and her rapist/doctor husband and Pete with his superior people skills. We did get more of Betty's "Mother of the Year" stylings; Kinsey's attempted rise from mediocrity and hot teacher Suzanne's crazy brother. But more on that later.

It's amazing to me that no matter how sympathetic Don Draper becomes he is always Don Draper, even if he's not really . . . Oh, forget it. Mad Men works on many levels; the first and foremost it works as an impeccable character study of who people really are when they're cornered. It seems like there is always a test to pass; how they react is what makes it impossible to turn away from. Creator Matthew Weiner often states that he has absolute creative control with the show and if that's the case then he is one messed up dude.

-- Janaki Cedanna

Click Here for Full Review at TV Fodder!

Mad Men: "Wee Small Hours" Review

"But what about the moon?" Conrad Hilton to Don Draper.

Secret liaisons, unrequited love, miscommunication and filmmaking. These are the wonderful things that happened in the Mad Men universe, both in front of the camera and behind it.

In a day that brought the news of the unfortunate firing of an Emmy winning writer, Matthew Weiner & Co. has delivered another gem (read about the firing here). Lately I noticed that the episodes are doing lots of quick cuts as if to cram more and more info into an already bulging story line. Not that I'm complaining mind you but I find it a little odd and out of character for a show that thrives on the slow unfolding of major plot points.

"Wee Small Hours" was chock full of new developments with some old ones coming full circle. Characters fall back into old routines as tensions have never been higher. Remember when Don used to be unfaithful? Check. How about Sal's homosexuality? Double check. Betty reverting to a childlike state? Big check! Mad Men thrives on putting it's characters into uncomfortable situations and we as the audience can only yell at the screen in a feeble attempt to keep them on the straight and narrow. It's voyeurism, plain and simple.

-- Janaki Cedanna

Read Full Review at TV Fodder!

Mad Men: "Souvenir" - Review

"You don't kiss boys, boys kiss you." - Mother of the year Betty Draper to little Sally.

After all the explosive happenings on the last two episodes of Mad Menthere had to be some sort of let down, right? Wrong. Oh, how wrong. Even though the show didn't have any real "ah, ha!" moments it did comfortably settle into what makes this show great. Blank stares, people sleeping and characters being lonely and sad. Oh wait, I meant to say morally conflicted characters, deep introspective moments and sleeping.

When the season is over people may think that "Souvenir" was a throw away episode but in reality Matthew Wiener is laying the extensive groundwork for what's to come. Tonight he gave us more of Betty's immaturity, Sally growing violent tendencies, Pete's humanity (or lack thereof) and most importantly that Don is trying very hard to be a good husband and father. Too bad Betty doesn't see it that way. There were lots of smash cuts in this episode, so much in fact that for a moment it seemed that large parts of the show were montages. That's not a bad thing though. This episode was amazing but even more than that it only spent a few seconds at the office. No Roger, Peggy or Sal and only limited Joan and the guys. Wow.

-- Janaki Cedanna

Click Here for Full Review at TV Fodder

Mad Men: "Seven Twenty Three" - Review

"Stop barging in here and infecting me with your anxiety." - Peggy Olson

Seedy motels, draft dodging drug users, wild sexual liaisons, secret meetings, solar eclipses and threats all took center stage on the latest episode of Mad Men. But wait there's more!

After last weeks Tarantino-esque bloodbath comes "Lost" style flash forwards, minus the sound effects (thankfully!) It seems as though the writers heard the complaints that nothing ever happens on the show and that characters spend long stretches just staring off into space as tonight's show seriously kicked itself into another gear. So much is happening right now that it's getting hard to keep up with the frantic pace. It seems like all the "swept under the rug" emotions these people have experienced over the last two years exploded out into the open, in a major way.

"Seven Twenty Three" made me think of two different but similar things; "Lost" and being lost. No matter how much the characters evolve they are first and foremost lost in their own little worlds to their severe detriment. This is what makes this little AMC drama so damn compelling. Get ready for lots of twists and turns.

- Janaki Cedanna

Click Here to Read Full Review at TV Fodder.

"Mad Men" Wins Three Emmys!

The 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards have come and gone and for the 3rd straight year AMC's critically acclaimed Mad Men won Outstanding Drama Series in the last award of the night. What an ending!

It wasn't a major sweep as the show was nominated for 16 Emmy's for the 2nd year in a row but only managed to walk away with three statues. Besides Outstanding Drama the show won the following:

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

"Meditations in an Emergency"

Kater Gordon, Writer

Matthew Weiner, Writer

And at last weeks un-televised Creative Arts Emmy ceremony it won:

Outstanding Hairstyling For A Single-Camera Series

Mad Men • The Gold Violin • AMC • Lionsgate Television

Gloria Ponce, Department Head Hairstylist

Katherine Rees, Key Hairstylist

Marilyn Phillips, Additional Hairstylist

Michele Payne, Additional Hairstylist

Sadly, John Slattery was beaten by Jon Cryer and Elizabeth Moss was bested by the powerhouse that is Glenn Close. The show just wrapped the 13th episode season finale so I'm sure that the AMC party will last all night.

Congratulations to all the cast and crew for an amazing showing and let's hope that next year January Jones and Christina Hendricks get nominations!

-- Janaki Cedanna

Mad Men: "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency" - Review

If tonight's episode of Mad Men is an indication of the direction it's heading then look out Quentin Tarantino!

Airing on the same night as the 2009 Primetime Emmy's may prove to be a mistake since this episode was truly amazing. It had everything you've come to expect from this award winning show like; great writing, funny situations, clever 60's references and wonderful acting by everyone. It also had gratuitous violence. After last weeks surreal and very trippy episode I was wondering what they would do for an encore. Simply put, Matthew Weiner delivered big time.

"Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency" saw Matthew Weiner & Co. deliver a gem all the while the entire entire cast was sitting in L.A. waiting for their names to be called. Sadly, their names weren't called all that much. But that's another story all together.

-- Janaki Cedanna

Click Here to Read Full Review on TV Fodder.

Mad Men: The Fog - Review

"Are you planning to give the baby the breast?" Betty's nurse.

This episode had it all and much more; intrigue, funny one-liners, babies, hallucinations and late night cooking. Mad Men showed us the last few weeks that it can funny amidst all the turmoil and drama but this week showed it us something else. Motivated action!

Not the usual kind of action mind you but the kind where everyone has a goal and is pursuing it relentlessly. There wasn't a lot of characters staring off into space and lamenting what could've been in this episode. Although Don always gets to do that for at least part of the episode.

"The Fog" is one of those surreal Mad Men episodes that will no doubt go down as one of the series best. Despite the fact that everyone's favorite office manager Joan only made a token non-speaking appearance. But we did see what became of good old Herman "Duck" Phillips, Betty had the baby and some wild Demerol induced hallucinations resulting in the reappearance of daddy Gene, Peggy realizing this might "be her time" and Don scoping out his next conquest. But I was wondering how Sally is taking the death of grandpa Gene. Stay tuned as there is lots to go over in this "action packed" episode! And congrats to Mad Men for picking up it's first Emmy of the season yesterday, winning for Outstanding Hairstyling. There will be many more next week I'm sure.

-- Janaki Cedanna

Click Here to Read Full Review at TV Fodder: Mad Men: The Fog - Review

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Mad Men: My Old Kentucky Home - Review

After watching tonight's episode of Mad Men I was left with a strange feeling. Was it the social awkwardness seen in many of the characters? Or was it that nothing really happened to move the story along? Don't get me wrong I really liked this episode but in a different way that I liked the first two of the outstanding 3rd season. Maybe I was just hungry. Hmm.

"My Old Kentucky Home" kept with this seasons theme of change as this time we get to see how the characters react to social and status changes. As always, the atmosphere was dripping with authenticity which only adds to the richness of what's on the screen. This show has always been about the deeply layered characters and not about "moving the story" along.

Class conscious insecurities are plentiful as there were lots of just under the surface issues that the characters try to come to grips with such as Peggy doing anything to advance her career; Joan putting on the best show possible in order to further her husbands career; Roger throwing a Kentucky Derby party at his country club to show people he is happy and Betty strutting her stuff to strangers again.

Since most of episode happened outside the business hours of Sterling Cooper we also get to see how unhappy everyone really is with their lot in life. It was kinda nice not to see Lane Pryce's blunders though it wasn't as nice to not see Don Draper's creative brilliance or to hear Sal's sarcastic quips.

-- Janaki Cedanna

Click Here to Read Full Review at TV Fodder - Mad Men: My Old Kentucky Home - Review

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You Too Can Become 'Mad Men'

Are you a Don or a Betty? How about Peggy or Roger? Now you can let your inner Joan bust out for all to see!

If you're like me you're probably tired of finding and cropping those old pics of yourself to post on Twitter, Facebook et al. Not into the Manga or South Park avatars? No worries, because now you can create your very own Mad Men look-alike avatar and the best part is that you get build your very own character from the ground up.

AMC has just launched a new promo website called MadMenYourself that allows you to design your own avatar with easy step-by-step menus and save them to your social networks, your desktop and even your iPhone. The only downside is that the site takes forever to load but once you get past that you can go crazy with various body types, hair, eyes and even accessories. One of the coolest parts is that you can then insert yourself into one of a dozen backgrounds such as the offices of Sterling Cooper, Don's office, the conference room (with the cool Maidenform/Playtex ad card, my favorite) and even a bedroom.

You then get the option to download the full image complete with the background for your desktop or a nice shot of just your full avatar (good for Facebook or for an iPhone background), or just your face (swell for Twitter). Here I am walking into Sterling Cooper wearing a cool hat and smoking a pipe, obviously the center of attention . . . You see how Joan is checking me out? Oh, yeah.

Anyway, all of the artwork was all done by illustrator extraordinaire Dyna Moe who does the official artwork of the show.

Of course this is in anticipation of the premiere of Mad Men on Sunday, August 16th on AMC so there is no telling how long it will be up. Design yours today before everyone gets one and we get sick of them . . .

While you're at it, you can check out my other avatar on the brand new Mad Men Fodder Twitter page!

-- Janaki Cedanna

Click Here for Full Story - You Too Can Become 'Mad Men'

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