OK, I’ll throw a little bone to all you “Mad Men” fans who are having withdrawls now that the show has aired its Season 2 finale. Here’s “The Simpsons” take on the drama’s opening credits.

At least we know who these people are.

My editor, Ms. Ardua, is always talking about how we TV critics have to guard against elitism. And she’s right. While it’s a vital part of our job to lead people to overlooked shows brimming with creative merit, it’s important to remember that the massses flock to “American Idol,” “Dancing With the Stars,” “High School Musical,” blah, blah blah.

I’ve been thinking about that this weekend as I prepare to cover tonight’s Emmy Awards, which just might be the most elitist Emmys we’ve ever seen. Check it out: “Mad Men” with 16 nominations — is a show that attracted an average audience of 900,000 last season (”Idol” averages nearly 30 million). Then there’s “Damages,” a great show, but one that almost got canceled. And what about “Breaking Bad”? Have you heard of it? Even Tina Fey’s “30 Rock,” which gets all kinds of buzz, has the kind of mediocre ratings that would have gotten it axed in prior years.

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While waiting for Sunday’s second episode of “Mad Men,” I, naturally had to find ways to appease my appetite. Lo and behold, what should I come across? A contest being administered by AMC in which some lucky fan will win a walk-on role on the show.

Yes, you’re invited to submit a short audition video on the show’s website, where the public can vote for their favorites and offer up critiques.

I was deligted to find that, so far, a Bay Area resident — Nathaniel Lawlor of San Francisco — is doing very well in the contest. He submitted a hilarious video (See above), in which he plays Roger Sterling as a vampire (naturally). Check it out and give him a vote. Quite fittingly, Nathaniel, in his real life, is a copywriter for an ad agency.

So maybe all those newspaper stories, those 16 Emmy nominations and AMC’s big marketing campaign have paid off. “Mad Men” opened its second season on Sunday with nearly 2 million viewers — its largest audience to date.

That still doesn’t make “Mad Men” a mega-hit, even for cable (consider that “The Closer” played to about 7 million in its opener), but it’s a substantial improvement over the 915,000 viewers who watched the show’s Season 1 opener. Read the rest of this entry »

At last, a break from all the singing, dancing, barking reality shows. “Mad Men,” one of television’s best dramas, returns to AMC tonight and it’s a must-see. I’ve got a story in today’s newspapers about “Mad Men” and how its depiction of early 1960s social mores manages to pack some modern-day punch.

Also includes in the package is a helpful run down of Who’s Who in the “Mad Men” cast.

Master of his domain — Jon Hamm as Don Draper.

“Mad Men,” the show of the moment, returns to AMC for its second season on Sunday and, clearly, we need to get more of you watching this marvelous period piece from former “Sopranos” writer Matthew Weiner. We’ll have a big A&E cover story on “Mad Men” in Sunday’s newspapers. But to whet your appetite, here’s part of a one-on-one interview I conducted with Golden Globe winner Jon Hamm, who plays mysterious ad man Don Draper:

Q: Matthew is a stickler for getting the period detail (early 1960s) right — from the office props to the wardrobe. Does this help you as an actor to absorb that world and feel the part?
A: Oh, yeah, it helps a lot. You put those tight suits and all that other (crap) on and you’re halfway there. And it goes right down to the socks having to be the right brand, the right colors. It all helps.
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Ok, so it’s not the Emmys. Or even the Golden Globes. But our little annual Television Critics Association (TCA) awards bash is still a pretty cool event.

Tom Hanks — yes, Tom Hanks! — dropped by Saturday night. As did Tina Fey, the Smothers Brothers, Paul Giamatti, Lorne Michaels, David Simon and a lot of those great-looking members of the “Mad Men” cast as we honored some of television’s best work.

Here’s a rundown of the winners:

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: “Mad Men” (AMC)

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM: “Mad Men” (AMC)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY: “30 Rock” (NBC)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA: “Mad Men” (AMC)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS/INFORMATION: “The War: A Film by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick” (PBS)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING: “WordGirl” (PBS)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES/MINISERIES: “John Adams” (HBO)

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY: Tina Fey, “30 Rock” (NBC)

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA: Paul Giamatti, “John Adams” (HBO)

HERITAGE AWARD: “The Wire” (HBO)

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT: Lorne Michaels

The gang from USA’s “Burn Notice.”

I’ve got a review of “Burn Notice” in today’s newspapers. If you haven’t seen USA’s spy drama, check it out (Season 2 begins tonight). It’s a smart, sexy, stylish show that makes for good escapist fun in the summer.

It’s also an example of how cable TV just rules the summer while the broadcast networks slum it with mainly reruns and reality shows.

Just look at what cable is offering over the next few days: On Sunday, HBO debuts “Generation Kill,” an electrifying seven-part miniseries from the makers of “The Wire” about young Marines in the early days of the Iraq War. The following night brings the new-season debuts of “The Closer” (cable’s most popular scripted show) and “Saving Grace” on TNT.

On Tuesday, Benjamin Bratt returns to series television in “The Cleaner,” an A&E drama about a recovering heroin junkie and his drive to help other addicts. Friday brings the return of “Project Runway” (Bravo) and Friday offers new episodes of “Monk” and “Psych.”

Then, on March 27, comes the development that really has us excited: The second-season premiere of “Mad Men,” only television’s best new series of last year.

Meanwhile, what are the networks offering? Well, tonight CBS launches “The Greatest American Dog” reality series. Go ahead. Have at it.

“Mad Men,” one of the most critically acclaimed shows of 2007, will return for its second season in July.

AMC announced today that the drama series about advertising moguls in the early 1960s will kick off a string of fresh episodes at 10 p.m. on y 27 — one week after the cable network runs an all-day marathon of Season 1’s 13 episodes.

The marathon would be a great way for newcomers to catch up with this exquisite series. An even better way would be to get your hands on the DVD set, which is scheduled to be released on July 1.