Multi Golden Globe and Emmy award winning cable series Mad Men sees its fourth season released on DVD this month as the cult favorite continues to rake in more critical acclaim and confound expectations again.

Released by Lionsgate and created and Produced by Matthew Weiner, Mad Men circles around a 1960's advertising agency focusing on Creative Exec. Don Draper played by Jon Hamm who starts out working for Sterling Cooper but eventually founds the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce agency.

The series has been noted for its authentic historical depictions of 60's culture and highlights many themes from the era such as smoking, drinking, feminism, sexism and racism to name a few. Indeed the male characters in Mad Men seem to represent a subculture prevalent at the time as in middle-class white corporate America, while the show reveals underlying tones hinting at some of the radical changes the decade later saw. The beauty of Mad Men is in the colourful superficiality and hopeful aspiration of 60's consumerism blended with the disjointed, disconnected lives of the protagonists. 

Season four sees Don trying to pick up the pieces after the tumultuous problems faced at the end of the third season. Now divorced and with the reformation of his firm the season begins with Don in a time of reflection questioning his career, morals and previous life choices.

We have seen this theme of introspection before and one asks himself if producer Weiner is running out of ideas, as seemingly, for the most part, season four is much of the same of what fans have come to know and love. However this being the case, the subject matter is still thoroughly enjoyable regardless of any new season repackaging and will possibly be the fuel which will safely see the franchise into season five and beyond. Maybe.

DVD Extras

The DVD release feature extras that include a 'Marketing the Mustang: An American Icon' featurette, and audio commentaries.