Star Men on a Mad Trek

I think I've figured out why I've liked the AMC television series Mad Men since it started in 2007.

At first, I thought it was the setting: I grew up in the '60s and '70s and remember a world much like that inhabited by Don and Betty Draper, including the smoking (I don't remember the drinking, but I assume there was a lot of that, too). The clothes and the furnishings took me right back to my parents' homes of that era.

Next, I decided it was the characters: They're all very complex, much more like real people than the average cardboard cutout TV characters. This can give the series a surreal quality, since we're watching people who seem to have real emotions and motivations living in an imaginary - though accurately-recreated - world. It's like I'm having a dream that's set in the time just before I was really aware of the world and it's populated by people I've known throughout my life.

The other day, I figured out the real reason. Not surprisingly, it has to do with Star Trek.

I'll have to address my philosophical obsession with Star Trek - the so-called Original Series - in another post. Suffice it to say right now that I can often see parallels to real life in those well-remembered 79 episodes from 1966 through 1969.

So anyway, I decided Mad Men is essentially Star Trek reimagined for an early '60s advertising agency rather than a quasi-military intergalactic expeditionary force. (Incidentally - perhaps not coincidentally - Star Trek was a reimagining of an earlier TV series, Wagon Train.)

In my interpretation, the following character parallels apply:

Don Draper = Captain Kirk
The leader; really the only one of the "crew" with guts. The guy who sees to the heart of the matter instinctively and understands where everyone else is coming from, except for those closest to him. He has a sketchy past, but has benefited from the mentorship of men he's worked for. Women love him.

Peggy Olson = Mr. Spock
Completely disconnected from emotion; rejects those who really care, but sometimes pursues someone with whom a relationship is impossible. The "brains" of the outfit on whom the leader depends for insight, support, and dedication to the job at hand. The person the leader most takes for granted.

Roger Sterling = Dr. McCoy
Completely ruled by emotion; often lashes out at those closest to him, but the crew can count on him to back them up. Prone to displaying human weakness, but has his own form of genius. The second most important person on the crew in the leader's view, but the one to whom the leader is closest personally.

Joan Harris = Scotty
Red is the dominant color for this fiery personality who keeps everything running for the leader. Another member of the crew who is taken for granted, but who is still willing to step forward to fix problems or take the lead in an emergency.

There are probably a lot of other similarities, including the parallel between the two pictures in this post. I'll keep my eyes peeled.

"Are you talking to me?"

If I were making a top five albums of all time list, I think William Shatner's Has Been from 2007 would be on it.

There are too many great moments on this album to enumerate. My absolute favorite "song" (Shatner doesn't sing, he recites, but the music is exquisite) is "That's Me Trying," which is written by Nick Hornby, with music by Ben Folds. The song is about a man trying to reconnect with his daughter after years apart.

After years of self-analysis, I've concluded that a large part of what makes me a Shatner fan is that he reminds me of my Dad. He's about the same age as my Dad, and they have other things in common, including thinning hair, thickening other parts, and a good sense of humor. In my imagination, the story Shatner tells in "That's Me Trying" is a story that could be about my Dad. It's not that bad, but there are parallels. And he's trying.

Other highlights on the album include "Together," a psychedelic tour de force with minimalist lyrics, and a cover of Pulp's "Common People," which sounds even more militant when recited by Shatner and sung by guest vocalist Joe Jackson.

Producer Ben Folds brings his melodic mastery to all the songs, making this a beautiful collaboration that I only wish could be rekindled. As it is, this is the penultimate moment of Shatner's stellar career. And yes, I know what "penultimate" means: It's a great moment just before he's done.

Companions in Adventure

With nothing else to do one night in the winter of 2010, I turned on Masterpiece to watch an updated version of Sherlock Holmes starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, and was immediately hooked.

I'd never had much interest in the Victorian detective before, but something about this 21st-century interpretation intrigued me. Part of it was that I knew the creators of this series had also worked on Doctor Who. In fact, Cumberbatch was considered for the part of the 11th Doctor.

Although I really knew little about the character of Holmes, either from the stories or the numerous screen adaptations, I was impressed with Cumberbatch's approach. It was also interesting that Dr. Watson was portrayed as a British Army physician who had served in Afghanistan, linking him directly to the Arthur Conan Doyle character.

Anyway, I watched the three episodes of the series on three successive nights (on the web), and then went searching for more. Within the next three months, I read all of Doyle's works featuring Holmes.

For me, it was easy to get comfortable at 221b Baker Street. What I enjoyed most was the camaraderie of Holmes and Watson. I probably imagined myself sitting in a well-used chair by the fire, smoking, reading, and always having someone with whom to discuss an idea. Someone who expected nothing from you but integrity and consistency.

Next, I may track down the previous BBC adventures featuring Jeremy Brett. I'm also somewhat intrigued now by the Robert Downey, Jr.-Jude Law movie, which I hadn't been previously. In addition, I now see the connection to the TV show House: House/Holmes; Wilson/Watson - they even live together sometimes! Although he never played Holmes (that I know of), Hugh Laurie had a long career on British TV before House. And that leads me back to another connection: Doctor Who. Like Holmes, the Doctor is always the smartest guy in the room, and he needs a companion in his adventures, even if he can never really show that companion how much he cares.

There are probably a lot of other examples out there - I'll keep looking!

I've written reviews of all the books, including a summation of my thoughts on Holmes, on my site at LibraryThing.