Few TV programs leave audiences enraptured like AMC’s “Mad Men” does. While the misogyny makes many squirm, there’s little doubt that the smoky, boozy period piece provides some of the most artful and gripping television around.
As if playing Don Draper wasn’t enough, star Jon Hamm is also awesome because he’s a hockey fan. Specifically, he’s a St. Louis Blues fan, as you can see from this advertisement.
OK, we’ve established that both “Mad Men” and Jon Hamm are awesome. So, why, exactly would someone pass on hockey being involved with the seminal TV show? I don’t know, but the Los Angeles Times shares the fact that a rights holder denied show creator/"Sopranos” executive Matt Weiner the chance to have hockey playing in the background of the latest season premiere of the show.
It’s not that the producers didn’t know there wasn’t a night football game for Don to be watching. It’s that they couldn’t get the rights to the hockey game they wanted Don to be watching. Sunday’s episode took place on Saturday, Nov. 28, 1964. That night, the New York Rangers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-1.
Unfortunately, “Mad Men” was unable to secure any rights for audio or video of that game. The producers wanted some background noise from the television and instead went with audio of a football game. The audio was not supposed to be discernible, but obsessed viewers (like this one) could pick up the play-by-play of a football game.
Oh well, that’s hockey for you.
(H/T to Puck Daddy)