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Shows that feel likeMad Men (2007–2015)

Set in 1960-1970 New York, this sexy, stylized and provocative drama follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising.

If you loved Mad Men, the closest series we have are Downton Abbey (2010), The Knick (2014) and Unorthodox (2020). All three share Mad Men's contemplative feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Newsroom (2012).

★ 8.7 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗7 seasons · AMCcreated by Matthew Weinercontemplative
11 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Amazon Prime Video
Buy seasons:Amazon see price ↗Apple TV$12.99 buyMad Men, The Complete Series · Apple price as of 2026-09-09

If Mad Men hit the spot, these will too

Downton Abbey poster
Downton Abbey
2010–2015 · 6 seasons · ITV1
★ 8.7dramaPrime VideoPeacock

A vanished era's manners and power shifts, observed in fine detail

The difference: Warmer ensemble soap — barbs come with tea, not bourbon

A chronicle of the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the post-Edwardian era—with great events in history having an effect on their lives and on the British social hierarchy.

The Knick poster
The Knick
2014–2015 · 2 seasons · Cinemax
★ 8.4dramaMax

The same preoccupation in both: period drama

Set in downtown New York in 1900, 'The Knick' is centered on the Knickerbocker Hospital and its staff, notably Dr. John Thackery, the hospital's brilliant chief surgeon who pushes medicine's boundaries, pioneering new procedures despite a severe drug addiction.

Unorthodox poster
Unorthodox
2020 · 1 season · Netflix
★ 8dramaNetflix

A person suffocating inside a life that was scripted for them

The difference: A four-part escape story, not a decade-long character study

A Hasidic Jewish woman in Brooklyn flees to Berlin from an arranged marriage and is taken in by a group of musicians — until her past comes calling.

The Newsroom poster
The Newsroom
2012–2014 · 3 seasons · HBO
★ 8.6dramaMax

Sharp professionals chasing greatness in a pressure-cooker office

The difference: Sorkin sermonizing where Mad Men keeps its counsel

A behind-the-scenes look at the people who make a nightly cable-news program. Focusing on a network anchor, his new executive producer, the newsroom staff and their boss, the series tracks their quixotic mission to do the news well in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles-not to mention their own personal entanglements.

Ray Donovan poster
Ray Donovan
2013–2020 · 7 seasons · Showtime
★ 8.3dramaParamount+

A closed-off man whose work self and home self cannot coexist

The difference: Brooding pulp violence in place of period elegance

Set in the sprawling mecca of the rich and famous, Ray Donovan does the dirty work for LA's top power players, and makes their problems disappear. His father's unexpected release from prison sets off a chain of events that shakes the Donovan family to its core.

Boardwalk Empire poster
Boardwalk Empire
2010–2014 · 5 seasons · HBO
★ 8.5crime · dramaMax

Both are built on the same subject: historical

The difference: Sits closer to crime than Mad Men does

Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition is a place where the rules don't apply. And the man who runs things -- legally and otherwise -- is the town's treasurer, Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, who is equal parts politician and gangster.

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Billions
2016–2023 · 7 seasons · Showtime
★ 8.3dramaParamount+

Brilliant, hollow men measuring themselves entirely in wins

The difference: Quippy maximalism — subtlety traded for verbal sparring

Shrewd, savvy U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades and the brilliant, ambitious hedge fund king Bobby "Axe" Axelrod are on an explosive collision course, with each using all of his considerable smarts, power and influence to outmaneuver the other. The stakes are in the billions in this timely, provocative series.

The Bible poster
The Bible
2013 · 1 season · History
★ 7.5drama

Sweeping stories of men wrestling with who they are meant to be

The difference: Reverent pageant television — no irony, no ambiguity

The story of God's creation of the Earth and the landmark events leading up to the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

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Veneno
2020 · 1 season · Atresplayer
★ 8.6dramaMax

Drama with a pulse of stillness, in both cases

Adored for her charisma and her free, explicit and fun way of expressing herself, La Veneno gained popularity thanks to her television appearances in the 90s. However, her life and especially her death remain an enigma.

Reign poster
Reign
2013–2017 · 4 seasons · The CW
★ 7.4dramaPrime Video

Ambition, courtship, and power plays inside a gilded world

The difference: Soapy CW gloss with history worn very loosely

Mary, Queen of Scots, faces political and sexual intrigue in the treacherous world of the French court.

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Lady, la vendedora de rosas
2015 · 1 season · RCN
★ 7.7drama

A rise to fame that cannot outrun where you came from

The difference: Telenovela melodrama pacing over quiet observation

The life story of Colombian film star Lady Tabares, who was plucked off the mean streets to star in a film and quickly rose to fame.

Chicago Med poster
Chicago Med
2015– · 12 seasons · NBC
★ 7.6dramaPeacock

Workplace pressure where personal lives bleed into the job

The difference: Case-of-the-week comfort viewing, twelve seasons deep

An emotional thrill ride through the day-to-day chaos of the city's most explosive hospital and the courageous team of doctors who hold it together. They will tackle unique new cases inspired by topical events, forging fiery relationships in the pulse-pounding pandemonium of the emergency room.

In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative shows →

The best-reviewed series that share Mad Men’s defining feeling.