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If you want another series with Mad Men’s morally complicated characters, ambitious workplaces, or vivid period atmosphere, start with The Sopranos, Halt and Catch Fire, or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel—depending on which part of the original you miss most. None is an exact replacement: each shares some of Mad Men’s appeal while taking a different path.

Here are seven picks, matched to the qualities they share rather than to a claim that they are interchangeable. Streaming catalogs change by country and date, so check your local service for availability before you settle in.

Which show should you watch after Mad Men?

Choose by the element you want more of: a guarded, flawed lead; ambition inside a changing business; mid-century New York and women building careers; or a different kind of power struggle. This quick guide matches each show to its strongest point of connection.

Show Best fit if you want… What differs from Mad Men
The Sopranos A difficult-to-read protagonist, family drama, dark comedy, and character study It is a crime drama, not a Madison Avenue workplace period piece.
Halt and Catch Fire Workplace ambition and an industry in transition Its technology story takes place in the 1980s personal-computer world.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Mid-century New York and a woman pursuing a career in a male-dominated field It is more colorful and comic, and less cynical.
The Deuce A changing New York told with an unsparing edge It focuses more directly on crime and the sex industry.
The Crown Period drama, institutional power, and private lives behind public roles Its setting is the British royal family, not American advertising.
For All Mankind Historical change and its consequences across time It is science-fiction alternate history, imagining a different Space Race.
Succession Modern workplace maneuvering and flawed, wealthy characters It is contemporary rather than a period drama.

1. The Sopranos: for a complicated, guarded lead

Don Draper and Tony Soprano are very different men, but both make compelling drama through the gap between how they present themselves and what they struggle to understand about themselves. The Sopranos pairs that character focus with family tensions and dark comedy. It also has a direct creative connection: Matthew Weiner worked on the series before creating Mad Men, as noted by Metacritic.

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Mad Men: The Complete Collection - BLURAY, Digital HD
  • 23-disc set
  • All 92 episodes from all seven seasons.
  • Over 80 hours of special features and commentaries on every episode, plus over 4 hours of exclusive bonus content.
  • Total run time: 72 hours and 20 minutes.

Pick it if the central draw of Mad Men was watching a polished, difficult protagonist resist change. Expect a crime story rather than agency politics. In the same Metacritic article, Kansas City Star critic Aaron Barnhart praised The Sopranos for its vivid scenes and dialogue, describing a show driven by storytelling as much as by plot.

2. Halt and Catch Fire: for ambition in a changing industry

Halt and Catch Fire moves the workplace drama to the 1980s personal-computer business. Its characters compete, collaborate, and make risky bets as the industry develops, giving the series a useful parallel with the advertising world of Mad Men: the specific business changes, but ambition and professional relationships remain central.

The series also follows an ensemble rather than relying on a single charismatic boss. Comparisons by Tom’s Guide and Metacritic point to shared interests in cultural change, gender roles, and the strain between work and personal life. Choose it for workplace evolution and character dynamics, not for mid-century scenery.

3. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: for mid-century New York and a woman’s career

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel shares a late-1950s and 1960s setting with Mad Men, and its protagonist, Midge, is trying to build a professional life in a field dominated by men. That makes it a natural option if Peggy and Joan’s ambitions were as important to you as Don’s.

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The difference is tonal. Midge’s path unfolds in a more colorful, comedic series, not the cooler, more cynical register of Mad Men. TVLine and Metacritic draw the connection through the period setting and women’s working lives.

4. The Deuce: for a grittier New York period story

The Deuce offers another portrait of New York changing over time, but it is grittier and more directly concerned with crime and the sex industry than Mad Men. Tom’s Guide describes its three-season story as spanning close to two decades, linking the city’s urban history with the people working within those worlds.

Choose it for an unsparing view of urban life rather than for the gloss of Madison Avenue. Its New York setting is a point of connection; its subject matter and edge are a substantial departure.

5. The Crown: for public image and private imperfection

The Crown shifts the focus from an American ad agency to Elizabeth II and the House of Windsor. Its period setting and attention to institutional power make it a good fit if you liked the tension between a carefully maintained public image and an imperfect private life.

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It is not a workplace drama in the Madison Avenue sense. The power structures are royal and British, which gives the series a markedly different social and national setting. TVLine identifies the royal family and Elizabeth’s life as the core of the comparison.

6. For All Mankind: for history reshaping lives over time

For All Mankind begins from an alternate-history premise: the Soviet Union lands on the moon first. From that changed Space Race, the series follows consequences that unfold over time. It is the pick for viewers who want a historical turning point to alter careers, relationships, and institutions.

Unlike Mad Men, it is science fiction rather than a grounded period drama. The link is not a shared workplace or a matching tone, but the interest in how people adapt as the world around them changes.

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7. Succession: for modern power struggles and flawed people

Succession is contemporary, but it shares Mad Men’s interest in the entanglement of personal lives and professional ambition. Its wealthy, damaged characters maneuver for power within a family-run media empire, making it a strong choice if you want workplace politics and morally compromised people without a historical setting.

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  • Format: Blu-ray
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TVLine draws the connection through its broken characters and conflicts that cross between work and private life. Pick it for power games and sharp character dynamics, not period atmosphere.

Are these shows currently on Netflix, Max, or another service?

Streaming availability depends on your country and can change. Tom’s Guide’s article was published September 12, 2023, and Metacritic’s comparison was published July 19, 2022; any service listings in those older articles should be treated as dated rather than as confirmation of today’s catalog. Search the exact series title in the streaming apps available in your region or check a current local catalog before subscribing or renting.

Quick Recap

SaleBestseller No. 1
Mad Men: The Complete Collection - BLURAY, Digital HD
Mad Men: The Complete Collection - BLURAY, Digital HD
23-disc set; All 92 episodes from all seven seasons.; Total run time: 72 hours and 20 minutes.
$92.68
SaleBestseller No. 4
SaleBestseller No. 5
Mad Men: Season 1 [Blu-ray]
Mad Men: Season 1 [Blu-ray]
Condition: New; Format: Blu-ray; AC-3; Color; Dolby; DTS Surround Sound; Subtitled; Widescreen
$16.15

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