15 TV Shows Like Mad Men You Need To Binge-Watch Next

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AMC's "Mad Men" examines the advertising industry of the 1960s through the eyes of numerous key characters, with the confident but haunted Don Draper (Jon Hamm) serving as the complex focal point. Matthew Weiner's stellar workplace drama took the top spot in TVLine's survey of the best TV dramas of all time and its portrayal of excess, ambition, disappointment, and disaster propelled the show's seven seasons to a total of 16 Emmys.   

A very specific combination of great characters, atmosphere, and tight storylines make "Mad Men" a totally unique series. Still, there are a few high-quality shows that traffic in similar issues. Because of this, fans of "Mad Men" who are looking to add to their binge-watching list may appreciate this collection of 14 kindred shows.

Despite the differences between 1960s Manhattan and turn-of-the-millennium New Jersey, Don Draper and Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) are similar characters ... in some ways. If you take them down to their core components, Don and Tony are essentially self-perceived alpha male figures with internal turmoil. The mob as depicted in "The Sopranos" might not look anything like the ad agency on "Mad Men" — however, both organizations demand adherence to a strict hierarchy and constant womanizing from their respective members. The ad agency encourages the American public to smoke cigarettes, while the mob kills with a more traditional, direct approach.  

Combine these connections with the shows' similarly sized slices of pop cultural space, and "The Sopranos" is basically a must-watch for "Mad Men" fans. If you've yet to experience David Chase's masterpiece, TVLine's list of five essential "The Sopranos" episodes everyone should watch at least once is a good starting point. But even the 10 worst "Sopranos" episodes have their charm.

Jack Orman's "Pan Am" could easily exist in a shared universe with "Mad Men." Both are workplace dramas that focus on an upwardly mobile industry during the 1960s — in the case of "Pan Am," it chronicles the dawn of commercial airlines as we know them.  

The stewardesses and pilots at the forefront of "Pam Am" have pristine uniforms and pearly white smiles, but they hide a variety of secrets ranging from personal life struggles to CIA contacts. What's more, the impeccably cast show boasts a wealth of talent, including then-rising stars Margot Robbie and David Harbour. 

"Pan Am" received encouraging reviews and was nominated for three Emmys, so it could be a worthy watch, even if there's not much of it. ABC canceled "Pan Am" in 2012 due to plummeting ratings after a single 14-episode season.

Don Draper rejects Peggy Olson's (Elisabeth Moss) thesis that sex sells, but the comedy-tinted "Minx" embraces the concept with both arms. The show's action takes place in the 1970s where activist Joyce Prigger (Ophelia Lovibond) and adult industry publisher Doug Renetti (Jake Johnson) establish a trailblazing new erotic magazine for women. A disproportionate number of the show's negative audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes take issue with the sight of full-frontal male nudity — but that's not a deal-breaker for everybody. Those who enjoy the more outlandish moments of "Mad Men" may appreciate "Minx" for its irreverent yet thoughtful approach. 

The 30-minute-per episode retro romp was a critical darling, but even great shows sometimes struggle to find a home. "Minx" migrated from HBO Max to Starz for its sophomore season. The show ran from 2022 to 2023, and Starz canceled "Minx" in January 2024. 

Created by "Mad Men" writer and producer Dahvi Waller, "Mrs. America" chronicles the real-life sociopolitical struggles surrounding the Equal Rights Amendment, which was introduced in 1923, stalled in the approval-and-ratification process and, to this day, has not been officially added to the U.S. Constitution. "Mrs. America" focuses on particularly turbulent years during the 1970s when charismatic right-wing political operator Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett) headed a fierce opposition against ratifying the amendment.

As Phyllis, two-time Academy Award winner Blanchett embodied the type of conservative society that bedevils several female characters on "Mad Men." Meanwhile, Phyllis isn't the only historical figure with a point of view on this Hulu miniseries; Rose Byrne played writer and activist Gloria Steinem, and Uzo Aduba portrayed U.S. presidential candidate Shirley Chisholm. As a bonus, "Mad Men" star John Slattery played Phyllis' husband, Fred Schlafly.  

Peggy Olson's arc — that of a woman trying to make it in a male-dominated industry during an intensely sexist period in American history — feels like it's in conversation with Prime Video's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."  Created by "Gilmore Girls" architect Amy Sherman-Palladino, the dramedy follows Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) on her rocky path from frustrated housewife to esteemed comedy great. 

The "Mrs. Maisel" story unfolds during the late 1950s and the 1960s, placing it in the same general time frame as "Mad Men." The two shows have their share of tonal differences, but "Mad Men" aficionados may find "Mrs. Maisel" engaging if they enjoy following female characters on challenging paths. 

"Mad Men" studies egoistical suits in high-rises failing to balance their professional and personal lives. While there are a few more recent shows that also fit that description, none are more acclaimed than HBO's "Succession." 

Granted, the chronicles of the unfathomably awful Roy media magnate family take place on such a massive scale of influence that '60s Madison Avenue would struggle to comprehend it. But despite their glamorous trappings, both "Mad Men" and "Succession" are stories of broken people and trajectories that take them to unexpected places. This is a case where a fan of one show is pretty likely to fall for the other — it's no coincidence that "Mad Men" appears on our list of TV shows like "Succession."   

The centerpiece of "Mad Men" is the stylish, hyper-charming but wildly flawed Don Draper. What better to follow it up with than a series about another superficially successful main character with a tormented side?

Cue "Patrick Melrose," the multiple-decade-spanning 2018 miniseries about its wealthy but troubled eponymous protagonist (Benedict Cumberbatch). The five-episode Showtime series explores very dark places than even Don — a man with no shortage of bad childhood experiences himself — might shudder to imagine.

"Mad Men" is based in a specific industry that establishes the series' atmosphere and sometimes drives the plot. The same can be said for another classic prestige cable drama: HBO's "Six Feet Under."

Members of the Fisher family aren't always focused on their jobs at the establishment initially known as Fisher & Sons Funeral Home, and some major characters never work there at all; but the specter of death looms over "Six Feet Under" much in the way the ad biz marinates "Mad Men" with slogans and superficiality. Both shows are also fond of bleak humor, even though "Six Feet Under" tends to be considerably more generous with the dosage.

Based on actual events, Stephanie Savage's 2015 period drama tells the story of the women behind America's very first astronauts — The Mercury Seven. NASA marketed the spacemen's spouses as a group of mannequin-like happy housewives. Meanwhile, their own individual hopes, desires, and lifestyles did not always match that squeaky clean, conservative image.

ABC's "The Astronaut Wives Club" told its tale in a tight 10-episode narrative in 2015. Savage entertained the possibility of turning the show into an anthology series that would focus on women during various key periods in history, but further seasons haven't surfaced.  

"Halt and Catch Fire" sounds like a war drama, but its battles are fought with coding, engineering, and sales pitches. Created by Christopher Cantwell and Cristopher C. Rogers, the show is about the rise of personal computers and the internet in the 1980s and the 1990s. The AMC saga initially revolves around a second-string software company called Cardiff Electric and its chase for big wins. Soon enough, the nascent industry spreads far and wide, taking the main characters in several different directions.

"Halt and Catch Fire" and "Mad Men" are both period dramas that depict a powerful industry in flux. It's also worth noting that tech hustler Joe MacMillan (Lee Pace) has drawn multiple comparisons to Don Draper.

If the treatment of women on "Mad Men" is blatantly unfair, the glass ceiling hangs even lower at News of the Week — a stand-in for the Newsweek of the 1960s. Prime Video's "Good Girls Revolt" is based on a book by Lynn Povich documenting a 1970 class action lawsuit for gender discrimination against the venerable magazine, which kept explicitly sexist hiring practices on the books years after they were banned by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

Thanks to its 2016 cancellation after one season, "Good Girls Revolt" never got to fully explore the real-life story that inspired it; however, folks hunting for a "Mad Men"-esque retro workplace drama will find what they're after here.

Did someone ask for another period drama where stylish figures in tailored clothing plot and connive to advance their professional, social, and financial status?

Enoch "Nucky" Thompson's (Steve Buscemi) Prohibition-era Atlantic City is a hotbed for trouble, much of which he presides over himself. A "Mad Men"-style struggle over power is constant on HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," as are the troubles that loom over Nucky's criminal syndicate. 

Another thing the two shows have in common is a truly outstanding casting game. In the case of "Boardwalk Empire," Buscemi is surrounded by talent including Stephen Graham, Kelly Macdonald, Michael K. Williams, and Michael Shannon. 

While the two shows have plenty of differences, "Mad Men" and Netflix's "The Crown" are both period pieces that explore glamorous facades and the all-too-imperfect people behind them.

"The Crown" follows the life of Queen Elizabeth II and her family from 1947 to 2005, changing its cast three times over its six-season run to accommodate the characters' aging. The series covers numerous major personal, public, national, and global events that shake up the House of Windsor.

Just like the ending of "Mad Men" leaves a door open for the future, the finale of "The Crown" doesn't necessarily end the story. Monarchy soldiers on, and the real-life Elizabeth sat on the throne until her death in 2022.

Vince Gilligan's "Breaking Bad" spin-off "Better Call Saul" has its share of shady people in tailored suits lurking in the slimier corners of Albuquerque. As Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) gradually transforms into Saul Goodman, his superficial confidence and hidden darkness almost reflect Don Draper's effortless cool and the inner pain it hides — though you would certainly never confuse the two protagonists.

Furthermore: Should a prospective viewer enjoy female characters who act as capable foils to stuffy and overconfident men, Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) shall not disappoint fans of Peggy Olson and Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks). The fact that AMC's "Better Call Saul" has no Emmy wins despite 53 nominations over the course of six seasons is absolutely baffling.

Kiernan Shipka, who portrayed Sally Draper on "Mad Men," joined the cast of HBO's "Industry" for its fourth season, but she's not the reason why Mickey Down and Konrad Kay's high-tension series is on this list. Both shows are workplace dramas defined by ethically dubious ladder-climbers and their twisty interpersonal dynamics.

Modern financial professionals operate in a very different climate than the dream-sellers of Sterling Cooper, so "Industry" can have a crueler aura than "Mad Men." Even so, if you're looking for a London-based investment banking version of the AMC classic, "Industry" is about as close as you can get.