The highly anticipated 4K remaster of the acclaimed drama "Mad Men" launched on HBO Max this week, but the debut was immediately overshadowed by a series of glaring on-screen errors that pulled viewers out of the show's meticulously crafted 1960s world.
What Went Wrong with the Remaster?
Warner Bros. had announced the remastering project last month, promising to deliver the series shot on 35mm film with "crisp detail and enhanced visual clarity" for its new streaming home. The intention was to allow audiences to appreciate the show's authentic period details like never before.
However, the enhanced resolution had the unintended effect of highlighting significant mistakes. In one notorious example from Season 1, a scene where the character Roger Sterling (John Slattery) becomes ill at the office now clearly shows crew members and a vomit bag in the shot, elements meant to be hidden from viewers.
The errors weren't limited to production slips. A Season 2 scene following Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) down a New York City street was supposed to be a pure 1960s moment. Instead, eagle-eyed fans spotted a Mexican restaurant sign displaying a Los Angeles area code and an advertisement for modern cell phone SIM cards—clear anachronisms that break the historical illusion.
Source of the Errors and the Fix
According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, the issue stemmed from a delivery mistake. Lionsgate Television, the studio that produced the series, reportedly delivered incorrect versions of the episodes to HBO Max. The same report confirmed that as of Tuesday, the faulty episodes were in the process of being swapped out for corrected versions on the streaming platform.
"Mad Men" made its official debut on HBO Max on Monday. The series, which originally aired on AMC from 2007 to 2015, spans seven seasons and 92 episodes. It stars Jon Hamm as advertising executive Don Draper and became a critical darling, amassing 116 Emmy nominations and winning 16 awards during its run.
Viewer Options and Fallout
For viewers who prefer the original presentation, the unremastered version of "Mad Men" remains available for streaming on AMC's platforms. The incident highlights the potential pitfalls in remastering and migrating classic television series to new formats and services.
Representatives for both HBO Max and Lionsgate did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the technical mishap. The swift replacement of the episodes indicates an effort to quickly rectify the error for subscribers and dedicated fans of the iconic series.