The first episode of Mad Men, titled “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” introduced the world to the sharp style and complex characters of 1960s advertising. Premiering on July 19, 2007, on AMC, this episode established the tone for a series that would become a defining television drama. The show follows the professional and personal lives of employees at the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency in New York City. Creator Matthew Weiner wrote the pilot episode, which was directed by Alan Taylor.
The Main Cast of Mad Men’s Pilot Episode
The first episode is anchored by a core group of actors who became synonymous with their roles. The main cast includes nine actors who received top billing for the season.
Jon Hamm plays Don Draper, the enigmatic and brilliant creative director at Sterling Cooper. The episode presents him as the quintessential ad man, tasked with saving the agency’s biggest account, Lucky Strike cigarettes, despite new medical reports about smoking’s dangers. Beneath his confident exterior, hints of a secretive past and a complicated double life begin to surface.
Elisabeth Moss is Peggy Olson, a young woman from Brooklyn starting her first day as Don’s new secretary. Wide-eyed and ambitious, she navigates a workplace filled with sexual harassment and entrenched gender roles, receiving pointed advice from the office manager.
January Jones portrays Betty Draper, Don’s wife. She is introduced late in the episode as the picture of suburban elegance, waiting for Don in their beautiful home, which contrasts sharply with his city life.
Vincent Kartheiser plays the ambitious and often smarmy junior accounts executive, Pete Campbell. On the eve of his wedding, he openly pursues Peggy and clashes with Don, attempting to insert himself into high-stakes meetings to prove his worth.
Christina Hendricks appears as Joan Holloway, the confident and savvy office manager who schools Peggy on the unspoken rules of the office and how to navigate the male-dominated environment.
John Slattery is Roger Sterling, the senior partner at Sterling Cooper and Don’s boss. He focuses on managing client relationships and the bottom line, urging Don to appease a difficult client.
Other key staff at Sterling Cooper introduced in the pilot include Bryan Batt as art director Salvatore Romano, Michael Gladis as copywriter Paul Kinsey, Aaron Staton as account executive Ken Cosgrove, and Rich Sommer as Harry Crane, who works in the television department.
Key Guest Characters in the First Episode
Several important guest characters appear in the premiere episode, setting up major storylines.
Maggie Siff plays Rachel Menken, the intelligent and strong-willed owner of a department store who becomes a client. Her directness challenges Don in a way few people do, sparking a complex connection between them.
Rosemarie DeWitt appears as Midge Daniels, a bohemian artist who is Don’s mistress. Their relationship showcases a side of Don separate from his family and work.
The executives from the vital Lucky Strike account are Lee Garner, Sr. (John Cullum) and Lee Garner, Jr. (Darren Pettie). Their dissatisfaction with the agency’s ideas creates the central crisis of the episode.
Remy Auberjonois has a small but significant role as Dr. Emerson, the gynecologist who prescribes birth control to Peggy, arranged by Joan.
The Plot and Setting of “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”
The episode is set in March 1960. The primary drama revolves around Don Draper’s struggle to create a new advertising campaign for Lucky Strike cigarettes. A recent report from the Reader’s Digest has informed the public that smoking is dangerous, making traditional claims of safety impossible. Under pressure from Roger Sterling, Don must find a new angle.
Meanwhile, Peggy Olson arrives for her first day of work. She is immediately subjected to juvenile comments from the male employees, particularly from Pete Campbell. Joan Holloway takes her under her wing, offering advice on office politics, wardrobe, and even sends her to a doctor to get a prescription for birth control. Peggy’s journey from a nervous secretary to a confident professional begins here.
A key meeting with client Rachel Menken goes poorly when Don and Roger suggest coupon strategies she finds beneath her store’s image. Don, unaccustomed to being challenged, storms out. He is later forced to meet Rachel for drinks to apologize, and their conversation reveals a mutual understanding between two outsiders.
The Lucky Strike meeting reaches a crisis point. With Don offering no ideas, Pete Campbell intervenes with a psychological theory suggesting a “death wish” drives smokers, which horrifies the clients. At the last second, Don has a moment of inspiration. Focusing on the manufacturing process, he coins the famous tagline: “It’s toasted.” The pitch brilliantly sidesteps health claims by focusing on a unique, benign-sounding aspect of production, saving the account.
The episode ends by revealing Don’s hidden domestic life. After his day in the city—which included time with his mistress, a tense client meeting, and a drink with Rachel—he takes the train home to the suburbs. The final scene shows him being greeted by his beautiful wife, Betty, and checking on his two sleeping children. This contrast establishes the dual life that defines his character.
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The Creation and Impact of the Series Premiere
Creator Matthew Weiner conceived the script in 2000 while working on the sitcom Becker. He deeply researched the 1950s and 1960s, studying literature and films of the era to capture its cultural essence. The script eventually made its way to David Chase, creator of The Sopranos, who hired Weiner as a writer. The Mad Men pilot was shelved for years until after The Sopranos concluded, when AMC was seeking prestigious original programming.
Casting was critical. Jon Hamm auditioned for the role of Don Draper against many other actors. Weiner said Hamm had the necessary “empathy and masculinity and intelligence” for the part. Interestingly, John Slattery, who would become iconic as Roger Sterling, initially auditioned for the role of Don Draper.
The first season, and particularly the pilot, was met with immediate critical acclaim for its writing, acting, and meticulous production design. It went on to win major awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series and the Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Series.
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