Mad Men fans shocked by 'awful' editing mistakes in remastered re-release

HBO Max has come under fire from viewers after the platform released a remastered version of Mad Men plagued by noticeable editing mistakes. The acclaimed drama, which follows Jon Hamms portrayal of Don Draper, a commanding advertising director in 1960s New York, originally ran from 2007 to 2015 across seven Emmy-winning seasons.

Warner Bros. recently obtained streaming rights from Lionsgate Television, announcing last month that the series would debut on HBO Max with upgraded 4K picture quality. The studio promoted the release as a chance for both long-time fans and new audiences to rediscover the show with improved visuals.

However, upon Mondays rollout, viewers immediately spotted errors that appeared to stem from missing post-production edits. In episode seven of season one, for instance, Roger Sterling (played by John Slattery) is seen vomiting after overeating oysters and just behind him, two crew members operating the special-effects machine are clearly visible.

Fans across social media expressed disbelief, noting that the restored version exposes behind-the-scenes equipment and other oversights. Some also reported that early episodes in the first season were mislabeled and streamed in the wrong order, raising further complaints about quality control.

Many questioned how such issues passed through review, speculating that reduced staffing and reliance on automated tools may have contributed to the mishandling of the remaster. Others expressed frustration that a premium 4K rerelease could be distributed with such avoidable mistakes.

According to industry sources, the streaming platform reportedly received incorrect masters, and Lionsgate Television is currently preparing proper files to replace the flawed episodes. The aim is to correct the series promptly for subscribers.

At the height of its popularity, Mad Men secured four consecutive Emmys for Best Drama, while Jon Hamm earned eight nominations for his role as Draper and ultimately won in 2015 for the shows final season.

Author: Lucas Grant