Viewers notice strange errors as Mad Men starts streaming on HBO Max

The recent 4K remaster of Mad Men has drawn both new viewers and unexpected technical issues on HBO Max. Fans of the acclaimed series, which originally aired from 2007 to 2015 on AMC, have noticed multiple mistakes in the newly released version, ranging from episodes airing out of sequence to a striking post-production error.

One notable slip-up shows two crew members operating a fake vomit machine during a scene where Roger Sterling, portrayed by Jon Slattery, struggles with an overindulgent lunch during a tense meeting at Sterling Coopers Madison Avenue office. The 4K transfer apparently lacks the usual post-production edits, revealing crew members in the background.

Fans reacted online with disbelief. One Reddit user commented on the oversight, while another on X confirmed by checking the original scene. Observers speculated the error might have resulted from adjustments in aspect ratio during the 4K remaster, which would require digital corrections that were overlooked. The mistake appears in the first seasons seventh episode, Red in the Face, which is incorrectly listed as the sixth episode on HBO Max.

The Guardian identified three mislabelled episodes in season one, causing the sequence to play out of order: viewers encounter the fourth episode, then the seventh, followed by the fifth and sixth. This isnt HBOs first post-production hiccup. In 2019, a coffee cup appeared in the final season of Game of Thrones, later removed after becoming a viral sensation.

Mad Men, starring Jon Hamm as Don Draper and Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson, earned 16 Emmy Awards during its run, including four consecutive wins for Outstanding Drama. Creator Matthew Weiner initially pitched the 1960s-set series to HBO while collaborating with David Chase on The Sopranos. HBO passed on the project, and AMC ultimately picked it up, establishing itself as a hub for high-quality drama.

All seven seasons, featuring Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones, Christina Hendricks, Rich Sommer, Aaron Staton, and Kiernan Shipka, remain available on AMC+, though not in 4K. The restored version, complete with its errors, arrived on HBO Max through a licensing agreement with Lionsgate TV.

Author: Sophia Brooks