TV Daily

Salon's guide to what to watch on Thursday: On "Mad Men," find out who Don Draper really is.

Published October 11, 2007 10:10AM (EDT)

Prime Pick

Photo: AMC

Every Thursday night after watching "Mad Men" (10 p.m. EDT on AMC), we ask ourselves the same two questions: 1) Why don't they make bras with such impressive structural integrity anymore? and 2) Who is Don Draper? While the former question will haunt us until we're old and gray, the latter is answered on tonight's episode. That's right, ladies and gents. Even if you've missed the slow-burning desperation and melancholy that have been building over the past few weeks on this unexpectedly delightful series, you don't want to miss tonight's high-stakes revelations. Where did Draper come from, and what will he do when his secrets are discovered? And why do we feel empathy for all of these callous, gin-soaked bastards in the first place? Combining style and cleverness with smarts and soul, "Mad Men" (which wraps next Thursday) is one of the best new series on TV right now, and this episode will make you want to put on your least forgiving 14-hour bra and get drunk on crème de menthe.

Also…

Why not a comedy (or three) tonight? On "30 Rock" (8:30 p.m. EDT on NBC), Jack takes on his enemy; then on a special hourlong episode of "The Office" (9 p.m. EDT on NBC), Michael attends a party for the Dunder Mifflin Web site in New York City. Afterward, the boys start a band on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (10 p.m. EDT on FX).

On the talk shows

Regis and Kelly

ABC, 9 a.m. EDT

Josh Hartnett, Jill Scott, Cameron Mathison

The View

ABC, 11 a.m. EDT

Anne Heche, Alan Greenspan, Andrea Mitchell

Ellen DeGeneres

Syndicated, check local listings

Dana Carvey, Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus

Oprah Winfrey

Syndicated, check local listings

Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds

Charlie Rose

PBS, check local listings

Mel Karmazin

Larry King

CNN, 9 p.m. EDT

Stephen Colbert

Jon Stewart

Comedy Central, 11 p.m. EDT

Howard Kurtz

Stephen Colbert

Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m. EDT

Chris Jordan

David Letterman

CBS, 11:30 p.m. EDT

Anne Heche, Mariza, Sue Johanson

Jay Leno

NBC, 11:35 p.m. EDT

Joaquin Phoenix, Gordon Ramsay, Vanessa Carlton

Tavis Smiley

PBS, check local listings

John Bolton, Deepak Chopra

Jimmy Kimmel

ABC, 12:05 a.m. EDT

Jason Schwartzman, Jennifer Esposito, Jose Gonzalez

Conan O'Brien

NBC, 12:35 a.m. EDT

Jon Bon Jovi, Eva Mendes, Klaxons

Craig Ferguson

CBS, 12:35 a.m. EDT

Tom Arnold, Tori Amos

Contributors: Megan Doll, Heather Havrilesky, Eryn Loeb, Amy Reiter


By Salon Staff

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