Mad Men was an enormously influential show. Despite all the amazing character writing and development, symbolism, soundtrack, and directing, everyone knew Mad Men for its incredible attention to the details of the period in which it was set.
A ton of research went into the creation of the show in order to ensure the utmost accuracy. Props, physical design, costumes, hairstyles - all were period-specific and all were designed to complete perfection. If movie cameras were just a little cleaner and clearer back in the 1960s, one could easily mistake Mad Men as a movie or show from that era. But it wasn't the first to utilize the swingin' 60s as a setting, and it won't be the last.
Mad Men (2007 - 2015)
When people think Mad Men, they think the '60s. The setting is part of the show's identity, and it becomes a character in and of itself. All the soundtrack choices were taken from the time period - including The Beatles' iconic 1966 song "Tomorrow Never Knows."
The show also references numerous historical events, including the Nixon-Kennedy presidential campaign, the civil rights movement, the 1968 Democratic convention, and the moon landing. For pure 60s nostalgia (or research), it's hard to beat Mad Men.
The Queen's Gambit (2020)
In October of 2020, Netflix released the widely acclaimed chess miniseries The Queen's Gambit. The drama follows a chess prodigy who rises through the chess community and falls victim to numerous personal problems, including a lack of parental guidance, drug abuse, and alcoholism.
Like Mad Men, The Queen's Gambit spans the majority of the 1960s and features amazing production design and period specificity. The hairstyling and costuming earned particular praise, especially as Beth rises in the ranks and dresses more extravagantly.
American Horror Story: Asylum (2012 - 2013)
Asylum served as the second entry in the long American Horror Story anthology. It may also be the best. The season combines numerous horror tropes, including the "creepy asylum," medical experimentations/torture, body horror, and yes, even aliens.
The story spans most of the 60s (and even the present day). It begins with Kit being incarcerated at the asylum in 1964 and ends with Lana publishing her book in 1969. The period detail isn't as extravagant as that found in Mad Men and The Queen's Gambit (owing largely to the hospital setting), but they're still there.
Crime Story (1986 - 1988)
Crime Story was a crime drama that aired for two seasons on NBC back in the late 80s. Produced by Michael Mann, the show followed two primary characters - a police lieutenant named Mike Torello and a mobster named Ray Luca.
The show took place in the early 60s and helped revolutionize TV storytelling with its serialized format. Said format was very controversial in a time without DVRs, and it helped inspire future serialized gangster dramas, like The Sopranos.
Dirty Dancing (1988 - 1989)
Everyone knows Dirty Dancing, but some may not know that it was adapted into a television show that (briefly) aired on CBS throughout the winter of 1988-89.
The show followed a similar storyline to the movie and featured Melora Hardin in the role of Baby - Hardin would later be made famous by playing Jan Levinson on The Office. Like the movie, the show took place during the summer of 1963. It aired just 11 episodes before ending on January 21, 1989.
Laverne & Shirley (1976 - 1983)
Laverne & Shirley is one of the most iconic sitcoms in television history, airing for eight seasons and 178 episodes on ABC. The show spent its time between Milwaukee and Burbank. The first five seasons took place in Milwaukee and were set in the late 1950s. For seasons six through eight, the setting moved to Burbank, California, in the mid-60s - 1965-1967, to be exact.
The show was also given a new opening sequence, which included Laverne and Shirley kissing a poster of The Beatles - perhaps the quintessential image of the 1960s.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017 - )
Despite its constant critical acclaim, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel remains criminally under-watched and underappreciated within the mainstream. The show can be found on Prime Video and was renewed for a fourth season in December of 2019.
Following a housewife who discovers a natural talent for stand up comedy, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is set in the late 50s and early 60s and has earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series in each of its three years (even winning for season one).
Project Blue Book (2019 - 2020)
Airing for two seasons on the History channel, Project Blue Book is a supernatural and historical drama named after the UFO studies undertaken by the United States Air Force. The project began in 1952 and was terminated in 1969 after finding no evidence of extraterrestrial vehicles (but then again, isn't that what they want us to think?)
The series is a spiritual successor to The X-Files, as it follows a skeptical professor and his Air Force veteran partner as they investigate supposed sightings and "evidence" of UFO activity.
The Wonder Years (1988 - 1993)
Coming of age comedy-dramas don't get much better than The Wonder Years. Airing for six seasons on ABC, it starred Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold, a boy who was born in 1956 and forced to grow up in the wild, unpredictable, and societal-shifting times that were the 1960s.
The series spans from 1968 to 1973 and became an immediate sensation, becoming a Nielsen Top 30 show for its first four seasons. It also won a Peabody and the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Fred Savage became the youngest actor nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor, at just 13 years old.
A Very English Scandal (2018)
Airing for three episodes on BBC One, A Very English Scandal was a miniseries that concerned the historic Jeremy Thorpe scandal - also known as The Thorpe Affair. A man named Norman Josiffe claimed that he and Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe had been homosexual partners in the 60s and that Thorpe subsequently planned to murder him to ensure his silence.
In the miniseries, Hugh Grant plays Thorpe and Ben Whishaw, Josiffe. Both earned Emmy nominations for their roles - with Whishaw winning Outstanding Supporting Actor.