On Sunday night, the world said goodbye to Don, Betty, Pete, Joan, Peggy and the rest of the Mad Men squad, as the critically acclaimed series came to a close with a heavily-viewed finale (for Mad Men) that brought an end to everyone’s stories, though not to everyone’s lives. As such, there’s always the chance that viewers may one day get to revisit this nicotine-and-booze-fueled cast of characters, and star Jon Hamm has a great concept for such a spinoff series that would follow Don’s daughter Sally Draper.
Along with series creator Matthew Weiner and much of the rest of the cast, Hamm took part in the Television Academy’s “Farewell to Mad Men” panel on Sunday night in Hollywood, where he was asked which character he’d want to see get a spinoff from the show. And even though he sincerely downplays the idea, he has a little fun with his expansive answer.
It would be Sally. We would want to watch Sally grow up and move through the ‘70s and turn into a rock star and turn into Joan Jett or something. Ride a motorcycle and kill a guy. Make a bunch of money and then become Oliver Stone in the ‘80s. Date Kurt Cobain in the ‘90s because she’s so cool and she’s just a touchstone for every generation. [laughs] Yeah, I’d watch that show. Sally Through the Decades.
Somebody put this idea on a back burner and make this show once actress Kiernan Shipka is a few years older. Sally would be the poster child for the end of the 20th century, with divorced parents that consisted of a father who is married to his work and a mother who is married to being a miserable bitch. She would of course become some kind of a rebel against the establishment, getting her free spirit out through music and other forms of art. We could find out if Betty’s cancer gets the better of her, and if Don ends up creating the Got Milk? ads. Maybe Bobby would become her roadie during her rock years. The possibilities are near-endless.
But Hamm’s initial thoughts are probably the best ones, in which he doesn’t see the need to continue the Mad Men story.
I think a big part of what I really appreciate about this show is that, what I think people will find when they watch tonight’s episode is that the story is complete. And so I think the idea of a spinoff, or a sequel, or a prequel, or an origin story, or whatever longer time to spend with these characters, I think would be less fulfilling somehow.
I guess it’s just this current spinoff/sequel era of entertainment that fooled me into thinking it was a good idea. (It’s still a good idea.) Watch Hamm deliver the answer himself the video below, with others from the panel also available on the Emmys site.
Would you guys be interested in a Sally Draper spinoff? Who else would you want to see?
