Matthew Weiner: I do not own the 50s

Matthew Weiner is cool with other period-inspired TV shows because he does not “own” the 50s.

The Mad Men creator doesn’t mind that new era-based series like Pan Am and The Playboy Club have sprung up, seemingly on the back of the success of his show.

While he is competitive, he’d rather focus on positive things to put into his own project rather than worry about others.

“I do not own the period,” he told US website Collider. “It really happened. There’s all different kinds of entertainment. There was a time, in the late 50s, when the top ten shows were all westerns, but they were different kinds of westerns. If we were at the forefront of that, that’s fine. Our show is what it is. It’s a different thing.”

Matthew also talked about the young actors in the hit show, which returns with its fifth season this year.

In the series, a new actor will portray the character of Bobby Draper. Explaining the line-up change, the producer also took the time to praise Mad Men’s child stars new and old.

“This is the sixth actor, and I’m embarrassed about that, but the little boy we have right now is a wonderful actor. It’s very hard to find a child actor who can bring that depth to it, and he’s been great,” he said. “You know how I feel about Kiernan [Sally Draper]. Her mother told me that, before she came to visit me this year, Kiernan said to her, ‘Mommy, don’t say no to anything. He gives me great stuff.’ And, she never has, honestly. There is an honesty about childhood, and Kiernan is aware of that. She’s a very old soul.”