Here's the value of good, even over-the-top, press: You get solid sampling. "Mad Men"opened its sophomore season with just under 2 million viewers, per prelim estimates, which is not a spectacular figure by cable standards but a reasonable one. This is -- as this morning's press reports point out -- double last season's average.
However, here's the question: Why not more? After all, "MM" did have about 1.6 mil viewers for its debut episode (on a Thursday) last season, so you might say it only bested its first season premiere by three or four hundred thousand viewers. "MM" still hasn't slipped into pop culture consciousness, which may be corrected when it wins best drama at the Emmys in September. My prediction: It should grow through the year, but will face off against big network guns when originals start slipping into place on Sundays this September. That could be a challenge, much as it was last year. But a great show well worth watching can sometimes overcome that obstacle...