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Apple TV’s Hello Tomorrow Show Is What A Sci-Fi Mad Men Could’ve Been
Apple TV+'s latest series, Hello Tomorrow!, is highly reminiscent of Mad Men but has a retro-futuristic twist. As the show opens, audiences are introduced to Jack Billings (Billy Crudup), a slick, fast-talking, dark-haired man in a suit. The comparisons can instantly be drawn to Don Draper as Billings lays down a compelling and personal sales pitch in a '50s-themed diner. The opening episodes follow Billings and his fellow sales associates who attempt to sell timeshares for properties on the Moon. Audiences are introduced to the cast of characters, who each have their own motivations and secrets.
Mad Men, which ended in 2015, is considered one of the greatest television series ever made, and Don Draper is one of TV's most fascinating characters. The show ran for seven seasons, taking home 16 Emmys on 116 Nominations. Mad Men, which draws inspiration from The Sopranos has been part of the very successful TV series that explores morally complex characters, which has defined TV for 20 years. New series are constantly trying to emulate this success. Hello Tomorrow! definitely sets its own tone with its comedic side while offering some food for thought on what Mad Men could've been like with some futuristic elements.
Hello Tomorrow's Plot Mirrors Mad Men (With A Sci-Fi Twist)
The '50s look very different in Hello Tomorrow!, however, as cars hover through the air and the waitress at the diner is a robot. The colorful and unique retrofuture is instantly captivating, offering a look at a mysterious alternate past where this was possible. This isn't Apple TV+'s alternate history series, as For All Mankind has been exploring similar ideas about 20th-century American science fiction for three seasons. While Mad Men's version of the '50s is typically more grounded in reality, the Sci-Fi addition allows Hello Tomorrow! to explore these ideas from a new perspective.
Mad Men's office under Sterling Cooper offered audiences one of the most intrigue-filled workplace settings in television, with a developed cast of characters. Hello Tomorrow! instantly tries to develop its own workplace, cast with a small crew of sales associates. Unlike the Sterling Cooper creative team, the salesmen for Brightside Lunar Residencies are on the move, going door to door attempting to find customers. The characters in both shows carry secrets and mystery in their efforts to work their way up the corporate world in their different versions of the 1950s, both offering commentary on the American Dream.
How Else Hello Tomorrow Is A Sci-Fi Mad Men
The comparisons between Jack Billings and Don Draper can instantly be made. While both characters are furiously good at their work, it becomes clear early on that both are carrying secrets of their past and family life that could eventually make them unravel. The intrigue behind these characters and their decadent flaws make it all the more frightening to watch them seamlessly manipulate to sell their product. Billy Crudup in Hello Tomorrow! and Jon Hamm in Mad Men offer an entirely different cadence in their performance of similar characters, making Jack Billings a refreshing, new interpretation.
