Mad Men and trouble in the suburbs

[WARNING: THIS DOES GIVE AWAY KEY PLOT DETAILS OF SOME NOVELS/FILMS SET IN THE US SUBURBS—SORRY!]

The first programme in Series two of Mad Men was a huge disappointment. There are two kinds of TV drama series: those which are good enough to sustain a second series and those that aren't. Mad Men is struggling. The BBC trailer was so much better.

What is it, though, that American writers and film-makers hate about the suburbs? It's as if they've all been OD-ing on The Feminine Mystique and DVDs of David Lynch, while listening to "Little Boxes" on a loop. Every time, it's the same story. Good-looking, smart young American family move into the suburbs—all white wicket fences, green lawns and spacious roads. The all-American dream, circa 1950-63. The next thing you know, the wife needs a shrink (Mad Men), is trying to kill herself (The Hours, 1999, filmed by Stephen Daldry, 2002), does kill herself (Revolutionary Road, 2008), and has an affair (Far From Heaven, 2002). In the meantime, her husband comes out of the closet (Far From Heaven), has an affair with his sceretary (Revolutionary Road) or some bo-ho artist in the Village (Mad Men)…

The neighbours aren't much help. They have a brilliant but crazy son (Revolutionary Road), long to sleep with your wife (ditto) or at least kiss her (The Hours). And, worse still, you have to make your husband a birthday cake (Revolutionary Road, The Hours), while you are being filmed in some brilliantly lit Douglas Sirk hommage. All is not what it seems in the American dream, but it could be worse, you could end up in Blue Velvet, having a bit of S&M with Dennis Hopper.