The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is an hour-long-comedy-drama set in 1958 Manhattan. It is a unique and important pilot because it forecasts a show that will address difficult and often avoided topics in American society during the 1950’s and 1960’s.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is significant in the sense that it skillfully uses irony to demonstrate social inequity between men and women during this time period and emphasizes the things that women had to do to gain ground.
The pilot opens up perfectly, at Miriam “Midge” Maisel’s wedding party where she addresses her guests in a stand-up comedian style; then it jumps ahead four years to find her settled into a married life with her husband Joel Maisel. Joel is pursuing a side career as a comedian, and she is dutifully supporting him. She sits in the audience and talks notes. The pilot cleverly foreshadows the irony that Midge will discover her own comedic talent that will ultimately change her life.
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Maisel is similar to Mad Men in the sense that it is representing several segments of New York society in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Both shows depict parts of American society and culture of the 20th century, highlighting smoking, drinking, sexism, feminism, and adultery. They seemingly have a particular visual style—crisp midcentury coolness of dress and décor.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is unique by focusing on how life was for Jewish women and all women in the 1950’s and 1960’s. It is compelling because it puts a contemporary perspective on societal topics that were not addressed in television during that time period. The show does this in a way that is entertaining and provocative. You get clear understanding of how Midge as a Jewish girl had her life mapped out. She was faced with all the societal expectations of attending college, finding a husband, and eventually having