Mad Men: 7 Canadian things about the show
From Megan Draper to Neve Campbell's cameo
While the stylish drama Mad Men is larger centred on vintage New York, with occasional sojourns in sunny California, Canadian fans have been delighted by occasional references to the Great White North.
In honour of the seven final episodes that begin airing this weekend, we look at seven Canadian connections to the show:
1. Megan Draper (nee Calvet)
The second wife to dapper ad man Don Draper is not only Quebecois, but she's also played by Montreal actress Jessica Pare.
The brunette beauty drops francophone curse words, while her mother (played by Julia Ormond) makes an off-the-cuff reference to Regina — all to the delight of Canuck fans who took to Twitter to celebrate the northern exposure.
Others, however, have taken issue with the show's creative liberties, questioning how Quebecois the name Megan Calvet is and nitpicking about the accents of her supposedly Quebecois parents.
2. Canadian Club
Don's drink of choice is this Canadian whisky, a fact drilled into Peggy on her first day at the Sterling Cooper ad agency.
"Mr. Draper drinks rye," Joan tells her on her first day.
"Rye is Canadian, right?" Peggy asks, reaching for a pen.
"You better find out," says Joan, lighting a cigarette.
Beam Inc., the distiller that owns Canadian Club, reportedly saw a boost in sales as the series took off.
3. Semi Chellas
The Calgary-raised Chellas joined the show as a writer in its fifth season, penning Emmy-nominated episodes that include Roger's LSD trip and Joan's reluctant play for a partnership.
Chellas recalls meeting creator Matthew Weiner for an interview on a Friday, being hired that afternoon, and scrambling to find a place to live by Monday, her first day of work. She says she still has a house in Toronto.
4. Dahvi Waller
This Canadian scribe made her mark as a producer and writer on seasons 3 and 4, with standout episodes including "Wee Small Hours," which introduces Betty and Henry's burgeoning affair, and sees Sal fired after refusing to surrender to a big client's advances.
More recently, she's logged credits as a writer and producer on another AMC period drama, Halt and Catch Fire.
5. Canuck cameos
Neve Campbell is among the bigger Canadian names to turn up, appearing in the first episode of this current season as a widow whose husband "died of thirst."
Other characters tackled by Canucks include Don's neighbour Dr. Arnold Rosen (married to Don's mistress Sylvia) played by Brian Markinson; the Jaguar executive who Joan sleeps with in exchange for a partnership, played by Gary Basaraba; and Megan's friend from Montreal, Camille, played by Quebec actress Kim Poirier.
6. Canuck story references
These are admittedly few and far between, so when they pop up they stand out for eagle-eyed Canuck fans.
In season 6, Sylvia's son Mitchell consults Megan about running to Canada to dodge the draft; and Roger asks Megan's mother Marie "What is Reh-ji-nah?"
In season 2, Sal's wife Kitty makes a doomed attempt at dinner-party small talk by announcing: "My cousin has an advertising agency in Montreal."
"He's not interested in that," Sal admonishes her.
7. The real Don Draper
This is for hardcore trivia buffs only: Who plays Don Draper?
Of course, Jon Hamm doesn't really play him — Hamm plays Dick Whitman, the illegitimate son of a prostitute who assumes the identity of a man named Don Draper.
The real Draper died in the Korean War, and we see him in a season 1 flashback played by Alberta actor Troy Ruptash. Ruptash's other TV credits include Firsts, Justified, NCIS: Los Angeles, and The Mentalist.