I know I should be grateful. I know the UK broadcast of Mad Men has been brought forward by four months. I know that this is proof of the kind, caring nature of TV schedulers (and perhaps their urge to thwart illegal downloaders, too). But really. Why can't American TV hits be broadcast, at the same time, on both sides of the Atlantic?
Over the past few weeks, as new episodes of Mad Men have aired in the US, the web has become like a constant, tedious paintballing contest for UK fans. There you are, reading your favourite blog, and boom! A discussion of the latest trials to befall Sally Draper. You scan your Twitter feed, enjoying random musings on cupcakes and Big Brother, and ker-pow! A tweet about Peggy Olson's love interest. Sometimes Mad Men meditations pop up in threads that are meant to be about other subjects entirely. STAY ON TOPIC, PEOPLE!
I don't expect the show to be aired at exactly the same time in both countries – I don't want to be watching Mad Men in the early hours, as Lost fans did when the finale was "simulcast" in the UK and US earlier this year. But if the episodes could air on the same day, or thereabouts, it would save all this ducking and diving. Mad Men finally starts in the UK on 8 September, and just a few weeks later Glee hits US screens and the whole process starts again. TV schedulers, I beseech you: make the madness stop.
