tavis: good eveng. fr los angeles, i am tavis smey. fst of tonight, conversation with the creat of "mad men," matthew weiner. it is vng for 16 emmy awar. last year, the series became the first basi cble progr to er win the emmy forest drama. is now in its ird ason. also, actors jenna elfman stops by. she is arring the new series, "accidentally on purpose. mattw weiner ad actress jenna elfman coming upight now.

>>here are so many things that wal-mart is looking forwar to doing, like helping peopleive better. t mostly, we're helping build stronger communities d relationips. with your help, the bests yet to come. >> nationwide insurance proudly supports "tavis smiley." tavis and nationwide, working together to improve fincial literacy a the economic empowerment at comes with it. >> ♪ nationwide is on ur side ♪ >> and by contributionto your pbs station from vwers like yo thank you. [cptioning made possible by kcet public tevision] tavis:atthew weiner is a fr time emmy awd winni writer

and producer who gained wide claim for his work on "the soanos." his new shows "m men." here is a sne. >> look, this is important, d i would really like to have an honest conversation with y. >> i did not wt to get into trouble. >> is just us. >> mr. campbel. be think i am a bigot i'just want to know where you brght -- where you bought your tv. >> i don't know. i don't rember. >> iis your tv. it is big purchase. >> i do not en watch it. >> rely? why not? >> why should i? we have bigr problems to worry aboutthan the tv. tavis: provocative.

i have been amazed watchg this series, this ird season, the way that you havweaved in the critical issues and entsf the day e storyline of the show. >> it is ha because i did not want the shoulde a history lesson, necessarily, and one of the st interesting things as a writer, apar from the actual even of that time -- and a lot changed. my oginal inspiration was to star with the pele of 1960 and see what was like to get their, especially adult at that time. if you lived tough the eat depression and solve theocial upheaval othe 10's, you are kindf like, so what, here comes again. and does goike that. but one of the most interting things as a writer is seeing how peopl experience history, what is going on in their everyday le.

so people rd the paper, some do not. some gigtic event may have happened to the economy, the ression may be officially or right now and do not or - and we did not know it t a year from n we s, remember the thing th happened on sepmber 18? that wast. you want to be true to th world. i trand have me things come from different times, but i do t want toe like, here is a big event,ere is a big event. tavis: the recession may bever if you are on wall reet, but not the main stree or sidestre. but i digress. >> that is what the season is about, short-termhinking. a lot of the seasois abt, the coany was acquire bought ba british company. one of the chacters was willing to be divorced and needed mey really fast, s

they sold e comny. i have bn fascinated by living through a gold rush, for some ople, the increasing ineqlity. that is one thing. but business always seemed when i was growing up to be based on an attude of aogance, taking care of people tsome degree. we are businessmen, know how to do it. now it is all abt crying and whining w hd it is, and any excuse to downsize d cut the bance sheets of the economy is contracting. you look at them, they made so much money in the last 15 years, withovernment help, anit is kind of like, there will be fat yes and lean years. tavis:hose who are fanf the sh, if you have read anything about this, you know this, which is th show was turned down twice, acouple of timesy some

morutlets. >> pretty much everywhere. tavis: i was trying to nice. you know what, if you do n have th stomach for this,ou cannot dohis. tavis: th is why iam sitting here and you e sitting there. i raise that up because one thing i was gointo ask you, i celebrate thatou got it on after all of tse no's, but was -- but wat was it that made you think it would work? does math the belve that he uld sell this? it is a gd product? and if you keep pushing it somebody gets it? what didou know? >> it iseird looking back. you look back, and it is le, if had known it was ing to take five years when i was pushing, i kept thinking was going to happ tomorrow you go through cycles. anyone -- i belied in it

because i thought was really enrtaining. i was ry proud that i was hard on myself. i gave it to my agentnd i saidthis is the best thing i have ever ne. i thought it was related to the me, a lot going on r, just entertaient. that is wat i am, an entertainer. but it would be a e to say that i didot give up on it. i had an amazingupport system. my look life w like, thiss really gd. -- my wife was like, thi is really go. my representatives hadaith. i showed it to four, five ople. i give thethe script and they were encouging. when iould talk to them, i was onthe soprano" they were alys like, wt are you doing with that? i will not lie, i carried it around. if we sat next to each other on

an airplane and enough tim passed -- tis:"take a look at this." at the make of theoint that it was yr writing sple submitted to "the sopras" that ended up being projected by the same netrk tt aired that ow, and here you are with 16 nominations? -- what you ma of that fact? >> it is a ndication. i wasriting a half-hour comedy when i wrote that. i hado idea it would ve me a chance on "the sopranos." i wrote thehow for hbo. when i got hired in the said come out and write t show, it turned out to be very similar to hat i was doing.

he gave it to them, and they just have a different agenda. i do not want that job. but i was surprised it was a strange situation. they were a b supporter of it, even to the pot where they said, even if fire you, i will help you make th show, which is a mixed message. t it was at a certain point where i cannot even ask him what wa going on any more. this was a man who had made hbo a billion doars. nobody knows. th has so much going against it. it is a period piece, about smoking, it required smoking, not politically correc there is nothing -- and inew that it was athrowback to the 1950's and 1960's. there were a t of shows that were boa room stories like this.

i work with amazing peoe. tas: a fw days ago, we haa guest on th programith a new documentarabout advtising. i referenced your show in my conversation with him, knowg that we wergoing to talk toy. >> i have not seen that yet. tavis: what is you sense of why ur story set in an ad agency backn the dayorks? why that vehicle? >> advertising, it is a consumable product and everybody ows about itnd everybody wonders how it works. they have preconceptions. i do not think some people realize it is created by huma beings. the imagef who we are, people hink that is created, but it is

really a reflection. they are not trying to turn us into somethin they're saying, what doou want, what are you afraid of, you are worried about ba bath, that your car is ugly, i will make you feel better. to me, havg interest in issues intity, which is wt the show was about, and socializing and secrets, just the iernal life and externalife that is gog on compared with what you have to go thugh in the wld, all of that seemed to be great backdrop t hav this world based on this. who knows, advertising has changed much. the market isn a crisis right now. tavis: speaking of how much advertising has changed, i was just reading yesrday somewhere that a new york city th are thinking about doing a smoking ban everywhere, inside,

outside. just a flat oking ban. the city. i thought about that because viously there is so much smoking in the sees. speaking of w thingsave changed,hat do you make of the fact that here is a series that 30, 40 years ago that is all about smoki in part, and now here we are ting to do away th smoking. much everywhere? -- we're tryin to do away with oking. much everyere? >> it is a tgh call, but socily is a go idea. there was a big story, an storical ft. they ha aig program, the third reich was not going t have any smoking. roosevelt was a ain smoker, who think died of emphysema, and ammonia. connacht -- who'd i think died from emphysema or pneumonia.

pple watch the show and they ask, why is therso much smoking? it was like that in the 198's and 199's. is i going to be one day you are not allowed to drink so that insi? i do not know hoyou enforce a ban like that, but i thin eliminatg tobao from our collectivelives would bead. i am surprised at of the vigilance -- at the vigilance of it. tavis: every time we talk, always learn sething from you. i amstuck now on h vision of hitler doing everything hecould to exterminate an entire group of people, and he was opposed to oking. go figure. >> i had a thing in a show about it he said, you smoke too much. and tells the story which is true, hitler brought the munich

pact were basically the british gaveverything away. he took neville chamberlain into a palacewhere there was no smoking. he was a heavy smoker. they said that chamberlain caved on everything because he just wanted to go outside and have a cigarette. tavi the stuff that y learned. only on pbs. hisame is matthew weiner. "mad mein its third season on amc. good luck wth the emmys. ni to have you here. up next, actress jenna elfman. stay with us. tavis: i a pleased to wcome jenna elfman, the emmy nominated actressho received golden globe for her work on the popular series "are notpen --

"dhar & greg. here's a sneak preview of her new show, "accidentally on purpose." >> youre a fantastic ok. >> im a second assistant to a semi iortant sous chef. basically, i boil ings. one day i'll have my own restaurant. and th was the best thing i have ever eaten. what is for dessert? ah! i know as set you up, and you are right to jumpn it. but i am just no a one-night stand kind of rson. >> lots of people say they wil never do things and then they do thgs. tavis: so, if what i have read is correct, it es down. >> it does.

tavis: and then something comes up. >> somethg comes up, d then -- tavis: i will let you tell e story. where does that seem g >> i should possibly backtrack to set thaup to make it more clear. first of l, this is based f a book, a true story, "accidentay on purpose my character is a film critic in her later 30's, who has bee dating her boss, he does not want to get married, i am not thrilled. igo to a bar with some girlfriends. tavis: a guy with some commitment issue >> appareny, they are out there. so i have heard. so i mee a man and his 20's, and she has a one-nit stan which she does not normay do, and she ends up pregnant. she is established. he i barely employed, lives in

a van. so staystay with me until another couch opens up. he stays and we keep it platonic beuse we do not want to get to complica it, but we have flings for each other. otherwise, i would not have gotten pregnt. it's cra. is best friends come around and like a frat house. now my bosses suddenly interested in me because i cannot have made tavis i cannot imagine that abouman, wanting you because they cannotave you. >> tha is also something i have heard. tavis: what about this made you thinkhis was the eny way back in? >> i have beetrying to find a great comedy to come back with for the last ur years. i know they do not grow on trees. when i read the script, i lahed out loud many times, which caught my attention. i wa also very intrigued by the

voice of the character, the tone of the comedy. it fel fresh and unique. it felt like humor i ve not seen in a sitcom ever. the subject matr is something had never seen any sitco those are all qualities tt are rare tofind in a sitcom. there has been tlk lately about the death of the sitcom,nd this felt like, this is nowhere near the dth of a scom. it felt like nice gree growth coming out of the soil. tavis: then, as the world know and you announced earlier this weekthe timing of this re and your life, the timin is propious because? >> am pregnant wi my second by. we found out that the show got picked up for the ful sson. my characte i was going to have a sason of work as a character who would be pregnant, ani thought this is a good time to have a kid because do not have to hide it.

we were not even going to try to get pregnant until aust. iid not want to wt. a kindf happened, but we re planni on having it happen, and mother nature decidedo help us withhat. tavis: you like mtherhood? >> i le it. tavis: h do you balance that? you have long hours. >> i guess of all the television war, the sitcom is the best in terms of schedules if you have a family -- in tms of all television work. with a the press and everytng, the schedule gets busy. we're justalking about, how i going to see him today? evy day, spend a l ofime with h, but on these dys where i's busy, it is daunting. youjust get clev and you manage time and you make it a iority. tavis: were you working when you are pregnant the first tim >> no, so i got to sle in. tavis: behalfoncerns abou

being preant this time and work? >> not so much concerns. i just go, let's me this work. vis: of all the various forms d genres that he could have put your thespia skls toward, y comedy? this comdy works for you. why? >> i love it. i don't know at it is. i love laughter. i think -- isard to dcribe. is so deep inside of me, my ve of it. i was raisedatching certai codies onelevision, and i love thfact that it createdn me. i think i am jt orientedto that kinof rhythm. a musil, dancer mwhole life, and it is rhythmico me. i love to e people laugh. filminin front of a live

audience a feing too hot to people or with laughter is pleasurable. -- feeling 200 people lgh is pleasurae. tavis: is there something that mes you better fit for this? >> i find humor and everything. i always have, since i ws a kid. i waslways getting in trouble ecause i wld findhings hilarious at inopportune times. puber was not theost pleasa thing for me. and i hado develop a sense of humor to matain myanity. i thi am naturally inclined to find it funny in things in m head, and it was a survival tactic for duringuberty. thanked, you know, -- i think, you know, like make-beieve. in comy, he must believe. in drama, youust believe. in comed you have to believe

so much, anthen find that lile hair that i sticking out and pull it tmake it funn it's almost likehe same belief with a little extra thing cause you have to make them lah. tavis: if you cannot sell it,e caot buy it. >> youmentioned a difficult puberty tee time and i was not going to llow-up. >> go wherever you want. tavis: what was that about, puberty being difficult? >> i was a late bloomer. i have wonderful parents. they're still mried. tavis: where did yourow up? >> los angeles. i always wanted to beool. i was in parochial school,white shirtsthe cool girls wore br. i had n reason to be weing a

bra, but if you are cool, you could see a bra strap. ty were all wearing makeup. my mo sid, you not wearing makeup until your 16. i hadought teeth like i do n even know how toell you. -- i had buck teeth. it was so b, i had to wear neck gear. it was heaear. not just while you sleep, i had to wear ito school. i had to wear it while ite. the 22 train my teeth. and then my bra didn't t, i was not allowed to wear makeup, and then fricking headgear. those werthe key years. i could not even wear makeup t spice up the head gear. tas: and loohow thisll turnedut.

>> well, thanks. tavis: for you with the peabody store, it means what to have succeeded in this busins -- for you wh the puberty sory, it means what have succded in tsbusiness, in this to? >> i s a dancer. i would audion forommercials when was a kid. i did exa work. i was always on t perhery. i always knein my heart that is where i wanted to end up. apparently, i ld my mom while weere driving when i was i was staring out the window, penny for your thought she had to ag out of me. aid i wanna be famous on televion one day. apparently. i caot remember right,ut she rembers it clearly. i was very affected by the carol burnett show and "i lv ve lucy." i think just seeped in.

i was always surround by it, reminded oftby living in this town. tas:nd now it is spelling t all over the placegoing everywhere jenna elfman, star of the new cbs sh called "accidentally on purpose," monda night on cbs. congratulations on the show and the baby. >> thank you. tavis: access ready a podcast p.org, and i will see you ck here next time on pb until then, good night from l.a., and as always, keep the faith. for more information on today's showvisit tavis smiley on pbs.org. tavis: in me next ti with oscar-winning actor rest whitaker and his documenta on the renewa of newark, new ersey, next time. >> there are so many this that wal-rt is looking forward to doing, like helpg people live beer.

but mostly, we're hping build strongerommunities and relationships. beuse with your help, the best is yet tcome. >>ationwide insurance proud supports "tavismiley." tavis and nationwi, workin tother to improve financia literacy and the economic empowermt that comes with it. >> ♪ natioide is oyour side ♪ >> and by contbutions to your pbs statn from viewers li you. thank you. [captioning made possie by kcet public television] captioned bthe national caponing institute www.icap.org--