The smart 13-part series “Mad Men” (10 p.m., AMC) makes the most of 1960-period details and its Madison Avenue setting in an industry that has long inspired parody and envy.

Advertising executives in movies and TV shows don’t have to work too hard to make piles of money. Cary Grant fritters away months in “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House” before his maid comes up with the winning slogan for the “Wham” account. Tony Randall spends most of “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?” kissing Jayne Mansfield’s “oh-so-kissable lips.” Did Darren ever work on “Bewitched”?

In their lazy largesse, the ad men of “Mad Men” have much in common with the made men of mob movie lore. “Mad Men” was written and created by Matthew Weiner, part of the creative team behind “The Sopranos.”

It’s fitting that “Mad Men” appears on AMC, because it draws so strongly on the cinematic reality of classic films. The series does a smart job of exploring the ring-a-ding era of 1960 as a mirror image of 2007.

Jon Hamm stars as Don Draper, a suave ad man with a knack for saving the account at the last minute. Like Gregory Peck’s character in “The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit,” he is haunted by his war experiences.

In the great pilot episode, Don seems rattled by the prospect of losing a big cigarette account. Everybody smokes in “Mad Men.” It’s the cloudiest affair since “Good Night, and Good Luck.” Don is also aware that an arrogant young climber, Pete (Vincent Kartheiser), is after his job. The arrival of his innocent new secretary, Peggy (Elisabeth Moss), opens a window to the office’s sexual shark tank.

The setting is rich with possibilities for satire. And sometimes the targets are too obvious. A clearly closeted art director scoffs at the idea of people saying one thing and secretly doing another. When Pete steals a document, Don observes testily that there isn’t some magic machine that can copy things. He can’t know that Xerox is right around the corner.

Just as the “Godfather” movies were intended to be an indictment of the American way of power, “Mad Men” makes caustic comments about propaganda, lies and the American dream. Draper dismisses love as something invented to sell nylons. The show is filled with great cynical quotes and sly observations about marketing cigarettes as the path to happiness. Don’s boss, Roger (John Slattery), even wants to dabble in politics. He thinks it would be a cinch to promote a young, handsome Navy war hero. He wants to land the Nixon account.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ Earl’s birthday celebration blues on “My Name is Earl” (7 p.m., NBC).

¢ Liz ponders her ticking clock on “30 Rock” (7:30 p.m., NBC).

¢ Time out for Phyllis on “The Office” (8 p.m., NBC).

¢ Blood in the pews on “CSI” (8 p.m., CBS).

¢ Tammy Faye Messner appears on “Larry King Live” (8 p.m., CNN).

¢ A shadow falls on Sebastian’s old pal on “Shark” (9 p.m., CBS).

¢ A patient (Forest Whitaker) takes Kovac to court on “ER” (9 p.m., NBC).

¢ Marin’s sister arrives on “Men in Trees” (9 p.m., ABC).

¢ Michael protects a woman from a drug dealer on “Burn Notice” (9 p.m., USA).