This is not a tech story, but it is a good story, and about two of my favorite topics: good television and redemption.

A few years ago, Matthew Weiner was shopping his television show, Mad Men, to cable networks. HBO, which was looking for its next Sopranos, famously passed. Showtime also passed. Of course, the show wound up on AMC, so we can assume many others passed as well.

Flash forward to today: Mad Men has won three straight Emmys for best drama — a hugely competitive category — against the best shows on television. Mad Men has become the next Sopranos.

Well, you’ve probably heard of HBO’s latest attempt to find its next big show — Boardwalk Empire, which launched last Sunday. (The first episode was good but not great — my opinion, of course). The network has been advertising the show heavily over the last few months. Well, guess where commercials aired the week before Boardwalk’s launch?

On AMC. During Mad Men.

Which means HBO was promoting its new show, which has not accomplished a thing yet, during the legendary show it once passed on. It was hoping to lure the audience it would have already had if it had taken on Mad Men.

That is redemption for Matthew Weiner.