It’s 2025. We could all use a good laugh. So, before we completely write offMid-Century Modernas not being all that bold, inventive, or altogether game-changing — and not all new series need to be, actually — there’s no shame in enjoying some mindless, escapist fun. That’s this series. Don’t expect much depth. However, the spunky new sitcom shows promise, with believable scenarios and some of the spitfire antics that madesome 1990s sitcomslikeFriendsandWill & Gracesuch a joy to experience.
In fact, the new 10-episode outing comes from the creators ofWill & Grace(Max Mutchnick and David Kohan). Punchy and entertaining, it brings along iconic director James Burrows (Cheers, Will & Grace) and executive producer Ryan Murphy (Pose, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story) for a wittyGolden Girls-style romp.Gay men of a certain age(Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, and standout Nathan Lee Grant) become a kind of latter-day Blanche-Rose-Dorothy troika, while a sharp-shooting mother (the late Linda Lavin) is Sophia-esque.
The Golden Guys
Mid-Century Modern
After an unexpected loss, three older gay friends decide to share their golden years in Palm Springs, living with the wealthiest among them and his mother. Together as a chosen family, they navigate life’s ups and downs with humor, ensuring that even in tough times, there’s always someone to suggest a little cosmetic upkeep.
Instead of sultry Miami as a setting, it’s sexy Palm Springs. Aside from the premise — three older people living together with an elderly mother — the comparisons toThe Golden Girlsare slim, creatively speaking. That Emmy-winning sitcom was created by the great Susan Harris; the seasoned showbiz vet also createdSoap,and my, wouldn’t a show like that be a treat right about now.The Golden Girlswas groundbreaking at the time, touching on subjects like aging, social issues, and breaking societal norms.Mid-Century Modernmakes similar attempts, but doesn’t always land there completely. Or at least believably. At least not yet. Can you hear the hope in our voice?
Hope, because it’s head-scratching to find such great talent assembled here and still watch this show and walk away feeling empty. There’s a hollowness toMid-Century Modern,but it’s easy to overlook because of the show’s stars. Of the 10 episodes, only half of them pack any real punch. Still, in this era, maybe that’s enough. Lane, Bomer, and Grant are a fine troika, and they’re enough to keep us invested. You’ll want to see how each episode plays out. However, the writing can be uneven at times, and the tone of the series occasionally feels off. This show hasn’t quite found itself yet, and some of the characters feel like a letdown. (We’ll talk about you in a moment, Mr. Bomer.) And yet, with all that…Mid-Century Modernhas its charms.
The series begins with an unexpected death. Longtime pals Bunny Schneiderman (Lane camping it up big time), Jerry Frank (Bomer), and Arthur Broussard (Nathan Lee Graham) are mourning the death of George, a beloved pal from their posse. After the memorial services, Bunny decides to invite Jerry and Arthur to live with him in his deliciously modern Palm Springs home. Everybody is aging, Bunny realizes, and wouldn’t it be better if they all lived together and supported each other in this next phase of life?
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Sybil (Lavin), Bunny’s outspoken mother, lives with him, but that shouldn’t be much of an issue. Soon enough, Jerry and Frank make the move, setting up the antics that follow. There’s Jerry trying to get tickets to a Donny Osmond concert at a casino while Bunny frets over losing money unfairly. Or Bunny, Jerry, and Arthur returning to Fire Island, and seeing if they can still “hook up,” only to be surprised by the connections they do make. Then there’s Sybil taking on a phone scammer, or helping Arthur get a job as a personal shopper, only to have Arthur realize that he’s no longer in “fashion,” and that the industry is just about “sales” more than styles. Modern-day issues all around, and surely some of them may hit home with viewers.
Bright Moments of Wit Arise from Time to Time
As for the writing, some witty humor is laced throughout. For every “You can chain me to the wall like a starfish and wreck me like a background actress inGame of Thrones, but it’s going to be a while before I let you see my tummy,” there’s even saucier fare like, “I don’t have what you have — foreskin, for starters.” One of our favorites: “Look at this place! It’s where kitsch and tragic meet up for a three-way with filth.”
Ah yes, this smacks Kohan and Mutchnick, who knew how to fuel the best lines to theirWill & Gracecast. The duo don’t write all the episodes, however. Dan Bucatinsky, who wrote forGrey’s AnatomyandLipstick Jungleand created the fabulous Lisa Kudrow-led series,Web Therapy,pens an episode calledMaid Serviced, which finds the fellas going against Sybil’s advice and hiring a sexy yet unqualified hunk to be their housekeeper.
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The show finds a better groove in later episodes, and if you’re wondering if or how the series would address Lavin’s untimely death, watch to the end, and experience that for yourself. The series hasn’t quite found the best transition from some of its frenetic comedic moments. There really is no calming down Nathan Lane, so…with deeper heartfelt moments and without really knowing these characters that well yet, it’s challenging to just accept certain storylines. What we do experience at least gives us a glimpse of what this series, and these characters, can become over time.
The One Star That Is the Weakest Link
Guest stars filter into the mix here, chief among them — thank God! —Pamela Adlon (Better Things), playing Bunny’s sister, Mindy. Adlon is a welcome presence here, offering a great mix of humor, groundedness, and believability to the life situations the show finds her and Bunny involved in. Let’s see more of this brilliant actress in this show, please. Richard Kind has a recurring role as a potential (and unlikely) love interest for Bunny. Those bits don’t land too convincingly.
As for the main stars themselves, let’s start with Ms. Lavin. What a thrill to see her here, and sure enough, you’ll want to experience more of Sybil, but even with this character, the showrunners never quite captured her true potential. Rhea Pearlman (Cheers) guest stars and while it’s fun to see these two great iconic sitcom actresses spar, it comes up short. It’s hard not to like anything Nathan Lane touches, and in Bunny, he offers viewers a character we can appreciate — fretting, spastic, self-deprecating. It’s fabulous if not a bit much. But hey, Nathan Lane. Sharp. Strong. All good.
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Then there’s Matt Bomer. A fine actor, but, really? Thisis all the writers can offer him? It’s sinful. And Bomer is too commanding a presence to be believable as a dimly lit (and almost insultingly stereotypical) gay flight attendant who happened to be kicked out of the Mormon Church. That plot thread is unique. However, Bomer’s Jerry feels like a spacey cousin to McCoy, the character Bomer played on theWill & Gracereboot, and that character wasn’t altogether believable either. Bomer’s character is the weakest link of the show. Pretty. But weak.
It’s Nathan Lee Graham as Arthur who emerges as the show’s most interesting character; somebody who has a solid backstory and an even more interesting future in his new environment. Graham’s comedic timing is perfection. He owns the character. He feels as if he belongs here. Lane and Bomer — sure, but these fellas are on board as executive producers, too. Maybe that plays into the forced electricity that’s occasionally on display here. Meanwhile, there’s something truly disturbing happening with some of today’s new sitcoms, where they insist on playing things so broadly that it alienates the audience. That’s certainly the case here.
A Show in Search of Its Soul
Are we to believe that all middle-aged+ gay men are this frenetic and self-involved as they wander into their 50s and 60s? Or, can this series showcase, with great humor of course, some of the issues facing the elder LGBTQ+ population—assisted care, insurance, ageism, the fear of their rights being stripped away in the mid-2020s? That may not sound like very much fun, or very funny, but somehow deeper issues like that have been memorably poignant and even comedically unforgettable in those aforementioned shows —Golden GirlsandWill & Grace(surrogacy, arranged marriage, infidelity).
After some chuckles and frustrating potential, what we’re left with inMid-Century Modernis hope for something more refined. So, here’s to making this flashy series truly golden.All 10 episodes ofMid-Century Moderndebut March 28 on Hulu. Watch it through the link below.
