Continuing down the yellow brick road from last week, we begin with a new set of series that are already streaming on a TV near you.
“Mid-Century Modern” is a throwback to the multicamera comedies of old. It is the personification of set up, joke and punchline. Creaky in premise, think “Golden Girls,” although here it is “Golden Boys” in Palm Springs, there are still some laughs to be mined.
Instead of Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and mother Sophia in Miami, it’s Jerry, Arthur, Bunny and mother Sybil in Palm Springs. Not very timely, or as one critic remarked, this is the edgiest comedy of 1986, but it’s often funny and the cast can be endearing. Nathan Lane plays Bunny, the leader of the pack and the owner of the home he shares with his mother, Sybil, played by the glorious Linda Lavin in her final role. Bunny’s other two friends/roommates are Jerry, played by the very handsome Matt Bomer, a flight attendant whose coming out, years ago, was painful for his entire Mormon family, including his ex-wife and daughter; and Arthur, a very funny Nathan Lee Graham, former fashion icon and still a critic until they take away his last set of pumps. The fabulous Pamela Adlon, with that sparkly hoarse voice, recurs as Bunny’s difficult sister Mindy.
No, it’s not original and some of the humor is forced but it’s like a sugar cookie—no surprises but it goes down easily. What is wonderful is the presence of Linda Lavin, whose way with a phrase is like a defanged venomous snake, lovely to look at and extraordinarily clever, but you don’t want to get too close because she still stings. And let’s not forget some of the great guest stars like Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Rhea Perlman and Judd Hirsh. Leave your expectations at the door and enjoy the occasionally well-placed timing of the script by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, the team that brought you “Will & Grace” during the era when gay characters were provocative.
Now streaming on Hulu.
Photo courtesy of Apple TV+
“The Studio,” created by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg, among a few others, is a look at the studio executives who battle actors, directors and the corporate czars who think that because they supply the funds, they are entitled to a say (well, actually they are, but that’s beside the point). Rogan, who also stars, is Matt, the newly appointed head of Continental Studios whose greatest desire is to produce art. He jousts with executives, actors with their own agendas and a moronic corporate overlord whose idea of art is making a movie about the Kool-Aid Man (red pitcher and condensation) to rival the “Barbie” movie. Cameos abound by the likes of Ron Howard, Zac Efron, Olivia Wilde and Greta Lee, to name a few. The infighting of venal assistants trying to get ahead by undermining those they think have sabotaged them, and former executives bent on getting their jobs back or, at the very least, destroying those who took them from them.
Ordinarily I lap Hollywood stories up like honey, but this time, and I’m in the minority, I found ”The Studio” to be too clever by half and way too insider to play in Des Moines. Rogan is engaging as a lead, putting on his producer’s hat to tell that side of the story, but, in the end, the series is short on identifiable or likable characters. Not everyone has to be likable, but I enjoy a rooting interest and I didn’t have one here. The acting was quite good and the episodes were well-written; I just didn’t care enough.
Now streaming on Apple TV+
Photo courtesy of Apple TV+
“Your Friends and Neighbors” has been much anticipated, partly because it is John Hamm’s return to television as a series lead. The premise is excellent and the storytelling is tight. Andrew Cooper (Hamm) is a hedge fund manager with a huge and lucrative client list. His boss, breaking the 10th commandment, covets his portfolio and has found a way to fire him and take it over. Recently divorced, he is still reeling from the alimony and aftereffects. His wife, Mel (Amanda Peet), had an adulterous affair with his best friend, who has now taken his place in the house Cooper still has to pay for. It all seems so civilized in public but there is rot in the framework. Cooper’s firing is unknown to all except the man who fired him and his lawyer, Barney, a very good Hoon Lee. Too embarrassed to come clean, especially because his non-compete clause is ironclad, making him untouchable to other firms, Cooper must find a way to maintain the Hamptons lifestyle his ex-family relies on before his savings run out.
One night, during a party, Cooper comes across a very expensive watch in the host’s bedroom. Pocketing it, he has now launched himself on a new career—thief. He doesn’t get anywhere near the full value, but it still pays some bills and is easier than he imagined. All the homes are open to him; he’s a popular resident and invited to everything, snooping is his new occupation and he begins to learn more about his neighbors than either they or he finds desirable. Everyone has secrets. The question is how to use them to advantage.
“Your Friends and Neighbors” is well-produced, well-written and loaded with excellent actors. I shouldn’t have anything to complain about, but I do. Why, I ask myself, should I care about any of these people? I don’t. They are not characters that I want to spend time with, but considering the excellent production values and cast, you very well might.
Now Streaming on Apple TV+
Neely Swanson spent most of her professional career in the television industry, almost all of it working for David E. Kelley. In her last full-time position as Executive Vice President of Development, she reviewed writer submissions and targeted content for adaptation. As she has often said, she did book reports for a living. For several years she was a freelance writer for “Written By,” the magazine of the WGA West, and was adjunct faculty at USC in the writing division of the School of Cinematic Arts. Neely has been writing film and television reviews for the “Easy Reader” for more than 10 years. Her past reviews can be read on Rotten Tomatoes where she is a tomatometer-approved critic.
