The Reel Review
Following the unexpected death of their close friend, three single gay men decide to move in together and spend their golden years in Palm Springs, where the wealthiest of the group already lives with his elderly mother. Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, Nathan Lee Graham and Linda Lavin star in this sitcom from the creators of Will & Grace.
You’d think that with such a strong cast and successful show creators, this rip-off of the iconic sitcom The Golden Girls – even the set layout is nearly the same – would be a hilarious, heartfelt hit. Sadly, that is not the case. The writing is predictable and corny with a cringeworthy laugh track and some tasteless LGBTQ+ stereotypes. And with the exception of the late Lavin, the only cast member understanding the assignment, the acting suffers across the board. Bomer, channeling Betty White’s Rose Nyland as the bubble-headed ex-Mormon flight attendant, has the comic timing of an IRS audit, and Lane desperately oversells every joke with the subtlety of a train wreck. Graham does better as the sassy but clichéd knockoff of Pose‘s Billy Porter. The guest cast includes Cheri Oteri, Judd Hirsch, Zane Phillips, Billie Lourd, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
After a shockingly weak first episode, Mid-Century Modern does gradually improve over the next nine half-hour episodes, adding just enough crass humor and language to lend authenticity to both the sillier and more serious storylines. The strongest must-see is Episode 9, which is a beautiful, tearful tribute to Lavin and her character Sybil, and where the otherwise shallow show finally finds its depth.
REEL FACTS
• Linda Lavin died on December 29, 2024 from lung cancer at the age of 87, after taping seven of the ten episodes. (She appears in eight.) Mid-Century Modern was her last television role.
• Nathan Lee Graham is best known for his performances in Theater Camp, The Comeback, and the Zoolander films.
• Matt Bomer married Hollywood public relations guru Simon Halls in 2011. They have three sons through surrogacy, one born in 2005 and twins born in 2008.
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