Dear Tina,
Last night I was having a conversation with a friend about this blog of mine. I mentioned that I wish I had more time to write about a variety of television shows in order to develop a more critical sense of network programming. Unfortunately, at the end of the day I only have a few hours to watch something and then write about it so I usually gravitate towards shows I had already planned on making time for. Hence why American Idol has become a popular choice; a two birds, one stone type of work ethic if you will. Now it is Sunday night, a few accomplishments checked off the to-do list (namely movie watching and laundry folding), and this post is my oyster. So I thought I would take this opportunity to start a new segment I’d like to call “A Great Show You’re Probably Not Watching.” The assumption that you are not watching my selection is based solely on the show’s ratings and general media buzz, or lack thereof.
Tonight’s selection is Men of a Certain Age which, prior to its season finale last week, aired Monday nights at 10/9c on TNT. I had heard of this show before it first aired in December 2009 but it was my dad who made the executive decision to watch it during dinner that first night. I rarely make the effort for a new show unless someone is attached to it that I know and love. Network programming is so unreliable these days that it always feels like a waste of time to try and invest in a new show that is often times formulaic while relying on one star to carry the ratings (i.e. Lipstick Jungle, My Own Worst Enemy, any show starring a cast member from Seinfeld after 1998). Cable television, however, may be our loop hole. A show targeted at adults with material that reflects the way adults talk and behave, gives the audience something to talk about, not in the suspenseful, water cooler way, but in its relatability. What I love about Men of a Certain Age is that it doesn’t try to be a male version of Sex and the City or the aged version of Entourage. It is its own story and this story focuses on friendships and relationships told from the perspective of men who are dealing with the culture fact that states they are past their prime. How easy it would have been to open this show with each of the three men profiled in the midst of a mid-life crisis that involves a young blonde and a hot car. But the creators of the show were wise to convey the attitude that being 50 does not breed misery. Sure they allow it to bring on a slew of conflicts and dilemmas, it is a TV show after all. But in this instance, they have found a truthful way to unify three men, who are experiencing contrasting highs and lows of their age bracket, through the joy that their friendship brings. Many television shows of the past and present always seem to grant their characters an unlimited amount of “hang out” time, giving little credence to the adult world they supposedly live in. Someone gets promoted? Someone has a baby? Well in the TV world this just means more time to sit around and talk about it. Men of a Certain Age pays much more attention to what it takes to balance work, family, and play. We get a better sense for what happens to friendships as we age–where our priorities begin to fall. Sure these men can make time to get together at their favorite diner during a lunch hour, or go for a hike on a Saturday morning but particularly for the two men that have children, family must be their number one priority. Maybe that is the brilliance of the show for me, why it stands apart from other sitcoms or dramas about friendship. This is a show about friends who are not each other’s most valued relationship. And that is a truth about becoming a certain age; life may bring you a family, a business, a career, an addiction, and as we learn to prioritize each piece, our friendships begin to take a backseat to everything else. They never go away entirely, as we see in this show, but the friendships that our lives revolve around in our 20s must inevitably adapt to life as it develops in our 30s, 40s, and 50s. It’s not depressing and it’s not sentimental. Each episode of Men of a Certain Age finds three men, all with flaws to compensate for, on one day of their very regular American life–which we learn by example is inherently dramatic.
I would also like to mention what a smooth transition it has been for Ray Romano, one of the stars and creators of the show, to go from the cardboard cutout of a sitcom dad on Everybody Loves Raymond, to a role that does not call for Romano’s comedic skill set. He has proved his versatility with the role of Joe Tranelli, a divorced father of two with a gambling addiction, and watching this show it seems almost hard to remember what he was like as a sitcom actor. Like an optical illusion where once you find the other object you can no longer pick up on the first image you saw. Andrew Braugher of Homicide fame plays Owen Thoreau Jr. and from this I can say television has definitely been missing him. He is funny, charming, and willing to wear tidy whities which I am nominating for the new actor’s triple threat. Scott Bakula rounds out the three, playing Terry Elliot, the eternal bachelor and struggling actor. No offense, but what a miserable combination. He would be the weak link in the show if I had to pick one but towards the end of the season I think Bakula found ways to make Terry a more dynamic voice than just that of the 50 year old single guy questioning what he was doing with his life. As I mentioned earlier Men of a Certain Age had its season finale last week so, bad timing on my part, you can’t run off and start watching it now that my review, I’m sure, has made you so inclined to do so. I’ll try and keep an eye out for its premiere next season, otherwise do what I did before we had cable and go to the tape store and rent it when it comes out on DVD. And now, goodnight.
30 Rock Quote of the Day:
Liz: You want to be treated like everyone else? Fantastic. Then tomorrow I’m sending a regular town car for you instead of one of those duck tour boats.
Tracy: Fine.
Liz: And you’re no longer to point at women in the cafeteria and yell “I want to get that pregnant!”
Dear Tina 