Men of a Certain Age
Adam Carolla, when speaking with Bryan Cranston on his podcast roughly said that whenever an actor has made an assload of money making a tv show (in Cranston's case, 'Malcolm in the Middle') and then chooses to pursue another project ('Breaking Bad') you can assume the follow up project is probably going to be good. The logic is sound. Unless you're completely money-hungry, why wouldn't an actor wait for something that is very provoking, challenging, and enjoyable?
Cranston and Ray Romano have done exactly that. I had feared that Men of a Certain Age might fall into a comedy black hole between pay cable and network TV and not receive enough viewers to continue. So I was very relieved to see it picked up for a second season. At the very least, that's a stay of execution and should provide more time to farm and audience and prove itself.
If someone told you to come up with a show about three guys that would speak to the same audience it portrayed, it's not a stretch to say you'd come up with exactly what MOACA is. Let's see.....I'll start with one guy in the throws a divorce, another with a Peter Pan complex, and a 3rd who has a conventional marriage. One will be African- American, another will be a ladies' man, and another will have the classic, pseudo-Jewish, nebbish characteristics of a father of two in mid-nuptial purgatory. The rest of the details may not be predictable, but they're not altogether surprising either. One is a diabetic (Andre Braugher, as Owen), another a player (Scott Bakula, as Terry), and the last a compulsive gambler (Romano, as Joe).
Each episode is weighted differently, with the three leads inexactly taking the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd story line. Between all the personality traits of each character the show covers most all conceivable bases Perhaps the most common thread between the three is professional dissatisfaction. You could charitably say that Joe owns and manages his own business (a party supply store). However, in real life these hell holes are low-end stores which while light on the wallet, are heavy on pain felt when forced to visit one in a strip mall. Owen (Braugher) seems to have been somewhat financially successful, but he works for his old man who he annoyingly calls, 'Daddy' even at age of 37+something. Terry (Bakula) is the least successful. He has that minor league LA fame associated with 'that guy's.' Basically, 'aren't you 'that guy' from that show with.....'
Romano is Joe, a mid-life crisis-esque man, in the midst of a separation from his wife (on the fast-track to divorce). He tries to have a healthy relationship with his kids and soon-to-be-ex-wife and two closest friends, but his most compelling interaction is with is actually with his bookie.
Owen has the most well-rounded family, including a supportive wife, young children, and the nice house but he is generally misable at work because of working for his father. He clings to the hope and unstated promise he will some day inherit his 'daddy's' car dealership.
Terry has a boss who blatantly envies his single lifestyle and mediocre fame. However, Terry cannot find a good or regular acting gig. His free-flowing lifestyle is simultaneously envied and pitied by his two best friends. For some reason the powers-that-be have thrown him into a serious relationship (he and his girlfriend moved in together in the most recent episode), while only touching briefly on his single lifestyle. Hopefully the story line will soon return to his more interesting life, complete with younger women who could be his daughter and cougars alike.
Oftentimes shows trying to walk the fine line between comedy and dramatic themes doesn't work- think of the awkward parts of SportsNight and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, both Aaron Sorkin shows. MOACA succeeds and often excels in this space. The jokes are meant delivered well, and are far more intended to be of quality, rather then quantity.
So far, the show has only seen one dud, the January 25th episode centered around Terry. The rest have been excellent, especially those focusing on Romano's character. Joe consistently makes up a for a lack of confidence with a quick wit, making him extremely watchable in any setting, with any other character. Whether this is due to Romano being one of the creators or his own comic chops is subject to debate, but Joe- like the show itself, is always worth watching.
