Mid-Century Modern – A Review

The multi-cam sitcom is a staple of television, beginning in the late 1940s and becoming popularized with shows like I Love Lucy in the 1950s. Most of these series’ hallmarks are that they are taped in front of live studio audiences, with the scenes running in order like live theatre, and often feature “three jokes a page.” These are shows that move fast and, because of the way they are produced, can have a very fast turnaround from production to air. They are shows that have thrived on broadcast over the years, with a revival of Night Court being a recent example. Streamers have also produced multi-cam series for the last few years, a notable example being the reimagining of One Day at Time at Netflix (later Pop). While being on streamers allows these multi-cams more freedom with structure or language, it comes with the loss of weekly releases and often higher season episodic counts typical of the genre.

Mid-Century Modern is the latest streaming multi-cam sitcom; it is produced by Ryan Murphy, created by David Kohan & Max Mutchnick (Will & Grace), and stars Nathan Lane, Nathan Lee Graham, Matt Bomer, and the late Linda Lavin. This cast and the writing are the stuff the sitcom gold. I was lucky enough to attend a couple of tapings of the first season, and regardless of the original joke or an alt, they always got a genuine laugh. But the series is also filled with moments of heart.

It is clear why the show is on streamer; there is language used that would not pass network broadcasting standards. However, there is a lot of tongue-in-cheek humour and wordplay. I’m confident the series could have been written and felt as true to the characters by being even more inventive with how the characters turn a phrase rather than just using an easier expletive. I wish this series had been made for ABC (or Fox) because it would have thrived there, and I worry despite the credentials of the cast and crew, it will get lost with a Hulu/Disney+ release.

It’s impossible not to talk about the series without talking about Linda Lavin. The series opens with a funeral for an unseen fourth friend of the male trio, and the last couple of episodes serve as memorials for Linda Lavin, giving the season (hopefully not the series) some bookending, but also leaving a hole in the series. Linda Lavin was such a presence in the series; she was a great counter to the energy of the other characters, particularly Lane’s Bunny and Lee Graham’s Arthur. Her loving maternal bite gave them something different to play off of. Pamela Adlon, who plays Bunny’s sister, Mindy, is signaled as stepping into Lavin’s spot as the fourth Palms Springs Golden Boy, but she brings in a very different energy than Lavin. I’m glad they did not just try to replace Lavin with someone matching her energy/role in the group, however, I think perhaps, like when John Ritter died on 8 Simple Rules, if the series gets another season, they may need more than just Adlon to fill the void left by Lavin.

Something I noticed, both because I attended some tapings and because of some obvious lines/story structure, is that the episodes listed are out of their original scripted/filming order. This is most noticeable with “Turbulence” listed before “Hello, Firsty’s.” However, it won’t be too glaring to audience members until they see the other episode and realize it takes place beforehand. I wonder if the streaming algorithm told them to restructure the series to maximize viewers because “Love Thy Neighbor,” perhaps the series’ most political episode, got moved to episode seven. There was also some restructuring and scene shifting done to stretch Linda Lavin’s appearances so that she would only be absent from the final two episodes, using scenes shot for a previous episode, presumably “Never Have I Ever,” and placing them in “Sour Pickleball.” As it is a sitcom and most of the episodes are self-contained with few threads that stretch between episodes, the series restructuring doesn’t have too many logic bumps that hinder the enjoyment of this otherwise well-crafted, performed, and executed series that will hopefully return for another season.

Mid-Century Modern is available on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in Canada.