I am one of the rare critics who prefer comedies over dramas. So, when I read that Hulu was teaming up with Will & Grace’s Executive Producers David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, and Director James Burrows for Mid-Century Modern, a sitcom starring Matt Bomer, Nathan Lane, Nathan Lee Graham, and Linda Lavin, I knew I had to watch.
However, I was weary because you never know which way it is going to go. It could be da bomb or a bomb. As soon as I pressed play, I knew how this was going to be great! It is going to be an explosion of laughs with each episode! And it was! It is the best new show I have seen in many, many years.
Bunny Schneiderman (Lane), Jerry Frank (Bomer), and Arthur Broussard (Graham) are three longtime friends who are reuniting for their fourth friend’s funeral. They live in different cities all over the United States, so Bunny asks them to move in with him and his mother, Sybil (Lavin), in Palm Springs. It does not take long to convince Jerry and Arthur to say yes!
Bunny is a mama’s boy who is unlucky in love, but lucky in friendship! He is the anchor that brings everyone together.
Jerry is the pretty, happy one who has no problem getting a man as a flight attendant, even though he was once a married to a woman Mormon man. However, he was kicked out of the Church when he came out.
Arthur is the fashionable snob who worked for Vogue, who keeps it real with his friends.
They are opposites who complement each other. They are each a side of a perfectly shaped triangle.
And then there is Sybil. She is a tough old Jewish broad who humbles her boys. She is not mean, but she is a cool Jewish mother who says it like it is! She is the center of their triangle that keeps them whole.
The four of them are going to have some fun adventures in the ten episodes, which are streaming now!
They will take Jerry to see his teenage crush Donny Osmond, get COVID, go back to Fire Island, hire a male maid, hang out with a Conservative Republican Congresswoman, and play Pickleball with Bunny’s mean sister (Pamela Adlon). They will date, break up, laugh, and cry.
We will cry with them in episode 9 when they say goodbye to Sybil. Lavin passed away suddenly while filming. Kohan and Mutchnick wrote her a goodbye that is fit for the legendary actress she was, and the actors delivered a gut-wrenching performance.
Mid-Century Modern is the perfect swan song for Lavin! She had fun, made us laugh, and will make us grieve her loss even more. Before she passed away, she had two enjoyable performances with Rhea Perlman and Judd Hirsch (who both worked with Burros on my favorite show Taxi) that you will not want to miss.
I hate that this is her last role because I have been a fan since Alice. But since it is, I am happy it was this one!
Now, back to MCM in general. I have heard it compared to The Golden Girls. I can see why they say that, but I think it has its own identity, which is more than three friends living with a motherly figure.
But then again, it is like a Golden Girls for the 2020s with cursing! I never thought I would hear Lavin say the C-word, but she does. And it is appropriate.
Enough about her! Not that we can ever have enough. But, I need to talk about the other three.
It is evident as soon as the series starts that these three men have chemistry. You honestly believe that they are friends and have been that way for a long time, long before they were cast in their roles. They complement each other in scenes and perfectly play off of each other when needed. That is why you can stop laughing.
Before I moved to Los Angeles, I almost lived Will & Grace with a friend of mine from Miami who already lived here. Now, I want to get in my car, drive to Palm Springs, and move in with my friend there. I can be Sybil, he can be Jerry, his husband will be Bunny, and we will find someone to be our Arthur.
It is that takeaway that I think best describes how you will probably feel after watching MCM. As we grow older, we just want to have BFFs with whom we want to spend time, and who know us so well. They are our shoulder to cry on, give us encouragement when we need it, and will cut a bitch who thinks they can mess with us. Although we did not get that storyline during season one.
Hopefully, we will get it during season 2. Hint, hint, Hulu!
Anora won four Oscar statuettes at the Academy Awards yesterday, and most people have not seen the film. Therefore, we are curious to see what it is all about.
On March 17th, aka St. Patrick’s Day, we will be able to stream the film on Hulu, and we will see if it truly was worthy of beating Wicked or one of the other eight nominated films for Best Picture, the streamer announced today.
Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner ANORA is an audacious, thrilling, and comedic variation on a modern day Cinderella story. Mikey Madison (ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD) captivates as Ani, a young sex worker from Brooklyn whose life takes an unexpected turn when she meets and impulsively marries Vanya, the impetuous son of a Russian billionaire. However, when Vanya’s parents catch wind of the union, they send their henchmen to annul the marriage, setting off a wild chase through the streets of New York.
Fun fact: Sean Baker created the raunchy comedy series, Greg the Bunny. To me, that is the true Cinderella story. Once you watch it, especially the episodes that did not air on Fox, you will understand why I say that!
Ryan Murphy is trying his luck at sitcoms with Mid-Century Modern, and he has the producers and cast to back him up.
The comedy stars Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, Nathan Lee Graham, and the late Linda Lavin. Lavin was filming this series when she passed away from lung cancer on December 29th.
The show comes from Will & Grace’s creators, Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, and the Sitcom King, Director James Burrows.
Mid-Century Modern follows three best friends – gay gentlemen of a certain age – who, after an unexpected death, decide to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs where the wealthiest one lives with his mother. As a chosen family, they prove that no matter how hard things get, there’s always someone around to remind you it would be better if you got your neck done.
MCM filmed a few episodes in January after the actress died, but they never said how they will be handling her passing. I hope they do it respectfully because she deserves it. We lost an amazing talent when we lost her.
Some people like to Netflix & Chill. But I like to Hulu & Chew! And what is better to chew than four delicious donuts from Krispy Kreme that have been inspired by the streaming service?
Blue Raspberry Slush Doughnut:an Original Glazed® doughnut dipped in blue raspberry flavored icing and blue sanding sugar.
Caramel Popcorn Doughnut: an unglazed shell doughnut filled with caramel popcorn flavored Kreme™ filling, dipped in white icing and caramel popcorn and topped with red icing drizzles.
Cookie Dough Superstar Doughnut: an unglazed shell doughnut filled with chocolate butterkreme™ flavored filling, dipped in chocolate flavored icing and topped with gold glitter sprinkles and cookie dough bites.
Candy Double Feature Doughnut: an Original Glazed® doughnut dipped in white icing, topped with milk chocolate candy pieces and mini milk chocolate chips, and drizzled with chocolate flavored icing.
“This first-ever collaboration with Hulu lets our fans enjoy their favorite movie snack flavors with their favorite doughnut while streaming their favorite movie. That’s a good night!” said Dave Skena, Chief Growth Officer at Krispy Kreme.
And you can have 365 free good nights of Hulu because Krispy Kreme and Hulu are giving away a year of the streamer between now and March 9th. All you have to do is enter here.
The four sweet treats are only available for a limited time, so don’t wait too long to try one. And you can try one for free today with any purchase on the app. Which ones are you going to sample? I can’t decide, so I am going to try them all! Then, I will come home and watch Paradise while experiencing it with each bite.
Ever since COVID, many of us feel like we are going to die alone. And that is the start of How to Die Alone, which is streaming its first three episodes on Hulu now.
Mel (Natasha Rothwell) works at JFK. She has one best friend, Rory (Conrad Ricamora), who works with her there. He is not the only man in her life who works at the airports, so does her ex and boss, Alex (Jocko Sims).
Alex just sent her an invite to his wedding in Hawaii. She wants to go, but she is afraid to fly. Basically, she is afraid to do anything. Isn’t that odd for someone who works at an airport.
However, after Rory cancels on her birthday, she does something daring. That daring thing leads to an accident, which caused her heart to stop.
When she comes to at the hospital, she realizes there is no one for her to call. Just when she is about to give up, the woman in the bed next to her gives her some advice to live her life so she doesn’t die alone.
In the coming episodes, she starts to make changes to her life. Some are good, and others are mistakes.
But all of it is relatable. And that is why you will enjoy each of the episodes.
The characters are people we know and want to watch. We want to see what is going to happen to them because they are us.
The storylines are things we can understand because, in ways, we have stopped living like we did pre-COVID. And this is the wake-up call we need to live again!
So watch the series every Friday, and then go out and make sure you don’t die alone.
