Last week, Entertainment Weekly sent me a preview of TNT’s new comedic drama Men of a Certain Age. (I know—it’s kind of legitimate-TV-blogger of a thing to happen!) It premieres tonight at 10/9c, so I thought I should watch the preview and get my thoughts up here post haste. The show centers on three men (played by Ray Romano, Andre Braugher, and Scott Bakula) who became friends in college and stayed close throughout their somewhat-successful adult lives. But now that they’re hitting the half-century mark, they’re realizing that their dreams didn’t quite make it to fruition. They’re not have midlife crises, per se, but midlife assessments.
Having just checked it out, I found the show to be nice and pleasant. That sounds like I’m damning it with faint praise, but I mean it in the best sense. Nothing climactic or explosive happened, nor did anything like that need to happen. Men of a Certain Age is quieter and more introspective (and funnier) than TNT’s other cops-and-lawyers fare. I equate it to Garden State in content and tone, if the Zach Braff character was over-the-hill. All three of the stars give reputable performances, especially Romano, who co-created the show. I’m going to give this show a shot. I may not be of that “certain age,” but I’m a fan of any show that encourages taking a breather and pausing to take stock.