The sitcom landscape has been unusually barren in recent years, as networks and streamers alike have demonstrated a strong preference for dramas, especially those involving first responders.
Leave it to always-adventurous Ryan Murphy and the innovative minds at Hulu to head an entirely different, yet refreshingly familiar direction.
The streamer has ordered a pilot for Mid-Century Modern, a sitcom centering around three best friends — described by Deadline as “gay gentlemen of a certain age” — who decide to share a home in retirement, a la The Golden Girls.
Lane will play Bunny Schneiderman, and Linda Lavin — star of the beloved ’70s sitcom Alice — will play his mother, Sybil, with whom he shares a home in Palm Springs.
The already complex relationship between mother and son will be further complicated when two of Bunny’s friends move in.
And wackiness is almost certain to ensue.
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Matt Bomer is attached to costar as a character named Jerry Frank.
We assume that he’s one of the friends-turned-roommates, although at 46, Bomer is pretty far from the Blanche Devereaux era of his life.
We suppose we’ll just have to wait for the premiere date to see what’s in store for this talented and intriguingly motley cast!
That’s if the show gets ordered to series, of course.
But given some of the big names who are on board, that almost seems like a foregone conclusion.
In addition to Murphy, Lane, and Burrows, the show Mid-Century Modern boasts Will & Grace showrunners David Kohan and Max Mutchnick and a pilot directed by James Burrows of Cheers, Frasier, and Friends fame.
In other words, when it comes to reviving the sort of sitcom that spawned catchphrases in the ’90s and early 2000s, Hulu is leaving nothing to chance.
Networks loved those shows because they were relatively cheap to produce, and, in the best cases, they yielded massive returns.
Sure, in the case of a series like Friends, you might eventually have to shell out seven-figure-per-episode salaries, but by the time you’ve reached that point, everyone involved has already earned enough cash for a private island.
Of course, as fans, our main interest is in the show’s potential as a source of old-school laugh-track-fueled entertainment.
We don’t yet know if the series will lean into throwback vibes implied by its premise.
But as fans of classic television, we certainly have our fingers crossed!
Related: Classic TV Is the Perfect Binge-Watch For So Many Reasons
What do you think, TV fanatics?
Does Mid-Century Modern have promise — or is the kind of premise that should have stayed in the previous century?
Hit the comments section below to share your thoughts!
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Tyler Johnson is an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic and the other Mediavine O&O sites. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, cooking, and, of course, watching TV. You can Follow him on X and email him here at TV Fanatic.
