‘Mid Century Modern’ A Dated Sitcom About Three Aging Gay Men [Review]

The new comedy from Max Mutchnick and David Kohan is a toe-curlingly cringy queer update on The Golden Girls. With poor performances and even worse writing, this feels like A RuPaul’s Drag Race acting challenge gone wrong.

The multi-cam sitcom, which Ryan Murphy also produces, follows three middle-aged gay men who move in together after their friend unexpectedly dies. Flamboyant Bunny Schneiderman (Nathan), peppy Ken doll Jerry Frank (Matt Bomer), and catty Lavin (Arthur Broussard) decide to move into the home Bunny shares with his mother, Sybil (the late Linda Lavin), after the death of their friend.

The show follows the three as they navigate being an aging gay man in modern America. Mid Century Modern is not interested in being political or edgy, instead following the laughter-track soundtrack comedies of the 80s and 90s. This show is less concerned with dealing with the aftermath of the loss of their friend or building character than delivering a barrage of unfunny gags about being middle aged, gay and single.

Odd Casting Choices And Wasted Opportunities

Everything about Mid Century Modern feels like it belongs in another era. The three leads are one-dimensional characters that hit every possible well-worn stereotype and middle-aged gay man. There is no gag about homosexuality or aging that the show doesn’t beat to death.

Bunny is Lane’s character in The Birdcage times 100. From jokes about his relationship with his mother to breaking out into song at a whim, Bunny never feels like a real person. Bunny feels like an avatar of what straight people think a gay theatre-loving man is. His character gets very little depth through the series, despite him and his mother being central to the entire show.

Matt Bomer is a talented actor, as showcased in 2023’s Fellow Travelers, but none of that is on show here. Sitcoms are not a genre Bomer is associated with, and from the very first episode, it is clear why. His line delivery is cringeworthy as the airhead flight attendant, Jerry. You could be fooled into forgetting that Bomer has years of experience working on the big and small screen with the way he delivers this dialogue.

Sadly, Bomer’s character has some of the most nuanced subplots in the show, but his performance can be hard to watch. Raised Mormon, he has an ex-wife and daughter (Billie Lourd), and the guilt over those relationships haunts him. Mid Century Modern is so obsessed with throwing out gag over gag, that some of the heartfelt moments are cheapened. The writers could take some lessons from comedy sitcom writers like Quinta Brunson, Dan Levy, and Michael Schur, who aren’t afraid to explore the sadness and darkness of life as well as deliver the funny.

Nathan Lee Graham is the most natural cast member as Arthur Broussard. Clearly modelled on Vogue editor Andre Leon Talley, his performance as a judgmental fashionista feels the most well-rounded. Despite this, Arthur probably gets the least to do throughout the ten episodes. When Lane and Bomer half-heartedly commit to the comedy, Graham fully commits to the role, so it’s a shame he isn’t allowed to do more with it.

Linda Lavin, in her last role, is the standout. Her character as a grumpy Jewish mother does nothing new, but she does the best with the cliches written for her. She is especially delightful when paired with a guest who can match her energy. Her tumultuous relationships with her friend, Rhea Perlman, and disappointing divorcee daughter (Pamela Adlon) are especially fun to watch. Somehow, the on-screen chemistry with her son (played by Lane) isn’t quite as engaging.

There is a hint when watching Sybil’s antics that a show where she is the lead would be a better watch. Then you realize that show is just The Golden Girls and you may find yourself searching for reruns of the Betty White comedy.

Mid Century Modern Will Never Miss A Low-Hanging Fruit

The main issue with Mid Century Modern is that the writing is not very good. With a writing team that includes Adam Barr, Tracy Poust, Suzanne Martin, and Dan Bucatinsky, who have worked on Scandal, Ugly Betty, Will and Grace, the quality

The trio of gay men wander into dated and cliché scenarios which have already been explored multiple times in multiple formats. From hiring a hot but useless maid to all getting stuck together in containment with COVID, the show refuses to bring anything new to the genre. It’s like the writers haven’t spoken to another person or left the house in twenty years.

If there is a stereotype to walk into and a long-hanging fruit to pick, Mid Century Modern will find it. You’ll be able to work out the punchline to nearly every joke long before the actor half-heartedly delivers it. It almost feels like a parody of a sitcom about three gay men rather than an actual, fully fleshed comedy.

Max Mutchnick and David Kohan know how to make a sitcom as the men who brought Will and Grace to audiences, but their references and storytelling style haven’t changed since the show’s original run ended in 2006. Every element is so safe and worried about being polarizing that it’s almost offensive. There is no need to remind audiences how challenging life can be for the community, but it’s almost harmful to skip over the realities so brazenly.

Despite the many issues with Mid Century Modern, some good can be found here. The episode where the three men socialize with an anti-LBGTQ+ Republican senator is close to saying something. It almost makes a point about the truth of being queer in modern American but quickly backs away before any controversy could be caused.

Jerry frequently speaks about Mormonism and his relationship with religion. Whenever the show shows any heart or pathos, a character pulls out a cheap joke and moves on from the important topic. It’s almost like Mid Century Modern is too afraid to put its neck out and not be a safe cliché of the type of gay men who work in fashion and theatre. Surely, we’ve all moved past this type of portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community.

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