What’s it rated? TV-14
When? 2024
Where’s it showing? Netflix
Mike Schur is back doing what he does best, giving his audience loveable, quirky characters in deliciously bite-sized episodes. The Parks and Rec and The Good Place creator has brought Ted Danson back in the leading role of Charles in his new comedy A Man on the Inside.
Charles is a retired professor and a widower with a grown daughter, Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), and too much time on his hands. After gentle urging from Emily to seek a hobby, Charles answers a classified ad put out by private investigator Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada). Julie needs someone to infiltrate a retirement home to solve a seemingly banal case of stolen jewelry. When Charles moves in, all eyes are on him, from adoring ladies like Virgina Foldau (Sally Struthers) to jealous men like Elliott Haverhill (John Getz). Charles is finding it pretty hard to lie low.
Predictably, the simple case of a missing necklace soon becomes many mysteries for Charles to solve. Danson is charming and funny, and I’ll happily endorse any of Shur’s projects, including this one. Light and funny but full of heart, A Man on the Inside is bingeable goodness. (eight approximately 30-min. episodes) Δ
This article appears in Dec 5-15, 2024.