TV: April 2020

Grace & Frankie

A comedy-drama starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the lead roles supported by Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston playing their ex-gay husbands Robert and Sol. So that’s pretty much the base of the story. Except it isn’t.

The first series passed by quickly as a good set up to season two, which managed to stay interesting. Now I’m wondering how many jokes about menopause and older gay guys can be made. At this point, I’ve also realised no matter what disaster hits anyone in this family, from death to accidental shooting (the gun episode was as shocking as intended), money is the answer. There is no shortage of it, it clearly grows on trees in California. Even a DUI is swept away from the beachfront house like it’s a fly rather than the chilling episode it ought to be. 

Each formerly married couple has two children, Grace’’s (Fonda) are impossibly glamorous and privileged daughters, Mallory a stick-thin stay-at-home mum with numerous kids and Brianna inherited Fonda’s beauty (I know) business and this one is equipped with an even longer list of character flaws. Frankie’s (Tomlin) are two adopted sons, Coyote who appears as though he has experienced rehab more than once and Bud a black lawyer running their gay dad’s law business.

However, It’s the flaws despite all their advantages that makes Grace & Frankie watchable. That and it’s guests. I love Babe as the eccentric old gal and wish she could have stayed as a neighbour although I know there are many more guest spots coming. Who’ll turn down working with this cast? 

Now I’m watching season three and starting to get irritated with some storylines, I’m wondering how they managed to make seven. However, all four main actors have too strong a pull for me to turn away from them, especially the sensitive playful, giddy Sol, played by Waterston.

Much like SATC, which I only got into after it ended, I will persevere for the odd bit of brilliance, either on the comedy or drama side. It’s a wonderful pre-bedtime escape with my habitual chai and a biscuit. What else is there to do of an evening right now?

The Kominsky Method

This has a fair bit in common with Grace & Frankie, which we started to watch at the same time. In this comedy-drama, the older folk are an actor turned teacher Sandy Kominsky (Michael Douglas) (those who can, do…) and his super successful agent, the endearing Norman (Alan Arkin) who’s mourning the loss of his wife to cancer.

Sandy’s age-appropriate girlfriend Lisa still seems to be much younger than him and I’m left wondering what the attraction is but enjoy her son’s obscene gestures through the window every time he rocks up wearing clothes you’d expect from an ageing actor (Why do people say that, aren’t we all ageing?)

I’m taken aback to see this created by the comedy genius Chuck Lorre the name that pops up on so many of the American sitcoms I like. This is different from those laugh-a-minute 22-minute episodes. I guess it’s more mature and the toilet jokes are now about prostate checks.

For family, there’s only a daughter each to speak off. The actor’s run’s his business and the agent’s is a spoilt thief Phoebe, who’s in and out of rehab and Norman’s wallet in equal measure. It’s a tight cast that’s added to the by the regular students in Sandy’s acting class, which includes Lisa.

What differentiates The Komisnky Method from Frankie & Gracie is that most of the characters are extremely likeable, with the exception of Norman’s daughter played by (Lisa Edelstein) who behaves like a 24-year-old, when I see her as a 30-year-old and so it took a while to get used to the fact that she’s playing a 40-year-old.

As long as Norman is in it, this one could run and run if the makers wanted it to.