When it comes to the television sitcom, audiences have often (and unknowingly) counted upon the creative energies of Chuck Lorre for their laughs. Classics like Dharma & Greg, Mom and The Big Bang Theory pepper his resume, and with Netflix’s The Kominsky Method, Lorre’s list of accolades is about to become that much longer. Here’s everything you need to know about The Kominsky Method.
The Kominsky Method cast
The new eight-episode series, which co-stars Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin, premieres this week on the streaming platform, and viewers will not want to pass it up.
The Kominsky Method follows Sandy Kominsky (Douglas), a veteran actor whose celebrity status has succumbed to the perils of old age and little to no acting work. So he makes do with an acting school that survives on the good graces of his increasingly frustrated adult daughter Mindy (Sarah Baker), while constantly annoying his longtime agent Norman Newlander (Arkin) for work. Meanwhile, he attempts to rejuvenate himself by dating recent divorcee Lisa (Nancy Travis), a woman half his age who decides to enroll in his acting class.
What is The Kominsky Method about?
Plotwise, Lorre’s last sounds like yet another entry in his ever-expanding catalog of television sitcoms. Yet the main players are much older (as is Lorre), and the subjects they tackle swing more toward an older demographic of viewers. And when it comes to the format, The Kominsky Method is definitely not like anything the producer, writer and director has done before. It’s a single-camera show, much like Lorre’s The Big Bang Theory prequel series Young Sheldon, and this combined with its content makes for a rather unique viewing experience.
That is to say, The Kominsky Method has more in common with the dramedies that are currently dominating the entertainment landscape. Shows like HBO’s Barry and Hulu’s Casual, which have helped shape and advance the combined genre, fit rather snugly in the long line of programs that have paved the way for The Kominsky Method.
One of the greatest (and first) examples of this is the first episode’s opening scene, in which Kominsky delivers a stirring, impromptu monologue about the craft of acting to his students. It’s a sweet and serious moment between the teacher and his rapt class, but it’s quickly punctuated by a surfer bro’s inane question about shaping his hair just right for a potential commercial gig. Sometimes, The Kominsky Method is quite series, but audiences who check it out will soon find that these moments are almost always interrupted by something that’s totally silly.
Though it should be noted that this show is not for everyone. For starters, in the tradition of film and television programs about Hollywood itself, Lorre layers the series with all kinds of jokes and meta-references that people outside of the industry might not understand. Also, younger demos probably won’t care too much about the trials and tribulations faced by much older generations. Even so, The Kominsky Method is a great addition to Netflix’s growing catalog of original content and worth a look.
The Kominsky Method release date
The Kominsky Method premieres Friday, Nov. 16, on Netflix.
