Netflix series Grace and Frankie sent fans wild when it first aired in 2015, and now a group of veteran male actors have sparked a fresh wave of excitement with their own brand new comedy on ageing.
Michael Douglas, 74, has joined 84-year-old actor Alan Arkin in new Netflix show The Kominsky Method, as they navigate the ups and downs of growing old. And with classic one-liners, celebrity cameos and even a hilarious prostate exam by legendary star Danny DeVito, 74, it’s been widely praised as the next big comedy by viewers online.
The eight-part series follows acting coach Sandy Kominsky (Douglas) as he helps his long-suffering best friend Norman Newlander (Arkin) move on from the devastating death of his wife. Together, they act out a series of comical everyday situations that have already left viewers in hysterics – just days after the first episode aired.
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“You know I wake up every morning and my first thought is, what part of me is not working today,” Norman tells his friend in one scene, to which Sandy replies: “Yeah, we’re passengers on boats slowly sinking.”
Norman jokes: “Your boat is slow. I’m like when the Titanic was pointing up.”
The Chuck Lorre series brings old-school humour back with a series of controversial jokes and one-liners. While Sandy is enjoying a turbulent love life with a younger woman, Norman is not only struggling with his wife’s death, but also leaving his daughter in rehab for the eighth time.
There are of course moments of sadness which promise to bring tears to viewers’ eyes, as the pair suffer loss and struggle with losing their youth. In one poignant scene, Norman says: “It hurts to be human, it hurts like hell, and all the exploring in the world doesn’t make that hurt go away. Because being human and being hurt are the same damn thing.”
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Of course, one of the highlights is DeVito’s appearance as Sandy’s prostate examiner, and recalling the incident later, Douglas’ character tells his friend: “I had a strange little man put his finger up my a***.”
Elsewhere, the ongoing battle between Millennials and Baby Boomers plays out perfectly in one scene, as Sandy attempts to give a serious lecture on the art of acting. However, one of his young students ruins it all when he asks him how it can apply to his upcoming shampoo commercial audition.
And while Norman’s wife’s funeral is one of the most emotional scenes, it ends up being dramatic from start to finish as the friends embark on a mission to fulfil her wish of being buried “in an unpretentious coffin, made from driftwood or reclaimed timber from a ship wreck”.
The series is receiving rave reviews from fans on social media with positive messages flooding Twitter and people urging their friends to watch it as soon as they can.
One fan tweeted: “The Kominsky Method on Netflix is so good. I’m dying of laughter and I usually don’t watch shows like this.”
Another viewer admitted they watched the entire first series in one afternoon, while one more added: “The Kominsky Method on Netflix is sheer joy with Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin. Great acting, writing and funny jokes.”
The Kominsky Method is available to view now on Netflix.