Dramas may get most of the buzz on Netflix, but the streamer is also home to some of the best comedy shows as well.
Last year, Netflix debuted A Man on the Inside, a mystery series that’s earned its place among TV’s top sitcoms.
Starring Ted Danson, the amiable comedy is perfect to watch on or after Thanksgiving, when you want something pleasant and not too challenging to watch.
Now that both seasons are streaming, Watch With Us is sharing the reasons why A Man on the Inside is the one comedy show you should watch during the Thanksgiving holiday.
Ted Danson Is at the Top of His Game
Since starring in Cheers through the ’80s and early ’90s, Ted Danson has rarely been without a comedy show to call his own. Four decades of sitcom experience came in very handy for A Man on the Inside, as Danson portrays Charles Nieuwendyk, a retired professor who hasn’t been the same since his wife died. However, he finds his new purpose in life when a private investigator, Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada), hires him to infiltrate the Pacific View Retirement Community and locate a valuable necklace that was stolen.
Charles takes to being a detective with glee, but he’s not very good at the covert aspects of the job. That’s where a lot of the comedy comes in. Charles is always eager to break the case, but he also manages to get himself in some tight spots that could jeopardize his cover. This show may border on farce, yet Charles takes it as seriously as possible. Danson adeptly plays Charles with charm and awkwardness. So much so that it’s not hard to see why the other Pacific View residents love him.
The Supporting Cast Is Engaging
The cast of A Man on the Inside Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection
Danson may be the show’s star, but he’s not its only shining light. Some of the friends that Charles meets in his new home leave a big impression on viewers, including Virginia Foldau (Sally Struthers), Elliott Haverhill (John Getz) and Grant Yokohama (Clyde Kusatsu). Virginia’s attraction to Charles is apparent from the start, and she’s eager to woo him. Elliott starts as Charles’ unintended romantic rival, but soon evolves into his best friend.
The dilemma facing Charles is that he has to lie to everyone about why he’s really there. Even his daughter, Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), doesn’t initially know about her father’s double life. Emily is refreshingly the most normal person on the series, and Ellis conveys a lot of warmth for Charles during her scenes with Danson. Stephanie Beatriz has a memorable role as Didi, the director of Pacific View. She’s a good-matured foil for Charles, although she has a considerably smaller role in season 2.
Each Season Has a Self-Contained Story
It’s not out of line to compare this series with Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. A Man on the Inside may not have life-or-death stakes, but it is a mystery series that slowly reveals the clues Charles needs to find. The good news for viewers is that each season has its own case for Charles to solve, and there are only eight episodes per season.
The recently premiered second season sends Charles to Wheeler College, where he poses as a professor to track down a stolen laptop that’s worth millions. Danson’s wife, Mary Steenburgen, costars this season as Mona Margadoff, one of the other professors at Wheeler. Charles falls for her fast, but he has to be careful around Mona, because even she isn’t above suspicion. Regardless, Charles’ potential romance with Mona gives the series even more heart than it had before.
A Man on the Inside is streaming on Netflix.
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