Mid-Century Modern review: Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer and Nathan Lee Graham infuse a lot of heart in this comedy gem

I knew as soon as the characters in Mid-Century Modern broke out in a rendition of Salt-N-Pepa's "Whatta Man" while dancing around a charcuterie board-bedecked coffee table that this was a very special new show. And it keeps getting better and better from there. What to Watch screened the entire season of Hulu's new comedy series featuring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer and Nathan Lee Graham and it's at the top of our must-watch list.

Lane, Bomer and Graham play Bunny, Jerry and Arthur, respectively. They're three longtime friends who are brought together after the sudden death of a dear friend. These "gay gentlemen of a certain age," per the logline, are inspired to start living at Bunny's Palm Springs house so that they can enjoy life together. Together, that is, with Bunny's mother, Sybil, played with panache by the late great Linda Lavin. "I can be unhappy anywhere," Arthur proclaims early on. "It might as well be in a heated pool."

Palm Springs, a town about two hours east of Los Angeles, is the perfect setting for Ryan Murphy's new comedy series from Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. It has always been known as a playground for the rich of famous (Sinatra and Elvis had homes there). It is also known as a gay mecca (Liberace was a longtime resident) that embraces the gay community. "Darling, it's Palm Springs," Lane's Bunny drawls, "This place is so gay even the trees are named Joshua."

The show doesn't hold back with the jokes and innuendo; I had to rewind several times because I was laughing so hard that I had to make sure I didn't miss anything. The jokes keep coming and nothing is off limits.

As soon as the pilot episode ended, I found myself thinking about Lane's brilliant performance. Lane's was a standout in 1996's The Birdcage, a movie about a gay couple that toed many lines with mid-90s viewers. Now, almost 30 years later, he's able to fully embrace Bunny's sexuality without holding back. Meanwhile Bomer and Graham are right there keeping pace.

Bunny has been living with his mother in Palm Springs for years to help her run the family business. Though he complains about it, there's no question he loves her a lot and he leans on her for support. Sybil loves her son, too, but as a traditional Jewish mother she has a lot of opinions about how he spends his time and wishes he'd settle down with a nice man.

Jerry, a flight attendant, is the youngest of the group of friends and while he has no trouble meeting guys, he's dealing with the challenge of being estranged from his daughter. Arthur recently lost his job in New York, so moving in with Bunny makes a lot of sense. Of the three, Jerry is clearly Sybil's favorite. Bomer is warm and affable, a perfect counter to Graham's aloof and charismatic Arthur. With Lane, the three actors have a synergy that's hard to match.

It's impossible to watch Mid-Century Modern without feeling bittersweet about Linda Lavin's incredible performance. Lavin, known for her portrayal of the titular character in the long-running comedy Alice, passed away in December 2024. No stranger to sitcoms and whip-smart comedic timing, Lavin's final performance is memorable and a perfect way to cap off a storied career.

In the series media kit, Mutchnick and Kohan sent along a statement about how Mid-Century Modern was "the most challenging production any of us have ever experienced." Navigating the fires in Los Angeles in early January 2025 on the heels of losing Lavin, "this was the most challenging production any of us have ever experienced." They went on to say, however, that the experience "galvanized" the cast and crew, and you can feel it.

There's no mistaking the love and dedication that went into bringing Mid-Century Modern to life. The writing is fantastic, the characters are dimensional and interesting and the actors bring them to life with so much enthusiasm that it's easy to root for them from the very start. These are some of the myriad reasons Mid-Century Modern is hands-down the best new comedy of the year.

Mid-Century Modern premieres Friday, March 28, on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.