A Man on the Inside: release date, trailer, cast and everything we know about the Ted Danson comedy

Ted Danson in A Man on the Inside
Ted Danson in A Man on the Inside (Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix)

Ted Danson is going undercover in a retirement home in the new Netflix show A Man on the Inside. That is the basic premise of the show that reunites Danson with his The Good Place creator Mike Schur, but there’s an interesting backstory on how the story came to be.

It is based on The Mole Agent, an Oscar-nominated documentary about an 83-year-old widower in Chile that went undercover to help solve a crime in a retirement home. Schur watched the doc and quickly was hooked, opting to take the premise and turn it into a new TV comedy, per Netflix’s Tudum blog.

So who all is helping Danson and Schur bring the series together, and when can you watch it? Read on for everything you need to know about A Man on the Inside.

A Man on the Inside release date

Netflix is premiering A Man on the Inside on Thursday, November 21. All episodes of the comedy’s inaugural season will premiere immediately. Of course, in order to watch when it debuts, you are going to need to have a Netflix subscription.

If you’re interested in watching The Mole Agent, the documentary that the show is based on, that also is playing on Netflix right now, as well as on free, ad-supported streaming services Tubi and Pluto TV.

A Man on the Inside plot

We’ve given you a general idea of the plot, but here is the official synopsis for A Man on the Inside:

“Charles (Ted Danson), a retired man, gets a new lease on life when he answers an ad from a PI and becomes a mole in a secret investigation.”

As Netflix’s Tudum expands on, during the course of his investigation Charles will discover new friends and a new community at the senior living facility where he is set undercover.

A Man on the Inside cast

Danson is going to play the lead character Charles, a retired professor and widower. Danson has been a part of a number of most iconic TV shows of all time, including Cheers and the aforementioned The Good Place. He also had recent runs on Curb Your Enthusiasm and another NBC sitcom, Mr. Mayor, that lasted two seasons.

Here is the cast that is joining Danson in A Man on the Inside:

  • Mary Elizabeth Ellis (Red One) as Emily, Charles' daughter
  • Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) as Didi, the managing director at the retirement home
  • Lilah Richcreek Estrada (Chicago Med) as Julie, the private investigator that hires Charles
  • Stephen McKinley Henderson (Civil War) as Calbert, a resident of the retirement home
  • Sally Strughers (All in the Family) as Virginia, a resident at the retirement home who takes a shine to Charles
  • Eugene Cordero (Loki) as Joel, Emily’s husband
  • Margaret Avery (The Color Purple) as Florence, Virginia’s best friend
  • John Getz (Grace and Frankie) as Elliott, a retirement home resident that quickly feels threatened by Charles
  • Susan Ruttan (L.A. Law) as Gladys, Charles’ next door neighbor at the retirement home
  • Lori Tan Chinn (Joy Ride) as Susan, president of the resident council at the retirement home
  • Clyde Kusatsu (Never Have I Ever) as Grant, another resident at the retirement home
  • Jama Williamson (The Good Place) as Beatrice, the retirement home activities director

A Man on the Inside trailer

Watch the official trailer for A Man on the Inside right here:

A Man on the Inside | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube A Man on the Inside | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube
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Michael Balderston
Assistant Managing Editor

Michael Balderston is What to Watch’s assistant managing editor and lead movie writer, covering movies coming to theaters, writing movie reviews and highlighting new and classic movies on streaming services; he also covers a range of TV shows, including those in the Taylor Sheridan universe, Slow Horses, Only Murders in the Building, Jeopardy!, Saturday Night Live and more, as well as the best ways to watch some major US sporting events.

Based outside of Washington, D.C., Michael's previous experience includes writing for Awards Circuit, TV Technology and The Wrap.

Michael’s favorite movie of all time is Casablanca, while his favorite TV show is Seinfeld. Some 2025 favorites include One of Them Days and Black Bag for movies, and The Pitt on TV. Follow on Letterboxd to keep up with what I'm watching.

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