Mid-Century Modern is now streaming on Hulu.
Hulu’s Mid-Century Modern wants to be the next great hangout sitcom — a mix of sunny Palm Springs aesthetics, retro-styled living, and classic multi-camera sitcom energy. And on paper, it has the goods. Three gay best friends move in together in the desert following the death of their mutual ex, hoping for a fresh start and some new adventures. Throw in Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, and Nathan Lee Graham as your core trio, and this should be a total delight.
Unfortunately, the show doesn’t always live up to its promising setup. The banter is light, the tone comforting, and there’s clearly heart behind it all, but the execution often feels stiff or dated. The one-liners sometimes fall flat, and the pacing never quite finds the rhythm that made classics like Will & Grace (from the same creators) sing.
Nathan Lane is predictably great, bringing bite and warmth to his role as Bunny, the most curmudgeonly of the housemates. Bomer and Graham add charm, but their characters are underwritten, often reduced to shallow archetypes rather than fully fleshed-out people. The dynamic between the three is enjoyable, but the show rarely lets them explore emotional depth beyond the surface of friendship and nostalgia.
The biggest emotional beat of the season comes in episode nine, which pays tribute to the late Linda Lavin, who played Bunny’s mother. The episode shifts to a more reflective tone as it acknowledges her character’s offscreen passing, providing one of the few moments where Mid-Century Modern lands a real emotional punch.
There’s definitely an audience for this kind of show — those looking for a cozy, low-stakes sitcom with a dash of older-school flair will find something pleasant here. But while the series gestures toward progressive themes and modern relationships, its storytelling style and humor often feel stuck in the past. It’s less The Golden Girls than it wants to be, and more like an extended pilot still trying to figure itself out.
With this cast, Mid-Century Modern could grow into something sharper and more confident in future episodes or seasons. As it stands, though, it’s a sweet, safe, but ultimately forgettable throwback.
I give Mid-Century Modern a C+.
TV and City 