A Man on the Inside

Not only is “A Man on the Inside” stuffed full of feel-good and laugh-out-loud bits, including a fist fight, several very eventful happy hours and some truly chaotic moments involving Charles’ nonchalant grandsons, but the show actually works as a true mystery.

While it isn’t as rich and strange as “The Good Place,” “A Man on the Inside” is nevertheless a pleasure on most every level, and, as before, Schur wants more than just to make you laugh. To the extent that it’s sentimental, it’s also clear-eyed, genuine and conceptually rigorous.

With Schur as the primary guiding force behind the scenes and the 76-year-old Danson as adept as ever at handling light comedy and poignant dramatic beats, “A Man on the Inside” is one of the best new comedies of 2024. If you’re into warmhearted yet sharply delivered shows such as “Ted Lasso” and “Shrinking,” this is right up your alley.

“A Man on the Inside” is not a slapstick snort-fest in the mold of so many movies headlined by elderly stars misbehaving, thank goodness. Earnest and genuine in its storytelling, it's populated with fully realized characters who only somewhat adhere to Schur’s closet of personality types

The show manages to keep its keen, funny edge while expressing an often moving openness to certain sentiments and fears, not only of growing old, but of becoming useless, of living out your final years or decades without purpose, while—worst-case scenario—your mind slowly fades.

If streaming shows can suffer from an overreliance on twists, desperate to propel viewers toward the Next Episode button rather than risk any hint of closure, A Man on the Inside errs in the opposite direction, unrolling at a leisurely stroll. .... Once you’ve caught on to the fact that it’s a cozy mystery in sitcom clothing, you might just enjoy the warmth.

Mike Schur's "A Man on the Inside" is a delightfully pleasant charmer, a comedy that's almost calming as it drops into a tumultuous world

A Man on the Inside isn’t as laugh-out-loud funny as the other series Schur has created or co-created (see also Parks and Recreation). But it’s smart and it’s kind and it’s incredibly warm.

A Man on the Inside is a breezy and fun septuagenarian shenanigan tale from start to finish.

As frequently as A Man on the Inside wants to make you laugh, it also wants to make you cry. Though the line between emotional manipulation and outright mawkishness is the most precarious of all, the series generally stays on the right side.

A charming showcase for its star, but a program based on a thoroughly ridiculous premise. .... The principal virtue of “A Man on the Inside” is its sweetness.

It’s charming and sweet, and full of characters who appear to be multimillionaires with impeccable taste in home furnishings. It’s funny, but you won’t annoy your neighbours laughing at it. Stripped of these expectations, though, there is a tenderness here that will sneak up and quietly obliterate you if you’re not careful.

Danson is the keystone. He has perfect comic pitch, yet can still evince just enough sadness to make Charles, a retiree-turned-amateur shamus, seem like an actual person.

A Man On The Inside works because it balances its resonant, evergreen themes related to companionship and aging with measured doses of humor and, indeed, plenty of charm.

A Man on the Inside ultimately feels a little slight. It doesn’t try to be as consistently funny as Schur’s earlier sitcoms, but it also (thankfully) doesn’t go for the kind of big dramatic swings that can win awards and make shows go viral.

What “A Man on the Inside” lacks in laughs it makes up for in a humane, occasionally depressing but realistic depiction of the ravages of old age.

As sweetly gentle comedies go — particularly those premised on strained relationships and earnest attempts to bridge that divide — it’s a far better show than something like Apple’s “Shrinking.”

There are well-placed moments of silence to land messages effectively, and enough subtlety so as not to alienate those simply looking for a light comedy series. With actors this good, those moments are an easy sell, but it's also a credit to the scripts that they stay in the mind after the episodes have ended. Given all this, it's therefore just unfortunate that the comedy is so lacking.

There’s skilled joke writing in here to lighten the tone, but it’s a fundamentally bittersweet concept. “A Man on the Inside” isn’t bad, exactly. But it never quite comes together as a meaningful portrait of the titular man.

Over time, the mystery that brought us into this world disappears amid a sea of subplots and unconnected adventures, and without that foundation, everything feels wobbly and inconsistent. A Man on the Inside is truly a time to shine for Danson, who proves the glue to keep things together. If it weren’t for his strong performance, the whole thing would collapse.

A cozy, low-stakes comedy populated by well-intentioned sweethearts. The show is as gentle and mild as baby soap, though it could hardly promise no tears.