Since her first hit show, the TV satire "30 Rock", the writer-producer Tina Fey has become known for overseeing "absurd, efficiently structured, joke-dense comedies", said Alison Herman in Variety. Her latest show on Netflix – a remake of Alan Alda's 1981 film of the same name – offers more of that, but with fewer laughs and added midlife wistfulness.
The series traces a year in the lives of three affluent couples in their 50s, who've been friends since college, and who now go on four mini-breaks together a year. On the first of these trips, Nick (Steve Carell) drops a bombshell, by revealing that he is planning to leave Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver), his devoted wife of 25 years.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Christian extremism: Taking 'holy war' literallyFeature A self-proclaimed minister shot two lawmakers and kept a 'kill list' targeting Democratic officials and abortion providers
-
Iran: Is regime change possible?Feature The U.S.-Israeli attack exposed cracks in Iran's regime
-
What to know about private equity in your 401(k)the explainer BlackRock is making private investments available in employer-sponsored retirement plans
-
An American girl takes on London, 'Bosch' gets another spinoff and Washington Black leaps from page to screen in July TVthe week recommends This month's new television releases include 'Too Much,' 'Ballard' and 'Washington Black'
-
Jeff in Venice: a 'triumph of tackiness'?In the Spotlight Locals protest as Bezos uses the city as a 'private amusement park' for his wedding celebrations
-
The Anatomy of Painting: Jenny Saville's 'stunning' retrospectiveThe Week Recommends Saville's new collection features 'masterpieces' from throughout her career
-
M3GAN 2.0: riotous action sequel to the comedy-horror hit about a killer dollThe Week Recommends A 'ridiculously' entertaining 'hyper-camp mash-up' of Terminator 2 and Mission: Impossible
-
Shami Chakrabarti picks her favourite booksThe Week Recommends The politician and human rights activist shares the polemics that inspired her
-
Properties of the week: bright and cheerful housesThe Week Recommends Featuring homes in Cornwall, London and Norfolk
-
6 sleek homes for modernistsFeature Featuring a concrete-and-steel home in South Carolina and a renovated 19th-century former carriage house in Pennsylvania
-
The Genius Myth: a 'fresh and unpretentious' book from Helen LewisThe Week Recommends This 'angry, witty book' by Helen Lewis is a valuable critique of the 'flattering fiction' of genius
