Scene for scene, it was one of the most enjoyable hours you were likely to find on television in 2011.
It seems that the angle of my last Men of a Certain Age write-up turned out to be unfortunately accurate. The TNT brass announced on July 15 that they would not be renewing the struggling coming-of-middle-age drama for a third season.
This came as a disappointment but not much of a shock. TNT has managed to construct a formidable lineup of original programming, at least from a ratings perspective. And Men of a Certain Age doesn’t really fit the mold created by shows like Rizzoli & Isles and The Closer, shows populated by what could kindly be referred to as “wise-cracking archetypes.”
Men, with its subtle, elegiac tone and multi-faceted characters, seems cut from a different cloth. Stars Andre Braugher, Scott Bakula, and star-cum-creator Ray Romano are funny, but they don’t spout overheated one-liners or mug for the camera. Its seriocomedic format also breaks with the procedural structure evinced by just about every other show on the channel.
The show’s something of an anomaly in the larger context of basic cable programming, as well. USA’s followed much the same path as TNT, and Men would be no more at home among the likes of White Collar and Burn Notice than it was on TNT. It’s not quite Serious enough for the likes of FX’s Rescue Me or Sons of Anarchy or AMC’s Mad Men or Breaking Bad.
But the fact that Men of a Certain Age doesn’t fit neatly within an established programming block doesn’t mean it deserves its cancellation. In fact, Men of a Certain Age’s generic slipperiness is one of the things that make it so compelling. Dramedies are a dime a dozen in the modern televisual landscape, but much rarer are shows that actually seem to follow the rhythms of Real Life. Men doesn’t alternate between quippy, stylized comedy and stone-faced dramatics like so many of its peers. Rather, it appreciates that the funny and the serious are two sides of the same coin, that we use the former to deal with the latter. It doesn’t try vainly to erect an artificial barrier between the two.
And if that’s what makes Men of a Certain Age so brilliant, it’s also what makes it so scary. Escaping into universes of either pure farce or pure melodrama is easy; we turn our brains off because we recognize our lives are nothing like the ones we see on the screen. Men of a Certain Age refused to let us escape.
But once you recognize that, you can appreciate just how sublime a show Romano and co-creator Mike Royce have put together. Breathtakingly shot, wonderfully acted, and immaculately scripted, Men of a Certain Age is, in its best moments, nothing short of a triumph. Scene for scene, it was one of the most enjoyable hours you were likely to find on television in 2011.
So I say to you, television executives: don’t give up on Men simply because it’s “too real.” Embrace it for the same. Find a spot for Royce and Romano’s weird, funny, tragic little gem of a show among your programming. Showtime? Maybe you could bring your slate of histrionic comedy-dramas a bit closer to Earth. Or A&E! Perhaps you’re interested in padding out your fairly light lineup of scripted shows. Perhaps the show could find its way back to HBO, where it began its journey.
Regardless, I hope sincerely that it finds a home somewhere. And if you’re as crushed as I am by the idea of never seeing Joe, Terry, and Owen again, do go and join the “Save Men of a Certain Age” Facebook group. Or call your cable/satellite provider and tell them how much you love the show. Or go stand outside of your local television executive’s window with a boombox and blast the Beach Boys’ “When I Grow Up (to Be a Man).” Do anything you can to show your love. Men of a Certain Age gave you hours of inimitable entertainment; now it’s time to return the favor.
—Image via TNT
This was one of the very few shows that made me feel some connection for the truth of men’s lives. I think the truth telling was too much for the general public. Usually, I get so sick of seeing men on TV, all the fake shows, all the he-man shoot people, sexist trash of TV…you get to the point where you have absolutely zero sympathy for all men on the planet. Then surprise, along comes this show, and a realistic portrayal of what men always hide behind reveals itself… the masks come off… the failed careers, the incompetant relationships with… Read more »
Save – Save – Save … there is SO MUCH junk on the airwaves, this was one of those gems.
There are 7500 strong on our FB page who agree with everything you said! Thanks for saying it so eloquently! In 2.5 weeks we have rallied with a petition and the Facebook page. We will not give up on being heard until the proverbial fat lady has sung. We know from daily posts that many fans of the show still have not heard it is canceled. Everyone, come join us at the link above and fight for quality TV that is slowly joining the dinosaurs. This show can not die a premature death. There is still so much to do… Read more »
Save from the egregious amount of Chrysler product placement, I would have to agree with the author on this one. I have found myself captivated by the issues and conflicts that the three men have to face. I appreciate the show because it respects my intelligence and resists cheap gimmicks found in most other shows, especially on TNT. Men of a Certain Age deserves a home where there is audience interested in the introspective nature of the show.
speaking of White Collar, though, Peter Burke is a Good Man on television if ever there was one.