3 Best TV Shows Similar to Lizzie McGuire

In one of A Man on the Inside creator Michael Schur’s previous series—The Good Place—there’s a moment when one character explains that, as humans, we all know that we will someday die. That means we all walk around a little sad, even during our happiest moments. That kind of melancholic joy is where his newest series dwells. It’s a show with lots of laughs, excellent characters, and the pervasive knowledge that there is an end somewhere out on the horizon. For most of A Man on the Inside’s characters, that end feels close indeed. That’s because the action primarily focuses on a Senior Living facility in San Francisco, Pacific View Retirement Community. That’s where private investigator Julie Kavalenko (Lilah Richcreek Estrada) sends her newest hire, Charles Nieuwendyk (Ted Danson). The mission is simple enough. Someone stole a necklace from Evan Cubbler’s (Marc Evan Jackson, doing WASP with a side of withering contempt as only he can) mother Helen (Danielle Kennedy). He wants it back and the thief hauled in. Charles, lost in many ways after the death of his wife, sees it as an opportunity to honor his daughter Emily’s (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) request he finds something to spark his passion. Julie thinks she can’t find anyone his age nearly as spry or capable of using a phone. Stephanie Beatriz and Mary Elizabeth Ellis discuss fashion and wallpaper. Specifically, how pastels and neutrals are great for both. (Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix) In other hands, this could be an invitation to a bunch of jokes about how older adults are weird and/or gross and/or dumb. Thankfully, Schur and his collaborators Emalee Burditt and Morgan Sackett are not other hands. While there are some “this person/these people are weird” bits, they’re personality, not age-based. The show doesn’t pretend the bulk of the cast isn’t seniors but they don’t use that to other anyone. That’s not surprising given Schur plays in the same kind of “humane, but hilarious” sandbox as Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Shrinking), although Schur typically trends gentler and less ribald. Continue Reading →

Sometimes, there’s nothing wrong with a television show or film from a creativity or execution standpoint. Sometimes, it just has bad timing. It’s still unclear which--or how much of each--is true of St. Denis Medical after screening the six episodes (1-5, 7) provided to critics. Certainly, the series’ choice of the mockumentary with interspersed talking heads format does suffer for timing. There’s little to no freshness left in the approach made storytelling structure du jour back when the American incarnation of The Office entered its imperial era in 2006. While by no means ubiquitous, the subsequent critical and/or ratings successes of shows like Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, What We Do in the Shadows, and Abbott Elementary have made the subgenre’s pleasures familiar. That doesn’t mean it can’t work. After all, both Shadows and Abbott continue to be two of the more consistent pleasures on TV. But it does give a new show playing in that sandbox a bit tougher time. That acknowledged, the format still can give great performers an excellent stage. So St. Denis Medical’s sweet and pleasant but not hilarious vibes suggest that the familiar—perhaps tired—subgenre isn’t the only issue here. Of course, there might be a gulf between what appeals to this critic and what the show wants to do. At this juncture, it seems to be looking for a slower, gentler pace. A show that’s less a joke machine and more a “love and learn with laughs” style throwback. Lead nurse Alex’s (Allison Tolman) stymied efforts to get to her daughter’s musical in the pilot, capped by a milkshake and pep talk from veteran doctor Ron (David Alan Grier) supports this. Continue Reading →

Netflix’s new romance limited series offers a thoughtful, warm adaptation of the 2009 novel. The hook of author David Nicholls’ 2009 novel is irresistible. Readers catch up with two former classmates who are something more than friends but not quite lovers on the same day, July 19, every year from 1988 to 2008. It’s no wonder it has managed two adaptations in the 15 years since its release—first as a 2011 movie directed by Lone Scherfig from a script by Nicholls himself and now as a limited series created by Nicole Taylor, with only one Nicholls’ script among the fourteen episodes. Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall) is handsome, charismatic, and just rich enough not to worry about making a plan for his future. Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) is also quite attractive—although she can’t (or won’t) see it—and from a working-class background that makes her feel as though she can’t pursue her clear goal for the future: to become a writer. They travel in different circles, but on the night of graduation, they end up falling into her bed. While they kiss plenty, it never goes further, Emma preferring to chat despite her massive and evident crush on Dexter.  Continue Reading →