Men of a Certain Age – CliqueClack preview

It has been my privilege to have been given the opportunity to preview three episodes of Men of a Certain Age, the new Ray Romano series on TNT. Believe me when I say that I’m not one to gush, but a privilege it has been. I’m really proud of and impressed with Romano for the job he’s done here.

Let me get this out of the way right off the bat for all those of you who’re wondering: if you hated Ray’s work on Everybody Loves Raymond, then you have nothing to worry about; Ray’s Joe is nothing like him. And if you loved Raymond? Ray is still Ray, and the sense of humor that made him a successful comic still resides within him, and in his writing (with Mike Royce, another Raymond vet), so you’ll see him in there somewhere.

I’m also going to let you in on a little secret: watch the first two episodes before making your call on MOCA (trademarked!). Not because the pilot is bad, or that they reboot the entire thing for episode two. In fact, I couldn’t get over how amazing the pilot was until I saw the second episode. But it was different … episode two is the real show, and if you want to know what it’s going to be like going forward, you have to watch it. And if you want to know who everyone is in episode two, you have to watch the pilot. Got it?

It’s also, just to continue the thought, not like the pilot of, say, recent USA Network smash hit White Collar, where it’s necessary for the stage to be set before we can watch. The beauty of MOCA is its simplicity — that is, what you see is what you get. The pilot drops us right into the lives of Joe (Romano), Terry (the always impressive Scott Bakula), and Owen (Andre Braugher, with all his Homicide: Life on the Street talent). But we do still need to meet these guys, and get a feel for who they are. But by episode two we’re already their fourth wheel.

I say above how simple MOCA is, but certainly if you were inside the life of one of the three main characters you wouldn’t feel that ease. Joe’s a divorced (or just separated — not sure) dad of two, living in one of those long-term-stay hotels, where he takes his kids to the continental breakfast on the days he has custody. He owns a party store, and is a bit addicted to gambling (the apparent reason for his split with the ex).

What’s amazing is that Romano seems real, and very comfortable in this character. The job he did by the end of Raymond’s series run was enough for what it was, but this show calls for acting, and Romano delivers in spades. He’s not his stand-up persona, but rather a guy who’s funny at home with his friends and family, in his comfort zone. His natural neurosis adds a positive layer to the character, particularly as he’s now at the crossroads of his life.

It was clear, too, that there was a healthy does of ad-libbing involved in some of the quieter moments, an observation confirmed by Bakula during an interview of his that I caught. If you’ve ever seen the bloopers on the Everybody Loves Raymond DVD sets, Ray apparently does the same sort of “enter the kitchen and try a new nickname for Debra 100 times” thing on his new show. And it’s working.

Joe was a one-time golf prospect (mini tour in the early ’80s), plays online poker, and is trying to get back together with his wife. He’s also inexplicably sensitive about possums, or maybe it’s any small animal (you’ll see). Oh! And longtime Romano friend, and sometimes actor on Raymond, Jon Manfrellotti (Gianni) plays Bert Manfro, Joe’s bookie. And boy does he look old.

Terry (Bakula) is a struggling actor/temp worker, who seems to enjoy the ladies one whole hell of a lot. Bakula talked about how much fun he’s having playing a guy like that, himself being in a long-term relationship with a bunch of kids. He’s also enjoying what he called the “play within a play” of his acting scenes. I haven’t seen any yet, but I guess they’re coming. Bakula calls Men of a Certain Age “funny and moving.” (And for all you fans out there, he said that this doesn’t preclude him from returning to Chuck at some point in the future.)

Terry’s a bit tough to get a handle on without giving too much of him away, but it’s clear that he’s frustrated with where he is in life professionally. He’s stuck in some crappy office job, where the boss and a subordinate treat him like a god walking among us. He’s the cool dude, but that’s not what he wants. His most interesting relationship (beyond the boys) is with Annie the barista/writer, played by Carla Gallo (Californication’s Daisy), who he chats up whenever he stops in for coffee or lunch. My hope is that they’re destined to somehow link up together, even if it’s a relationship that’s on and off for the life of the series. Their chemistry is that good.

And just to give you a slightly better idea of who Terry is, his opinion on cell phones (he doesn’t own one): “Those things are fads.”

The most compelling story line belongs to the actor who I’m least familiar with (yes, I’ve seen Quantum Leap). Andre Braugher’s Owen has the most points of contention in his life. He has a wife and kids back at a house that’s constantly under remodel, and he works at his father’s car dealership, and must deal with his co-workers and competition on a daily basis. Owen’s a gentle guy, but he does rise up against his father on occasion. The most amazing thing is to hear the tears he’s holding back as they catch in his throat. Braugher has perfectly captured a grown man trapped by his inability to live up to his father’s expectations.

His world is populated with a ton of recognizable faces. His wife, Melissa, is played by the lovely, and talented Lisa Gay Hamilton (The Practice). Marcus, top salesman and Owen’s uber-competitor, is Brian J. White from The Shield, and movies like Mr. 3000. And his father, Owen Sr. is played by the highly talented, and heavily traveled Richard Gant.

I think the saddest thing about Owen’s life is that he’s stuck in it. How can he walk away from his unhappiness at work with a wife and three kids to support back at home? And, as much as she may not want to, Melissa makes sure he doesn’t forget that. I think Owen’s going to have a lot to show us on MOCA, which Braugher calls “carefully observed human comedy.”

Men of a Certain Age is a show about three college friends who’ve reached middle age. Each of their stories is unique, and yet each one is also identifiable. The show type is actually one that’s generally about women, an observation I made to my wife that was reinforced by Scott Bakula in his interview. He said it’s unusual to have three guys standing around, talking about life, without a dead body on the table, or them being cops, lawyers, or doctors. But just because it’s a first doesn’t mean it doesn’t work — it works extremely well, and I’m really happy that this show came together.

Catch the series premiere of Men of a Certain Age on TNT, Monday night December 7 at 10:00 PM.

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Nov 30, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT