Men of a Certain Age

Plot

The series follows the adventures of three lifelong friends – Joe, Owen, and Terry – who are now in their late 40s. (Joe and Terry turn 50 in Season 2.) Joe (Ray Romano) is a timid separated father of two (Brittany Curran as Lucy, and Braeden Lemasters as Albert) who had dreamed of becoming a pro golfer but now owns a party supply store, and has a gambling addiction. Owen (Andre Braugher) is an anxiety-stricken, diabetic husband and father, who works at a job he hates, at a car dealership owned and managed by his father, Owen, sr. (Richard Gant), a former NBA player. Terry (Scott Bakula) is an unemployed actor desperate to relive his past glory. He has never married, and usually dates younger women.

In the second season, Owen's father has retired and left Owen in charge of the dealership, where Terry now works as a salesman, and Joe is now officially divorced.

Main cast

Recurring cast

Development

In March 2008, TNT announced that it had ordered a pilot based on a script written by Ray Romano and Mike Royce. Both men had previously worked together on Everybody Loves Raymond. Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula were announced in June and July, respectively, to also star in the series with Romano. In January 2009, TNT ordered 10 episodes of Men of a Certain Age. It is Bakula's first series as a regular cast member since Star Trek: Enterprise, Braugher's first regular role since Thief ended in 2006, and Romano's first series since Everybody Loves Raymond wrapped in May 2005. Men of a Certain Age premiered on TNT on December 7, 2009. It was given a TV-MA-L rating because of strong language. On January 14, 2010 TNT renewed the show for a second season, which premiered on December 6, 2010. The second season was aired in two batches of six episodes each.

On July 15, 2011, TNT announced that they would not be renewing Men of a Certain Age for a third season.

Critical reception

Season one was met with positive reviews. According to aggregate review site Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 89% approval rating based on 18 reviews. The sites consensus reads: "Witty, insightful, and poignant, Men of a Certain Age is a second-act triumph for stars Scott Bakula, Andre Braugher, and Ray Romano." It holds a Metacritic score of 79 out of 100, based on 24 collected reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Season two was met with equally positive reviews. It holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 14 reviews. The sites consensus reads: "Sharply written and deftly acted, Men of a Certain Age continues to be an observational sitcom of rare insight and depth." It holds a Metacritic score of 86 out of 100, based on 15 collected reviews, indicating "universal acclaim."

Awards and Nominations

International broadcasts

In Canada, Men of a Certain Age can be seen on Super Channel. In Latin America, Men of a Certain Age premiered on July 13, 2010 on the prime time block of Warner Channel.