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Retirement-themed shows do not come by often, as most of the shows focus on the lives of younger people who have more exciting adventures to look forward to. However, there have been some thrilling shows over the years that have focused on the equally important later years of life and the much wisdom that one can gain from it. Therefore, here are 10 retirement-themed shows that offer a pinch of humor and some reflective moments about fulfilment and identity.
Disclaimer: This entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.
Getting On, The Golden Girls, and other retirement-themed shows
1. Grace and Frankie
Starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and others, this comedy series was created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Harris. The series is one of the retirement-themed shows and focuses on two aging women, Grace Hanson (Fonda) and Frankie Bergstein (Tomlin), who become best of friends under the most extraordinary conditions. When the duo’s husbands reveal that they are in love with each other and want to get married, Grace and Frankie find companionship in one another and discover the second innings of life. While Grace is a retired cosmetics mogul and is sharp-tongued, Frankie is a hippie and an artist. Opposites in all respects, the two women are not fond of each other but begin to appreciate their differences and become friends. The series has seven seasons and aired from 2015 to 2022. The show won several awards and was received positively for its light-hearted yet heartfelt tone. It is one of those retirement-themed shows that looks at life in the silver years and features themes of medical scares, business ventures, and family drama.
2. The Cool Kids
Even though this show has only one season, it is a light-hearted sitcom about the later years in life and is one of the must-watch retirement-themed shows. Created by Charlie Day and Paul Fruchbom and starring David Alan Grier, Martin Mull, and others, the series focuses on three male residents in a retirement community called Shady Meadows Retirement Community. The three are set in their ways and rule the roost in the community. However, things change when a rebellious new female occupant joins them, and the three men are forced to adapt their ways. The show cleverly highlights how difficult it is to change as a person after a certain amount of time and how aging people are generally seen as cranky. It is one of those retirement-themed shows that can be watched quickly because of its one-season run. Here, the spotlight is on retirees, and the show offers moments of both rib-tickling laughter and poignant reflective moments.
3. The Kominsky Method
Created by Chuck Lorre and starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Alan Arkin, and others, this comedy-drama series is written by Lorre, Al Higgins, and David Javerbaum. The show has three seasons and aired from 2018 to 2021, and is one of the best retirement-themed shows. It focuses on Sandy Kominsky (Douglas), who was once a successful actor in Hollywood and now works as an acting coach. While Sandy is technically retired, he is still trying to get work. The show is a poignant and heartfelt series with moments of laughter. Sandy is unable to find roles that enrich him, and he must deal with a bunch of eclectic students instead. The series focuses on the challenges of aging and finding oneself in the later years of life. Therefore, it is one of those retirement-themed shows that are both humorous and poignant. The show has a lot of guest stars, and viewers who enjoyed the pairing of Douglas and Turner in the 1980s will enjoy the pair coming back together in the show.
4. Getting On
Starring Laurie Metcalf, Alex Borstein, and others, this comedy series is based on the British show of the same name by Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer. The show garnered positive reviews and has three seasons, which aired from 2013 to 2015. The series focuses on the lives of the staff at the Billy Barnes Extended Care Unit of the down-and-out Mount Palms Memorial Hospital in Long Beach, California. It is one of the must-watch retirement-themed shows, as even though the series focuses on the various staff members, its premise revolves around retirement life, and there are various stories about the retirees in the series. The show has the perfect balance of humor and sensitivity and is one of the must-watch retirement-themed shows. The series’ protagonist is Jenna (Metcalf), who is the director of medicine at the institute. Other important characters are the head nurse Dawn (Borstein), another nurse Didi (Niecy Nash), and others.
5. Last Tango in Halifax
Created by Sally Wainwright and starring Derek Jacobi, Anne Reid, and others, this British comedy-drama has five seasons and aired from 2012 to 2020. The show received widespread critical and commercial praise and is noted for its sensitive depiction of the older generation, their struggles, and the strong acting and dialogue. The series focuses on Alan (Jacobi) and Celia (Reid), who are both widowed and in their 70s. However, the two used to like each other back in the 1950s and had never expressed their feelings. When the two discover the wonder of social media and are reconnected through Facebook by their grandchildren, Alan and Celia decide to finally express their passionate feelings for one another. The show has moments of humor and lots of reflective and heartfelt moments that make this one of the best retirement-themed shows to watch. The series also focuses on how the couple’s respective daughters take this new piece of information and how an aging couple’s romance often causes problems for their children. The series is sweet and refreshing and is one of the must-watch retirement-themed shows.
6. Hot in Cleveland
Starring Betty White, Valerie Bertinelli, and others, this sitcom is created by Suzanne Martin and has six seasons that aired from 2010 to 2015. The show focuses on three best friends from Los Angeles, Melanie (Bertinelli), Joy (Jane Leeves), and Victoria (Wendie Malick), who decide to stay back in Cleveland, Ohio, after their Paris-bound plane makes an emergency landing. Impressed by the less youth-obsessed and less shallow community, the three middle-aged ladies decide to lease a home and stay at the guest house. However, their life is about to have lots of mayhem as the retired caretaker Eka (White) is sassy and has lots of stories from her own days. Viewers who enjoy the evergreen screen presence of Betty White will love such retirement-themed shows. The show is a modern-day version of The Golden Girls, and each scene is made colorful by White’s superb performance. It is one of those retirement-themed shows that are a must-watch.
7. A Man on the Inside
Based on the 2020 documentary movie by Maite Alberdi, this comedy series is created by Michael Schur and features Ted Danson, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, and others. The show has one season so far, with a second season soon coming up. The series won critical and commercial acclaim and is a light-hearted and reflective watch. Danson stars Charles Nieuwendyk, who is a widowed and retired college engineering professor. However, his life changes when he takes up the job of being an investigative assistant for a private detective and has to go undercover at the Pacific View Retirement Community in San Francisco to find a missing ruby necklace. The series is, therefore, one of the retirement-themed shows and has the perfect balance of humor and poignancy. Charles suffers from loneliness and, therefore, becomes a private investigator. Therefore, the show has themes of loneliness in retired adults. It is one of the must-watch retirement-themed shows and has lots of hilarious moments and eccentric characters.
8. The Golden Girls
One of the best retirement-themed shows to have ever been created, this sitcom is created by Susan Harris and features Betty White, Beatrice Arthur, and others. The show has 7 seasons and aired from 1985 to 1992. The show focuses on four older single women, three of whom are widows and one of whom is divorced. The four women share a house in Miami and navigate their later years with lots of humor, chaos, and friendship. The show is one of the most popular shows and has received several awards during its run. It is a show that still feels fresh and has some memorable performances that still garner new fans to this day. While some of the women have not retired fully, all of them are in the silver years of their lives and deal with themes like identity, sisterhood, and laughter. It is one of the must-watch retirement-themed shows as it has lots of witty dialogues, loads of laughter, and heartfelt moments.
9. Retired at 35
Created by Chris Case and starring George Segal, Josh McDermitt, and others, this sitcom has two seasons and aired from 2011 to 2012. The series is about a successful New Yorker called David (Johnathan McClain), who decides to leave the rat race of the big cities and wants to visit his parents who live in a retirement home in Florida. David is impulsive and in order to reconnect with his parents, he quickly decides to quit his job and wants to enjoy the life after retirement that many dream about. However, his life turns upside down when he realizes that his parents are separating soon. The show is one of the must-watch retirement-themed shows and has lots of laughter and quiet, reflective moments as well. The series showcases that not everything is positive after entering a life of retirement, and the later years of life have their own struggles. It is, therefore, one of the must-watch retirement-themed shows.
10. Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living
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Starring Courtney Nichole, Tayler Buck, and others, this sitcom is created by Tyler Perry, who has also written and directed the show. It is one of the must-watch retirement-themed shows and has six seasons so far that began airing in 2020. The show is about Jeremy (Na’im Lynn) and his family. Jeremy loses his job, and he decides to move back to Georgia to help his grandfather. His grandfather has bought a run-down home for the elderly, and therefore Jeremy decides to step in. Other important characters in the show are Mr. Brown and Cora, who are investors. The show focuses on the hilarious moments that Jeremy encounters as he deals with quirky retirees and his own grandfather. Therefore, it is one of those retirement-themed shows that is very much about the later years in life. Exciting, heartfelt, and hilarious, it is one of the must-watch retirement-themed shows.
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