Ivan Radford | On 01, Dec 2024

Loneliness and isolation is one of the biggest problems facing society today – and, ironically, we don’t tend to talk about it much. A Man on the Inside, Michael Schur’s new Netflix series, might help to change that. That, in itself, would make it an admirable success, but it’s also very, very good.

The comedy is inspired by the fantastic documentary The Mole Agent, which followed a retired man going undercover to investigate allegations of suspicious goings-on in a care home. Schur’s dramatised account cleverly spins that out into a full series – with potential built in for future outings.

Ted Danson plays Charles (Ted Danson), a retired professor who has retreated into a life of solitude since his wife passed away. His estranged daughter, Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) challenges him to come out of his shell, and he does so by impulsively replying to a job advert. The job? To work with private detective Julie (Lilah Richcreek) to be a man on the inside in a retirement home where someone says their jewellery has been stolen. And so Charles – wearing a pocket square to demonstrate he’s in spy mode – moves in to Pacific View Retirement Community, while trying to avoid being noticed by the home’s watchful manager, Didi, (Stephanie Beatriz).

The chance to see Ted Danson reunite with the creator of The Good Place is reason enough to tune in, and he’s wonderful as Charles, capable of being suave and goofy at the same time, with a moving vulnerability that balances out his childish excitement at attempting espionage. He’s as endearingly incompetent as he is earnestly affectionate towards his newfound friends – and if he wasn’t so sincere, the show’s study of overcoming isolation wouldn’t carry anywhere near as much emotional weight. Danson’s natural charisma and comic timing, meanwhile, keep proceedings as light as a feather.

It’s also a chance to see Stephanie Beatriz reunite with Schur after Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and she’s equally brilliant as the diligent Didi, carrying out her job with a conviction that avoids her turning into a token villain. Like both of Schur’s previous shows, A Man on the Inside excels at being an ensemble piece, with the supporting cast stuffed with eccentric figures and talented performers.

The ubiquitous and always-superb Stephen McKinley Henderson is heartbreaking as the backgammon-loving, conversation-hating Calbert. John Getz is hilarious as the antagonistic Elliott, who is determined to compete with Charles over Florence (Margaret Avery). And And Susan Ruttan is adorable as Gladys, a former costume designer who is living with dementia.

The result is a deftly funny group comedy that, by staying true to the documentary, also works as a witty mystery. Sitting somewhere between Ted Lasso and Only Murders in the Building, its eight half-hour episodes fly past in a breeze of cuteness – and remind us that the solution to most things in life is to go through it with other people. More please.

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