Grab your gays and your good moisturizer—Mid-Century Modern is serving Palm Springs realness, chosen family feels, and enough one-liners to fill your group chat for weeks.
From Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan and executive producer Ryan Murphy comes a deliciously sharp, laugh-out-loud new comedy.
All 10 episodes of Mid-Century Modern drop March 28 on Hulu, and trust us, you’ll want to binge them faster than Sybil Schneiderman can judge your wardrobe.
The Premise: Three Queens and a Mother
Picture this: three longtime best friends—Bunny (Nathan Lane), Jerry (Matt Bomer), and Arthur (Nathan Lee Graham)—reunite after a death in their circle and decide to live out their golden years under one Palm Springs roof.
While the elevator pitch might’ve once been “Gay Golden Girls,” the creators were quick to clarify in our interview—it’s not a remake. It’s a reinvention. “Gay Golden Girls was just a shorthand,” said Kohan.
“If you were to say, well, here’s a group of guys, and they shared a house years ago on Fire Island, but now one of ’em dies and blah, blah, blah. It’s like Gay Golden Girls got it. I mean, it really is, it’s a way to understand the concept very, very quickly, even though it’s not based on the Golden Girls or anything like that, but the dynamic is comparable.”
The Cast: Theater Royalty with Comedic Chemistry
The magic, as Mutchnick described, sparked the moment the trio shared the screen. “You knew it was working when the three of them were together in that three-way conversation, he said.
“I mean, Linda was this incredible spice that we love and miss, but the fact that the alchemy of these three actors creating that friendship, it was amazing. And that’s when we knew, oh, maybe this is going to be a thing.”
Nathan Lee Graham, who plays the chic and cerebral Arthur, added that their shared theater backgrounds made the on-set vibe effortless. “When you’re from the theater, certain things are unspoken,” he told us. “The chemistry was just there. We’re very lucky to have it because it does not happen all the time.”
Arthur Broussard: A Whole Human Being (With Better Taste Than You)
For Graham, stepping into Arthur felt like a dream. “I didn’t have to make my character be fully. So this is nice to have a black queer character, Arthur Broussard. I can just step into him and just start playing,” he said. “I think people will find it refreshing because he’s a whole human being.”
While Graham wouldn’t pick a single favorite line (he was too busy laughing at co-stars repeating “Did he? She?” on set), he promised Arthur’s dialogue is “already classic.”
A Legend, Honored with Love
Linda Lavin, who brought unforgettable warmth and wicked wit to Sybil, tragically passed away in December, having completed three-quarters of the season. Her final episodes are handled with extraordinary care by the writers, cast, and crew, culminating in a tribute titled “Here’s to You, Mrs. Schneiderman.” It’s a beautifully somber and deeply emotional episode that honors Lavin’s legacy with both laughter and reverence.
Graham reflected on filming the tribute: “We wanted to show up, bring our A-game, and celebrate the wonderful artist that is Linda Lavin,” he said. “It’s one of the best episodes of television I’ve ever done—or seen. And I don’t say that with hyperbole.”
Zingers, Birkins, and Game of Thrones
And if you’re wondering about the zingers? Oh honey. They’re endless. One line that’s already causing waves? A deadpan delivery from Lavin’s Sybil: “As my mother used to say, time is a cunt.” Expect that on a T-shirt by the weekend.
“There’s a line in the pilot that really made me laugh,” Nathan Lane shared. “Bunny’s on a date and says, ‘Don’t get me wrong, you can chain me to the wall like a starfish and wreck me like a background actress on Game of Thrones, but it’s going to be a while before I let you see my tummy.’”
Graham also shared his current favorite: “There’s a moment in the tribute episode where I possibly may be gifted something fabulous from Sybil, and the line is simply: ‘Birkin bag, Birkin bag.'”
So, Should You Watch?
If you’ve ever wished for a show that feels like a vintage cocktail party hosted by your funniest gay uncles—with a little emotional depth tucked between one-liners—Mid-Century Modern is your new obsession. It’s witty, warm, and wildly memeable.
In the words of Graham: “We’re just having a grand old time. And I hope people feel seen and represented.”
Watch our interviews with the cast and creators below.
