Turns out, in addition to everything else good about it, Men of a Certain Age is the uncanny forecaster of an upcoming broadcasting trend this fall: shows about men who feel insecure about their place in the world, their masculinity, their relationships with women. New sitcoms such as Free Agents, Man Up!, and Last Man Standing will all joke nervously about the topics that the guys on Men of a Certain Age have been discussing for two seasons — except our Men does it with a more nuanced, sometimes poignant approach. Add the Mad Men-envy of a bygone world in which men were men and women were human ashtrays that crops up in the new fall dramas The Playboy Club and Pan Am, and Men of a Certain Age looks positively prophetic. By contrast and unfortunately, the premiering show that preceded Certain Age, Franklin & Bash, offers a view of manhood that’s closer to the 2007 ABC sitcom Cavemen… and that may be a slight insult to Cavemen. READ FULL STORY »
