Men of a Certain Age

The “certain” age in the title of this outstanding series might best be defined as “the age of uncertainty.” The three central characters are members of that vague demographic, “middle age.” They face the fact that things just didn’t turn out as planned, or perhaps even as wished for. Joe (Ray Romano), divorced, tries to maintain good relations with his children and start “good relations” with women he meets. Terry (Scott Bakula), an actor whose career never took off, has often found success with women, an achievement noted by his two friends. But even for him this is a fading thrill. Owen (Andre Braugher), an automobile sales executive who lives in the shadow and under the thumb of a dynamic, overbearing father, relies on a strong marriage to a strong woman with whom he raises his own kids. Men presents characters as adults with real problems and real friends, who listen, watch over one another and make fun of everyone else’s issues. No whining this show says. Take yourself seriously—just not very. For creating “real” men whose problems are more likely to be solved with a good joke at someone else’s expense than with superpowers or pistols, Men of a Certain Age receives a Peabody Award.