When the Netflix program “A Man on the Inside” debuted in November, it offered a promising dramatic hook. A retired professor and widower named Charles, played by Ted Danson, goes undercover in a senior living community to try to help a private detective determine who stole a resident’s valuable jewelry.
The show was developed by Michael Schur, whose credits include being a writer on “The Office,” a co-creator of “Parks and Recreation” and the creator of both “Brooklyn 99” and “The Good Place.” As would be expected with his background, the show proved to be a comedy with a light touch and a colorful ensemble of characters. Perhaps most importantly, however, it was poignant, moving and – to the relief of viewers in the senior living field – realistic and honest in its depiction of life in a senior living community.
Blair Burney, senior director of communications for Craft & Communicate, a senior living marketing and PR firm, has been working in senior living PR and crisis management since 2014, and she said she was impressed with how well the show captured the environment. “It felt like they did their homework rather than relying on outdated stereotypes,” she said.
“It’s refreshing to see senior living represented accurately in a mainstream show,” Burney said. “Too often, we see outdated portrayals that don’t reflect the warmth, vibrancy and relationships that define these communities. This show got it right, and I hope it encourages more honest conversations about aging, memory care and the realities of senior living today.”
Jenifer Salamino, COO of Five Star Senior Living, said she has worked in senior living for more than 20 years. Echoing Burney, she said seeing the industry in a positive light in such a prominent program “was refreshing.” The show, she said, rendered senior living as a worthwhile option for older adults, while also featuring staff members who were dedicated to their work.
“It is helpful for people to see that communities can be a vibrant, thriving alternative to one’s own home,” she said. “They did an exemplary job reflecting the supportive and caring staff that I know is true to form. It is a challenging job, and it takes special people to work in our communities – at Five Star that is something that I am the most proud of and grateful for. The show portrayed the positive impact our teams make on residents’ lives each and every day.”
Details that rang true
The show’s worthiness as a view on senior living starts with getting the little things largely right. Industry veteran Andrew Carle, president of Carle Consulting, said the show took some creative licensing as to be expected for a TV show or movie but overall he believed it provided an accurate feel for life in a community for both the residents and the staff. Some scenes might even have been familiar to senior living veterans.
“Anyone in our field who has ever attended a resident council meeting had to appreciate one resident complaining about the food being ‘too salty’ followed by a second resident complaining the food was ‘not salty enough,’” Carle said.
Burney similarly appreciated the attention to detail the creators of the show demonstrated.
“First, they used the right terminology — calling it a ‘community’ instead of a ‘facility’ — which is a small but important distinction,” Burney said. “The job titles, like executive director and culinary director, were also spot on and reflected what we see in the communities we work with. Their mannerisms and interactions with residents felt very real, too.”
Some of the challenges the community faced also rang true to Burney, such as the culinary director contending with supply issues while still prioritizing resident preferences, which she called “a great touch.”
One episode showed the start of a day for the community’s executive director, Didi, who Salamino said was played “wonderfully” by Stephanie Beatriz.
“I think every leader in senior living could relate,” Salamino said. “The Wi-Fi was down, all the managers came to them with problems, the resident council needed two hours of their day, the saltshakers were missing, and in the midst of the chaos, a resident passed away. The many hats our leaders wear on a daily basis is incredible and I am hopeful people that watch know that was not an exaggeration – this is a vocation where you have to balance strong, sound decision-making leadership skills with empathy, support and patience. I thought they captured the required patience particularly well.”
Salamino pointed out that the design of the community was among the areas where the show shined.
“They took into account the common spaces where many of our residents spend much of their time,” she said. “They also thoughtfully considered accessibility, including adequate space between tables for wheelchairs and walkers and roll-in showers. I love that the designers understood this is a community designed to facilitate resident interaction, highlighting the lack of ovens in the resident rooms to promote community dining, the exercise and art classes, trips, and experiences that open the door for the bonding that we see as our residents get to know one another and have a true sense of belonging.”
Some rare, small details that were less true to life may not have caught the eye of a regular viewer but those in the senior living field likely would have questioned them. For instance, Salamino pointed to when Danson’s character Charles wanted to move out of the community the next day, and “we know there is typically a notice period.”
Similarly, for those who have viewed the show, Burney said that she believed the team at the community would have solved the case that drives the plot faster than Charles, and Carle noted, “Pretty sure visitors can’t just steal resident records!” – as one of Charles’ accomplices does during a visit.
Still, Burney, Carle and Salamino said they did not find any major aspects of the show unrealistic, with Burney noting that “TV has to add a little drama, but overall, they didn’t take shortcuts or misrepresent what senior living really is.”
Characters that resonate
Carle believed that most of the resident and staff characters were accurate, though perhaps slightly exaggerated, versions of what might be found in a senior living community. He said the story provided true-to-life reflections of residents’ friendships, feelings of loneliness and family relationships without being patronizing. As for the staff members, he appreciated that they were shown to be caring, professional and “real” people.
“The one absence was the marketing director, whose role was essentially assigned to the executive director character,” Carle said. “Perhaps just as well as the temptation to depict that position in an unflattering way may have been too great, and detracted from the story. Maybe they should visit that in season two, with a chance to show that is not the case.”
Burney appreciated the way “A Man on the Inside” told the story of Didi, the executive director of the community, showing her to be a dedicated, effective leader.
“The executive director being involved in every aspect of the business while knowing each resident on a personal level? That’s exactly how it is in great communities,” she said.
In fact, Carle said he believed Didi was the most meaningful portrayal of a character on the show.
“Overall a depiction of someone who truly cares about the residents and delivering high quality services and care – including the hours and hands-on work she put in,” Carle said. “I was personally struck by her decision to turn down a corporate promotion to remain in the community. Not diminishing the important role of corporate, but I think the ED character reflected the way many EDs feel. It was nice to see how that was shown.”
“A Man on the Inside” delves into the lives of several residents living in the community. Among the most memorable characters is a resident named Calbert, who is played by the actor Stephen McKinley Henderson. Calbert has moved to San Francisco to be closer to his son, who rarely visits. Calbert’s subsequent sense of sadness and loneliness is another unfortunately realistic depiction in the show, Burney said, though his new friendship with Danson’s character gives him a helpful emotional lift.
A crucial element of Danson’s character is that his late wife suffered from dementia and spent time in memory care before she died. He brings that experience to the community and to his interactions with a character named Gladys who is showing initial signs similar to those his wife showed.
“One of the most powerful aspects was the main character – Ted Danson’s – emotional journey after losing his wife to dementia,” Burney said. “His conflicted feelings about memory care and the way he processed his grief were heartbreakingly real. They handled that storyline that included his daughter with depth and authenticity.”
As the show related to memory care overall, Carle said it provided “a fair, if uneven depiction of how memory care is (unfortunately) viewed by residents, including the character (Gladys) lapsing into needing to be relocated to the memory care portion of the community. The actress who played her (Susan Rattan of ‘L.A. Law’ fame) was brilliant.”
However, Carle said he wished the show ultimately had shown memory care in a more positive light “because I think it can actually offer the best environment by far when done well.”
In fact, in a potential season two, Carle believes the show could dig deeper into memory care services to show that they are “not as depressing as residents and family members may think, but can actually greatly improve quality of life, sometimes in dramatic ways. It’s really among one of the greatest contributions senior living is providing to those afflicted.”
A nuanced investigation of aging
Overall, Carle said the show’s approach to tackling the aging process was among its greatest strengths.
“They did not shy away from dementia, death, loneliness or family relationships and how they are experienced within a senior living community,” Carle said. Included in that sensitivity, Carle said he “appreciated how they incorporated the death of a main resident character and how both the staff and residents handled it – as part of their world, but still meaningful.”
Burney said “A Man on the Inside” shows that aging is “complex and deeply personal – and funny!”
“The show highlighted the connections, challenges, humor and moments of joy that happen in senior living every day,” she said. “It wasn’t just about loss or decline — it was about relationships, purpose and the value of community. That’s the side of aging that often gets overlooked in media portrayals.”
Of particular importance, Salamino said the story of the show’s main character, Charles, aligns with the stories of the majority of the residents in senior living communities.
“Many have lost their spouses and now have to contend with a new reality that can feel withdrawn and lonely,” Salamino said. “They have the comfort of their four walls, but also so many memories that can trigger sadness. The change in environment that comes with moving into a senior living community, where there are people from so many walks of life, is a new beginning with a sense of purpose, security and safety.”
A rare portrayal of senior living in media
Burney said she had no concerns about the show, saying from a public relations perspective the show helps clear up common misconceptions about senior living.
“The media still uses ‘nursing home’ and ‘senior living’ interchangeably in their reporting, but the two are very different,” Burney said. “In our work, we’re always reinforcing the correct terms so families can make informed decisions. This show using the right language — and showing what senior living actually looks like — helps normalize the conversation and take away some of the fear around this transition.”
Burney said she could not recall another TV show or film that she would recommend that placed a senior living community at the center of the story. Carle, meanwhile, pointed to the recent CBS sitcom “B Positive,” which ran from 2020 to 2022, as one that spent some time with characters who managed and worked in a senior living community, but said that though that program was “fairly positive” in its depiction of residents it depicted staff members as “lazy, stupid and pot smoking at work – very offensive.”
“Unfortunately, senior living has not often been portrayed in a positive light in most cases,” Salamino said. “We all remember the Shady Pines references on ‘Golden Girls,’ and while shows may discuss senior living or memory care in some capacity, it is typically not a focus and is often seen as a negative option for seniors. It was refreshing that ‘A Man on the Inside’ focused on the importance of senior living being a community; I have not seen that reflected this well before.”
Burney said “A Man on the Inside” clearly benefited from the team that made it. Schur and Danson previously teamed up to make “The Good Place,” a show that explored philosophy and the meaning of life with the kind of intelligence and humor that marks “A Man on the Inside” and its exploration of senior living and aging. She praised both shows for exploring “wholesome, thoughtful and positive themes” while breaking down big, complex topics into easy-to-follow conversations or moments.
“This type of show worked so well with introducing the public to senior living in a different, eye-opening way,” Burney said.
Carle agreed.
“I think anyone who has either lived in or had a family member move into a community could relate to and appreciate the show,” Carle said. “For those who may need or seek a community for someone in the future, a reasonable and positive introduction to life within.”
Ultimately, the viewers will not only get a positive view of senior living but – perhaps most importantly – an authentic one.
“The show gave an appropriately balanced view of life inside senior living: It is not a last resort for our seniors, it is a place where a community is formed and where bonds are created,” Salamino said. “Many Five Star communities have that same feeling; it is palpable when you walk in the door! Communities are lively, fun and filled with love and support — the show got that right. In addition, there is the reality of loneliness and depression, and the show addressed that with empathy and care.”
