Requiem for a sitcom

   I’m sad. 

   I recently finished the six seasons of Grace and Frankie on Netflix, and I’m sad that, from what I hear, there won’t be any more episodes. Really – I’m in mourning over a sitcom.  (Hey, this is a refreshing change from everything else there is to be sad about these days!)

   For a sitcom, Grace and Frankie is truly remarkable, very much worthy of being missed.  When I began watching this show about two older women, prim and proper Grace played by the great Jane Fonda and free-spirited Frankie played by the incomparable Lily Tomlin, who end up living and on ventures together after their long-time husbands, dressed-down Robert remarkably played by Martin Sheen and adventurous Sol played whole-heartedly by Sam Waterston, who are law partners and announce that they are gay and love each other, I thought it was fine enough, but it grew and grew on me as I watched episode after episode. 

   I think this was because this sitcom is truly remarkable – ground-breaking.  For one thing, its wonderful older characters are played by wonderful older actresses and actors (it’s particularly fun seeing Sheen playing a gay man – well – and, as I said, Tomlin is simply a delight).This alone is very unique.  And beside from these principle players, there’s a stunning line-up of older guest stars, including, but not only, Peter Gallagher, Michael McKean, Craig T. Nelson, Estelle Parsons and, all too briefly, the great, great Sam Elliot. 

   All these older actors and actresses are very capably supported by the actors and actresses who play the divorced couples’ adult children who intermingle in various, amusing ways.

   Another way that this sitcom is ground-breaking is the sensitive, smart and funny way it portrays gay men and being gay.  Robert and Sol are new to being gay, as old as they are, and, as they discover in amusing ways as the series goes on, there is more, so much more, to being gay than kissing and enjoying musicals. In one remarkable episode, Robert and Sol get married when Robert is in the hospital after having a heart attack and it’s not known if he’ll survive.

   All this happens in the beautiful, sunny San Diego area, including the wonderfully elegant yet funky beach house – I think it belonged to Frankie and Sol – where Frankie and Grace live and come up with their various ventures, including making vibrators for those who are older and arthritic or perhaps otherwise disabled – another ground-breaking feature, sex and the elderly and disabled.  Sure, there are ridiculous, non-sensible twists and turns, especially with Frankie, but, come on, this is a sitcom.  Overall, the series is amazingly adventurous and clear-eyed.  As with a day at the sunny beach, it is sad to have it be over.