EDGE Interview: 'Mid-Century Modern' Redefines Family (with Bottom Jokes)

Everything old is new again is a mantra that has works very well in television. Take "Mid-Century Modern," the Hulu sit-com that drops on the streaming service on March 28. Filmed using three-cameras and a live studio audience, it is a throwback to networks ruled television comedy. As does a premise that have led to many calling it a gay "Golden Girls" – three middle-aged men decide to live together at the Palm Springs home of one of them (and his mother). Add that the series hired James Burrows, an Emmy-winning director who mentored some of the biggest sit-coms of the past, and you have the makings of a new classic sit-com.

But what is different about "Mid-Century Modern" is that it wouldn't have played well in the 1980s and 1990s when similar shows ruled television. At best, it would have been tame when it alluded to gay sex; and at worst, offensive in its likely use of stereotypes. It has taken the television's new age with the wealth of product, broader subject matters with a more open depiction of them for a show like this to find its voice. "No matter how old-fashioned 'Mid-Century Modern' is, it's easy to appreciate the liberation its creators feel in having what appears to be no barriers at all, in ditching the double entendres and puns and just kicking things off with the punchline, 'You don't look sad. You just look like a reluctant bottom,' " writes the Hollywood Reporter.

That is a line that would haven't gotten past the network censors of bygone days, but is essential to the vibe of this series, which is most modern in the way it redefines family in a non-traditional way. At the onset, the death of close friend brings brassiere mogul Bunny Schneiderman (Nathan Lane), former fashion journalist Arthur Broussard (Nathan Lee Graham) and flight attendant Jerry Frank (Matt Bomer) together again. They (and their dead friend) were inseparable 30 years before; but have drifted apart. No more, decides Bunny, who invites Arthur and Jerry to move into his spacious Palm Springs home, which he shares with his mother Sylvia (the late Linda Lavin, who passed while filming).

In their review, THR puts it this way: "The show is determined to have heart, and pauses the laughs at multiple points for sincere beats that can be summarized simply as: "It was a long journey that brought us to this place where we can laugh about some of this stuff without subterfuge." And it isn't wrong! "Mid-Century Modern" may be the best show of 1987 that couldn't have possibly been made in 1987. It back-fills a cultural void in a way that represents moving forward and backward at once, albeit probably more the latter.

EDGE speaks with Max Mutchnick and David Kohan about their concept, which they say isn't "Golden Girls"-revisited; and to actor Nathan Lee Graham, who channels his inner André Leon Talley as the fashion editor who can't cope with being pushed out of the New York fashion scene.

EDGE: Tell us about how the idea for the show came about.

David Kohan: It always stems from our experiences, whether through what I've observed in Max's life or what I've lived through myself. Max always has a group of friends around him who function like a chosen family, serving as mentors who showed him the ropes early on and with whom he has grown up. And these friendships have endured and matured. The question then became, supposing none of you had families and children, what do you do? Would these be the people you would've chosen to surround yourself with?

Max Mutchnick: Multi-camera comedies often revolve around families, whether they're blood relatives or the ones you choose. And this group is just a lot funnier.

EDGE: The conversations and language used on the show sound and feel real. Is there more freedom when your show is not on network television?

David Kohan: There is more freedom, and the key is not to abuse it. The key is to make it sound enough. Make it sound the way people talk, but don't make it so that a shocking word is not shocking anymore.

Max Mutchnick: It should do what it feels like it's done for you, which is you enjoyed it, and it made you feel comfortable, and it sounded like what you sound like. For us, it's about writing the most authentic version of the dialogue that would come out of these characters. And that's the freedom that we get with these new parameters.

David Kohan: You don't want it to be gratuitous. Jimmy Burrows, our director, always refers to it as a tonnage issue. You don't want a tonnage problem. So, for him, as long as it feels organic to who these characters are.

Max Mutchnick: And as Joel Schumacher taught us almost 30 years ago, you never want to make a multi-camera show too 'butt-fucky.' His words, not mine. And early in the pilot we had a line about being a reluctant bottom. You couldn't have said that on NBC, but people are fine with it today.

EDGE: Thank you for bringing together Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, Nathan Lee Graham, and Linda Lavin. Another dream team for you both?

David Kohan: 100%. When we were writing the pilot, we had Nathan Lane's voice in our heads. This is who we had in mind, but we didn't know if he wanted to do it. Ryan Murphy, who was working on a show with him, walked onto the set and said, "Take a look at the script." I like it. Do you want to do it?"

Max Mutchnick: It was the fastest superstar we ever booked on a show. It usually doesn't happen like that. To Ryan's credit, I tip my hat to him for thinking that Matt Bomer would be a good addition. Having Matt really changed the complexion of the show for the better because it gave us a broader cross-section of the community.

EDGE: Some fans are calling this the "gay" Golden Girls. Is that a compliment?

Max Mutchnick: It's not true.

David Kohan: But I do think it's a beloved show, and it's an easy way for people to grasp the concept immediately, even if it's a little bit inaccurate.

Max Mutchnick: It wasn't part of our creative process, but it was a tool we used to explain to people what we wanted to pitch to them, and you understand it really quickly.

Nathan Lee Graham has worked primarily on the stage in numerous queer-themed shows such as "The Wild Party" and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert." He received a 2017 Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for "The View UpStairs." Graham also received a Drama League Award nomination for the role of Rey-Rey in the off-Broadway production of Tarell Alvin McCraney's "Wig Out." Graham also won a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Performer in a Musical for the Los Angeles premiere of "The Wild Party" in 2005.In 2005, he earned a Best Classical Album Grammy Award for "Songs of Innocence and of Experience" as a soloist. In 2022, he played Hermes in the North American tour of the musical "Hadestown." His film roles include "Zoolander," "Zoolander 2," "Sweet Home Alabama," "Hitch," and "Theater Camp." On television, he has appeared in "The Comeback," "Scrubs," "Absolutely Fabulous," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Broad City," and as Bernard in the Fox comedy "LA to Vegas." He also appeared as François on the CW "Riverdale" spin-off "Katy Keene" and as Draque Noir on the Hulu series "Woke."

He talks to EDGE about playing Arthur Broussard on "Mid-Century Modern."

EDGE: What drew you to your role as Arthur

Nathan Lee Graham: Well, the fact that Max Mutchnick and David Kohan wanted me to do it ostensibly, densely. That's the biggest thing, and then I had an incredible chemistry read with Nathan Lane, who I've always been a fan of and absolutely adore him because he's phenomenal. Arthur, the character, is a wonderful, well-rounded human being with lots of dimension, color, and sage advice; he's quick-witted and has a sharp tongue. I love all these things about him, and he looks amazing.

EDGE: Do you share any similarities with Arthur?

Nathan Lee Graham: Certainly, I do. His tutorial splendor, first of all, and that he's a fashion plate, and so am I, but that's where it ends, because Arthur cares about what other people are wearing. I do not. One thing I don't share with Arthur is that he has a lot more sex than I do. So, I'd like to explore that, maybe.

EDGE: I love the fact that the show is about chosen family. Can you talk a little bit about the power of a chosen family?

Nathan Lee Graham: Well, listen, the family that you're born with is sometimes a crapshoot, right? The fact that you get to choose a family that truly knows every aspect of you is beautiful. My sister and I have the most wonderful and loving relationship, but there are things about me that she doesn't know. When you can choose who is going to be a part of your life and who is going to be supportive, nurturing, and caring, that's a significant deal. It doesn't get any better than that. So, chosen family, in some ways, is the most beautiful thing in the world.

Tell us about working with the incredible cast.

Nathan Lee Graham: Well, I'm a fan of everyone's work. I'm a fan of Matt Bower, Nathan Lane, and the late, great Linda Lavin. When you're a fan of someone's work and then you get a chance to work with them, it's magic. I couldn't believe this was really happening. I had to pinch myself all the time. You also bring your A game because you want the work to be as enjoyable for them as it is for you. Working on this show has been a wonderful experience. We all have a lot in common, especially when it comes to the theater, but what's most important is the chemistry we share, which is unspoken and has been present from day one.

"Mid-Century Modern" is streaming on Hulu.