Sitcoms aren’t what they used to be. Though a select few on network television, like “Abbott Elementary” and “Ghosts,” pay homage to comedies of the past while tapping into present-day culture, sitcoms today rarely feel truly universal. NBC’s “Newlyweds,” co-created by Jamie Lee Curtis and (the since-fired) Gail Lerner, is fun and refreshing, speaking to a collective audience across generations.
Set in present-day Los Angeles, “Newlyweds” begins with a blind date. James (Tim Daly), a reserved college professor, sits anxiously in a restaurant, awaiting Jeanie (Téa Leoni), a free-spirited middle school teacher who is trying to decide whether she even wants to meet James. After individually deciding to bail on the dinner, the pair run into each other by the valet, and their mutual attraction, despite their vastly different personalities, leads to a spicy evening together. The duo initially believes that they are just having a fling, especially when James’ work sends him to Norway for a month. However, the couple’s connection continues to blossom, and they end up marrying in Las Vegas just six weeks after meeting. Despite their whirlwind romance, neither James nor Jeanie anticipates how different their lives are. Jeanie is enmeshed with her adult children, Poppy (Emma Meisel) and Lolo (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio), who still live at home. Meanwhile, James’ meddling ex-wife, Claudia (Jamie Lee Curtis), remains an aggravating fixture in his otherwise buttoned-up existence.
Across the 13-episode first season (critics received three episodes for review), the pair immerse themselves in a newlywed bubble while trying to embrace the chaotic family and friends who orbit them — often infiltrating their private moments. Real-life couple Leoni and Daly work wonderfully as a later-in-life couple, invigorated by this new romantic chapter as they navigate long-held histories, patterns and preferences. Though the duo forms a gentle, tenderhearted center, the ensemble as a whole elevates “Newlyweds,” allowing it to stand above so many recent middling entries in the sitcom space.
While all of the episodes provided have their amusing moments, Episode 3, “We’ll Never Have Paris,” is the best of the bunch. During the episode, Jeanie and James’ mini-moon plans are constantly interrupted by Claudia and Jeanie’s children. James even tries to comfort a distraught Poppy after a breakup. Still, the banter between Claudia and Arvid (Bill O’Neill), aka Milky, James’ Norwegian-born teaching assistant, consistently stands out throughout the show.
As Claudia, Curtis is perfectly biting and obnoxious, willing to insert herself into her ex-husband’s life for sport, stomping on his feeble boundaries. However, it’s O’Neill’s turn as Arvid that elevates the series. Like Sean Hayes’ Jack McFarland in “Will & Grace,” O’Neill has perfect comedic timing, throwing himself into every aspect of the character’s physical comedy with energetic vibrancy.
What’s more, because the couple moves between two worlds — Jeanie’s modest city bungalow with all its warmth and Gen Z angst, and James’ museum-like suburban estate — viewers see how differently the pair live, and the shenanigans they get into when forced outside their respective comfort zones.
These days, it’s rare to actually laugh out loud to sitcoms, which is why “Newlyweds” is already off to a stellar start. The cast works like a well-oiled machine, and the characters feel tangible, as if the audience lives next door. Interestingly, Lerner, who co-created the series with Curtis and served as showrunner for the first six episodes, was recently fired because of “creative differences,” and “The Conners” co-creator Bruce Helford has been brought in to replace her for the duration of the season. Whether the show builds on its already solid foundation or collapses in on itself will be fascinating to watch. For now, “Newlyweds” feels refreshing and enjoyable.
“Newlyweds” debuts Oct. 23 on NBC, with the remaining episodes airing weekly on Fridays.