‘The Cool Kids’ Creators and Stars on How Sitcoms Have Changed

Getting older doesn’t mean you forget social hierarchies. That’s exactly what Fox’s new comedy, The Cool Kids, explores. Set in a retirement community and starring and impressive assortment of iconic sitcom actors, this multi-cam explores the antics of four crazy friends trying to outsmart the staff of an old folks home.

Perhaps the most interesting element about The Cool Kids is that aside from the age of its stars, there’s really not much revolutionary about the multi-cam comedy. That’s intentional. During the Television Critics Association‘s 2018 tour, The Cool Kids‘ creators and stars spoke to Decider about how this very silly show came to be and how it breaks the sitcom mold by following every rule in the book with a cast you may not expect.

“I always wanted to make [a multi-cam],” show co-creator Charlie Day said. “I grew up on them, and I like them, and I kinda felt like using an older cast we could make one that was a little more traditional, maybe a throwback to the original multi-cams.”

The idea to make a traditional comedy starring older actors also came from the success Day saw working with the older actors on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Day later brought in Patrick Walsh, who worked with Day on Always Sunny, as executive producer for the show. David Alan Grier, Martin Mull, Leslie Jordan, and Vicki Lawrence were later cast for the series.

The Cool Kids doesn’t shy away from many topics connected to its characters’ ages. The first few episodes of the series fearlessly take jabs at racism, sexism, and homophobia through its leading characters’ experiences. But the way Walsh sees it, The Cool Kids isn’t necessarily interested in making a larger political point. It just wants to be as funny as possible using its diverse and mature cast.

“I think as long as people like the performers, you can go a long way with that stuff and these are some of the most likable performers,” Walsh said. “I can’t really say we are doing issues-of-the-week at this point, but a lot of the jokes tend towards the political and what’s going on. Everyone on television is talking about #MeToo, for example, but you don’t often hear what an 80-year-old thinks of #MeToo. So it gives you a lot of great new joke areas to play with, which is really fun.”

When asked how sitcoms have evolved over the years, David Alan Grier pointed to Hannah Gadsby’s standup special Nannette as an example of how comedy has evolved to be more serious. The former In Living Color star plays Hank, a by-the-books retiree who often gets lost in his own anger. “Does every comedy event have to be encapsulated with bigger politics and emotional stories? And my thing is like everything cannot and should not be the same, so there’s a variety,” he said. “[More issues-focused comedy] is not our lane right now. We’re trying to get those laughs, man. Make escapist entertainment.”

“It’s not pushing the envelope,” Leslie Jordan said of the series. Jordan, best known for his work on Will & Grace, plays Sid, a nervous gay man who is often the emotional center of this group. “I do like that it’s a gay man, a black man, a white hippie, a woman all aging, but that’s not what it’s about. You know, we’re friends and we’re growing older together.”

“We all get old, so talk about equality,” Martin Mull said. The Roseanne, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Arrested Development star plays Charlie, an older hippie who’s unofficially the group’s leader. “When it comes down to it, it’s not about old people. It’s about people.

“And it’s really about how things don’t change all that much after high school,” Vicki Lawrence added. The actress best known for her iconic work on The Carol Burnett Show plays Margaret, the sassy new member of this unconventional group.

Even though these actors have gotten older, their legacies have lived on thanks to streaming. While Jordan still meets younger and younger fans thanks to Will & Grace, Mull has found a new following with Sabrina fans. But Lawrence may have some of the youngest and most enthusiastic fans of all. Even though Mama’s Family has rarely been off the air and despite The Carol Burnett Show’s legendary status, the actress is regularly recognized for her role as the grandmother in Disney’s intensely successful Hannah Montana.

“The fan base just keeps growing,” she said.

If Day and Walsh have their way, Grier, Mull, Lawrence, and Jordan are just the beginning of recruiting lovable sitcom stars to this Fox show. When asked if they had any guest stars in mind, the creator and executive producer threw out Mel Brooks and Carol Burnett.

“The exciting thing about it is that there are so many amazing actors you grew up with, people that you think ‘Oh they’re not gonna do the show’ or whatever who have just been waiting for someone to call and offer them a part,” Walsh said.

The Cool Kids premieres on Fox Friday, September 28 at 8:30/7:30c. New episodes will premiere on Fridays.

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