''Retired at 35'' is an American

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division. Originally a spinoff of Nick at Nite consisting exclusively of classic television shows, the channel now airs a combination of recent and cl ...

starring

George Segal George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as ''Ship o ...

Jessica Walter Jessica Walter (January 31, 1941 – March 24, 2021) was an American actress who appeared in over 170 film, stage and television productions. In film, she was best known for her role as a psychotic and obsessed fan of a local disc jockey in t ...

Johnathan McClain Johnathan McClain (born in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) is an American actor and screenwriter. Career At the age of 21 McClain moved to Chicago where he wrote and began performing his critically acclaimed, multiple character, one-man show, "Li ...

, Josh McDermitt, Marissa Jaret Winokur, and

Ryan Michelle Bathe Ryan Michelle Bathé (born July 27, 1976) is an American actress. Early life Bathe's mother is Clare Bathé, an actress and singer who was a member of the late 1970s funk/disco/rock group Machine. She grew up in Stamford, Connecticut. She gradu ...

. It is the network's second original scripted series after ''

Hot in Cleveland ''Hot in Cleveland'' is an American television sitcom on TV Land starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick, and Betty White. The series, which was TV Land's first original series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's hig ...

''. The series premiered on January 19, 2011. On March 21, 2011, the series was renewed for a second season. The second season premiered on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, at 10:00 pm ET/PT, and concluded on Wednesday, August 29, 2012. On December 13, 2012,

announced that they were not renewing ''Retired at 35'' for another season and it was cancelled, making it the first TV Land original sitcom to be cancelled from the network.

Premise

The series follows a successful New Yorker named David (

), who decides to leave the

rat race A rat race is an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit. The phrase equates humans to rats attempting to earn a reward such as cheese, in vain. It may also refer to a competitive struggle to get ahead financially or routinely. The term is ...

and his job in the big city and visit his father (

) and mother (

) who live in a retirement community in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

. Hoping to reconnect with them and re-evaluate his life, he makes a snap decision to quit his job and take some time to live the dream of retirement that so many are working toward. But he soon finds, to his surprise, that his parents are in the final stages of separating.

Cast and characters

Main cast

as Alan Robbins *

as David Robbins *

as Elaine Robbins * Josh McDermitt as Brandon *

as Jessica Sanders (season 1) * Marissa Jaret Winokur as Amy Robbins (season 2) **

Casey Wilson Cathryn Rose "Casey" Wilson (born October 24, 1980) is an American actress, comedienne, and screenwriter. She starred as Penny Hartz in the ABC comedy series '' Happy Endings'' for which she was twice nominated to the Critics' Choice Television ...

played the role of Amy Robbins in the pilot episode, prior to joining the cast of the ABC sitcom '' Happy Endings''

Recurring cast

* George Wyner as Richard *

Peter Bonerz Peter R Bonerz (, born August 6, 1938) is an American actor and director. Early life Bonerzwas born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Elfrieda (née Kern) and Christopher Bonerz. He grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he attended Marquette Un ...

as Chuckie Lutz *

Christine Ebersole Christine Ebersole (born February 21, 1953) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in film, television, and on stage. She starred in the Broadway musicals '' 42nd Street'' and ''Grey Gardens'', winning two Tony Awards. She has c ...

as Susan (season 1) *

John Ross Bowie John Ross Bowie (born May 30, 1971) is an American actor and comedian best known for playing Barry Kripke on ''The Big Bang Theory'' and Jimmy DiMeo on '' Speechless,'' in addition to over 100 film and TV credits. He is of no known relation to s ...

as Jared (season 2) * Danneel Ackles as Jenn (season 2)

Guest cast

Estelle Harris Estelle Harris (''née'' Nussbaum; April 22, 1928 – April 2, 2022) was an American actress and comedienne, known for her exaggerated shrill, grating voice. She was best known for her role as Estelle Costanza on ''Seinfeld''. Her other roles i ...

Mimi Kennedy Mary Claire "Mimi" Kennedy (born September 25, 1948) is an American actress, author, and activist. Best known for her roles in television sitcoms, Kennedy co-starred in numerous short-lived sitcoms before her role as Ruth Sloan on '' Homefront'' ...

Mark Christopher Lawrence Mark Christopher Lawrence (born May 22, 1964) is an American character actor, stand-up comedian and voice-over artist. He is known for his role as esoteric D.J. Tone Def in the 1994 satirical rap mockumentary '' Fear of a Black Hat''. He has app ...

Shelley Long Shelley Lee Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. Long portrayed Diane Chambers on the hit sitcom ''Cheers'' and received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Seri ...

John O'Hurley John George O'Hurley Jr. (born October 9, 1954) is an American actor, comedian, singer, author, game show host and television personality. He is known for his portrayal of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom ''Seinfeld'', and was the sixth host of the ...

* Christina Pickles *

Jay Thomas Jay Thomas (born Jon Thomas Terrell; July 12, 1948 – August 24, 2017) was an American actor, comedian, and radio personality. He was heard in New York from 1976–1979 on top-40 station 99X, and later on rhythmic CHR station 92KTU, and in ...

* Ashley Williams *

Fred Willard Frederic Charles Willard (September 18, 1933 May 15, 2020) was an American actor, comedian, and writer. He was best known for his roles in the Rob Reiner mockumentary film ''This Is Spinal Tap'' (1984); the Christopher Guest mockumentaries ''Wa ...

Robin Givens Robin may refer to: Animals * Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae * Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including: ** European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'') **Bush-robin ** Forest ...

* Melissa Peterman

Episodes

Season 1 (2011)

Season 2 (2012)

''Retired at 35'' was renewed for a second season of ten episodes, on March 21, 2011. Marissa Jaret Winokur joined the cast as Amy Robbins, David's bubbly sister. The role was previously played by

in the pilot episode. Production on the 10 episodes of season 2 began on November 3, 2011. The new season premiered at 10 PM (EDT) on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. After three episodes aired, TV Land moved the first-run episodes to Wednesdays at 11 PM (EDT).

Production

Development

placed a pilot order on October 26, 2009. The series was created by Chris Case, who also serves as executive producer. Michael Hanel and Mindy Schultheis are executive producers, as well. ''Retired at 35'' was ordered to series by TV Land on April 16, 2010. The series, which is TV Land's second original scripted comedy series, premiered on January 19, 2011, following ''

''.

Casting

Casting announcements began in November 2009, with George Segal as the first actor cast, playing the role of Alan Robbins, David's father, who bonds with his son while showing him the glories of his newfound lifestyle. Johnathan McClain, Josh McDermitt, and Ryan Michelle Bathe were the next actors cast, with McClain playing David Robbins, a successful young businessman who decides to leave New York behind and move into his father's Florida retirement home, McDermitt playing Brandon, David's best friend, and Bathe playing Jessica Sanders, David's love interest. The last series regular cast was Jessica Walter as Elaine Robbins, David's mom and Alan's ex-wife. Segal and Walter had previously teamed on ''

Bye Bye Braverman ''Bye Bye Braverman'' is a 1968 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lumet. The screenplay by Herbert Sargent was adapted from the 1964 novel ''To an Early Grave'' by Wallace Markfield. Plot When minor writer Leslie Braverman dies suddenly ...

'' (1968); the two stars would pass away one day apart on March 23 and 24, 2021 respectively. Marissa Jaret Winokur joined the cast in the second season as Amy Robbins, David's sister, a sharp-tongued, quick-witted, successful saleswoman for a pharmaceutical company with a bubbly personality, a role that was originally played by

in the pilot.

Filming

The series is filmed in multicamera format in front of a live studio audience.

Reception

Ratings

International broadcasting

*In

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, it airs on

VisionTV VisionTV is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel that broadcasts multi-faith, multicultural, and general entertainment programming aimed at the 45 and over demographic. VisionTV is currently owned by ZoomerMedia, a compan ...

. *In

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, it airs on Fox Italy; on MNet in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

; and on TV4 in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

and

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

. *In

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived ...

, it airs con Comedy Central Latin America Sundays at 11.30PM CT *In

The Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, the show was burned off late at night on Dutch network Veronica.

References

External links

* * {{TV Land original sitcoms 2010s American sitcoms 2011 American television series debuts 2012 American television series endings English-language television shows Television shows set in Florida TV Land original programming Television series by Endemol