# A Man on the Inside (2024)

> A retired professor with a knack for snooping is pulled into undercover cases by a private investigator, finding a second act in amateur sleuthing.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/161099

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Returning Series
- Genres: comedy, crime
- Created by: Michael Schur
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Ted Danson, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Lilah Richcreek Estrada, Stephanie Beatriz, Mary Steenburgen, Max Greenfield, Gary Cole, Eugene Cordero
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26670955/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: witty, heartfelt, breezy, sincere

## What critics say

Critics and audiences generally find the series a warm, witty comedy-mystery carried by its lead performance and easygoing ensemble chemistry.

## Synopsis

A Man on the Inside (2024-present) is an American comedy-crime series created by Michael Schur for Netflix. Ted Danson plays Charles Nieuwendyk, a retired professor with a restless nose for snooping, who gets a new lease on life when a private investigator recruits him to go undercover and crack a case. Charles's daughter Emily Nieuwendyk-Piñero (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) is a steadying presence in his life, while the investigations draw in a wider cast of characters, including Mary Steenburgen as Mona Margadoff and Max Greenfield as Jack Berenger. Each story is built from the awkward collisions between an older man's earnest ambitions and the younger world he must infiltrate, with the case-of-the-week structure giving every episode its own small mission. Set in the present-day San Francisco Bay Area, the show plays out in a light, witty register with a heartfelt undercurrent about parenthood and second chances. Its tone is sitcom-breezy rather than grim, and its gentle mystery plots suit viewers who enjoy amateur sleuths. Fans of Murder, She Wrote, Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine will find resonance in its affectionate ensemble humor and its mix of mild suspense and character warmth across two seasons.

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