# Physical (2021)

> A quietly tormented 1980s San Diego housewife finds liberation and ambition through the aerobics craze.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/99080

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 30
- Episode runtime: 29 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, drama
- Created by: Annie Weisman
- Network: Apple TV
- Cast: Rose Byrne, Rory Scovel, Dierdre Friel, Della Saba, Lou Taylor Pucci, Paul Sparks, Ashley Liao, Ry DeGraffenreid
- TMDB rating: 7.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11828492/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: darkly comic, bittersweet, wistful, nostalgic, intense

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series as a positive, well-acted dramedy whose lead performance and blend of dark humor and empowerment hold up across its run.

## Synopsis

Physical (2021-2023) is a US comedy drama created by Annie Weisman for Apple TV. Rose Byrne plays Sheila Rubin, a quietly tormented housewife in 1980s San Diego who battles extreme personal demons and a vicious inner voice behind closed doors. Her husband Danny Rubin is played by Rory Scovel, and Dierdre Friel plays her friend Greta, while Paul Sparks plays John Breem. The engine of the series is Sheila's discovery of aerobics, which sparks a risky, sometimes chaotic push toward empowerment and success, and each episode braids her private struggles with the flashy, sweaty world of the fitness craze. The show runs three seasons of ten episodes each, one continuing story rather than a case of the week. Its tone is darkly comic and bittersweet, with sharp humor undercutting moments of real psychological pain. Set in the Reagan-era suburbs of San Diego, it has the bright palette and synth-driven nostalgia of the decade. Fans of GLOW, Mrs. Maisel and Desperate Housewives will find resonance in its mix of comedy, anguish and female reinvention.

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