Mike Schur’s “A Man Inside” is an extremely enjoyable, moving, almost calming comedy as you fall into a turbulent world. The co-creator of “Parks and Recreation” and “The Good Place” is not only one of the best writers in the history of the genre (but also “hacks“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “The Office,” for the record) is also a compelling advocate and believer in true human decency, something that is increasingly rare. After all, he wrote a book called: How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question one that embraces the flaws of the human condition while also celebrating its potential. Nominated for an Academy Award for his latest project, “Mole Agent“With sophistication and elegance, it begins with a mystery and reveals that it is much more than a stolen necklace.

Schur’s reunion with the legendary man here helped a lot. Ted Dansonwho has been one of the best TV presenters for four decades and counting. “The Good Place” star completely understands Schur’s comedic voice, which is grounded in both intelligence and compassion. He plays retired Charles, who is still grieving the loss of his wife Dorothy, who passed away after battling dementia. We’ve seen many stories about dementia over the years, but the stories of survivors are more rarely told. It’s hard enough to lose someone you’ve been with for decades, but it’s even harder when you can’t really say goodbye because that person has already forgotten who you are.

Charles takes that pain to an unexpected project when he answers a classified ad from a private investigator named Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada), hired (by a character played by Schur regular Marc Evan Jackson) to investigate a family theft. Heirloom of the assisted living facility known as Pacific View. Charles will go undercover, move to Pacific View and become the “inside man” to solve the case. She hides the business from her daughter Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) and pretends to be a regular customer of the house manager Didi (Stephanie Beatrizanother Schur vet).

Of course, the structure of “An Inside Man” allows Schur and his writers to populate Pacific View with such unforgettable personalities as the amorous Virginia (Sally Struthers), the charming Florence (Margaret Avery), the grumpy Elliott (John Getz). paranoid Susan (Lori Tan Chinn), sweet Gladys (Susan Ruttan), wonderful Calbert (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and more. The writers deftly avoid the easy jokes that would be made on the CBS studio audience version of this show. It reminded me of this year’s perfect”ThelmaA delightful Struthers and understated Beatriz are excellent, but the standout for me is Henderson, a wonderful character actor who leans on his warm screen presence in an end-of-season episode that ranks among my favorite half-hours of the year.

The supporting cast all work, but this is essentially Danson’s show, and it’s one of my favorite sitcoms of the year. She has a more vulnerable side than usual, embraces her age more than usual – she’s almost 80 somehow, which absolutely blows my mind – and speaks earnestly about the mix of satisfaction and dread that comes with reaching the end of life. Her relationship with her daughter feels a bit forced and clumsily written — I never quite felt like they were related — but it’s really a gateway to giving Danson some of the most poignant material of her career late in the season.

“An Inside Man” may falter in the eyes of some viewers, as it’s one of those comedies that isn’t exactly laugh-out-loud funny. Sure, there’s witty dialogue, but it’s character driven rather than punchlines, which is an asset for this viewer, but I could see fans walking away wishing they’d laughed more than they did. It might not be the funniest show of the year, but I don’t think Schur and company are aiming for that title. They just want to give you a little life lesson embedded in an interesting mystery: Cherish the time you spend with your loved ones and realize that it’s never too late to meet people who can change your life forever. I don’t know about you, but I needed this.

The entire season was eliminated for review. Now on Netflix.