The Kominsky Method Information

The Kominsky Method is an American comedy web television series, created by Chuck Lorre, that premiered on November 16, 2018, on Netflix. The series stars Michael Douglas, Alan Arkin, Sarah Baker, and Nancy Travis and follows an aging acting coach who, years earlier, had a brief moment of success as an actor. On January 17, 2019, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season.

Premise

The Kominsky Method follows "Sandy Kominsky, an actor who years ago had a brief fling with success and is now a revered Hollywood acting coach."

Cast and characters

Main

• Michael Douglas as Sandy Kominsky, a once successful actor who now works as a revered acting coach in Hollywood.
• Alan Arkin as Norman Newlander, Sandy's agent and friend.
• Sarah Baker as Mindy, Sandy's daughter who runs his acting studio with him.
• Nancy Travis as Lisa, a recent divorce who decides to take acting lessons from Sandy.

Recurring

• Graham Rogers as Jude, a student in Kominsky's acting class.
• Ashleigh LaThrop as Breana, a student in Kominsky's acting class.
• Melissa Tang as Margaret, a student in Kominsky's acting class.
• Jenna Lyng Adams as Darshani, a student in Kominsky's acting class.
• Casey Brown as Lane, a student in Kominsky's acting class.
• Emily Osment as Theresa, a student in Kominsky's acting class.
• Susan Sullivan as Eileen, Norman's wife to whom he's been married for 46 years.
• Lisa Edelstein as Phoebe, Norman's estranged daughter who struggles with pill addiction.
• Ramon Hilario as Alex the Waiter
• Cedric Begley as Mathew
• Danny DeVito as Dr. Wexler, a urologist whom Sandy goes to see regarding his frequent urination.
• Anoush NeVart as Rosamie
• Ann-Margret as Diane, a friend of Norman's

Guest

• Becky O'Donohue ("Chapter One: An Actor Avoids")
• Jay Leno as himself ("Chapter Two: An Agent Grieves")
• Patti LaBelle as herself ("Chapter Two: An Agent Grieves")
• Jason Kravits as Woody Littlehales ("Chapter Two: An Agent Grieves")
• Corbin Bernsen as himself ("Chapter Three: A Prostate Enlarges")
• George Wyner as Rabbi ("Chapter Three: A Prostate Enlarges")
• Elizabeth Sung as Mrs. Liu ("Chapter Three: A Prostate Enlarges")
• Rex Linn ("Chapter Four: A Kegel Squeaks")
• Elliott Gould as himself ("Chapter Five: An Agent Crowns")
• Lauren Weedman as Director ("Chapter Five: An Agent Crowns")
• Jocelyn Towne as Jeanine ("Chapter Five: An Agent Crowns")
• Azie Tesfai as Lynda ("Chapter Five: An Agent Crowns")
• Eddie Money as himself ("Chapter Six: A Daughter Detoxes")
• Jen Drohan ("Chapter Six: A Daughter Detoxes")
• Matt Knudsen as Dad ("Chapter Six: A Daughter Detoxes")
• Jeffrey D. Sams as Arthur ("Chapter Seven: A String Is Attached")
• William Belli as Cherry ("Chapter Eight: A Widow Approaches")
• Lainie Kazan ("Chapter Eight: A Widow Approaches")

Episodes

|ShortSummary    = Sandy Kominsky runs a small actor's studio where his latest group of students includes Lisa, a middle-aged divorcee whom Sandy later asks out on a date. Sandy meets up with his good friend and agent Norman,  who gives Sandy the bad news that CBS has passed him over for Ludacris for a role in a new sitcom. At the request of his daughter Mindy, Sandy pays Norman a visit at his home to see his wife Eileen, who is battling cancer. Sandy and Lisa's date is interrupted by a distressing phone call from Mindy.
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|ShortSummary    = Sandy brings a grieving Norman home from the hospital. The next morning, Norman sets out to honor Eileen's instructions for her funeral, enlisting Sandy to help. As Sandy tries to arrange to get items such as a driftwood coffin, Lady Marmalade, Jay Leno, and Barbra Streisand, he asks Lisa to be his date at Eileen's funeral, who accepts. The service sees a late, unexpected guest arriving: Norman & Eileen's prescription drug-addicted daughter, Phoebe.
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Production

Development

On August 14, 2017, it was announced that Netflix was finalizing a series order for the production for a first season consisting of ten episodes. The series was set to be written by Chuck Lorre, Al Higgins, and David Javerbaum. Lorre was also set to direct the first episode and executive produce alongside Michael Douglas. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions. On July 29, 2018, it was announced during the Television Critics Association's annual summer press tour that the series was to premiere on November 16, 2018. On January 17, 2019, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season consisting of eight episodes.

Casting

Alongside the series order announcement, it was confirmed that Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin had been cast in the lead roles of Sandy Kominsky and Norman, respectively. In January 2018, it was announced that Nancy Travis and Sarah Baker had been cast in main roles and that Susan Sullivan, Emily Osment, Graham Rogers, Ashleigh LaThrop, Jenna Lyng Adams, Melissa Tang, Casey Brown, and Lisa Edelstein would appear in a recurring capacity.

Reception

Critical response

The series has been met with a positive critical response upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 80% with an average rating of 6.89 out of 10, based on 40 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Full of humor and heart, The Kominsky Method paints a surprisingly poignant -- if a little paint-by-numbers -- portrait of life and aging, elevated by two top-notch performances by acting legends Alan Arkin and Michael Douglas." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 68 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result
2018	American Film Institute Awards	Top 10 TV Programs of the Year	The Kominsky Method
2019	Golden Globe Awards	Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy
		Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy	Michael Douglas
		Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film	Alan Arkin
	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Comedy Series	The Kominsky Method
		Best Actor in a Comedy Series	Michael Douglas
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series	Jenna Lyng Adams, Alan Arkin, Sarah Baker, Casey Thomas Brown, Michael Douglas, Ashleigh LaThrop, Emily Osment, Graham Rogers, Susan Sullivan, Melissa Tang, & Nancy Travis
		Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series	Alan Arkin
			Michael Douglas