Entertainment
“A Man on the Inside” star Ted Danson on aging: “Don’t slow down, just keep going, keep living your life”
Sitting down to talk about his new TV show, Ted Danson admits he is nervous. Why? “Because I want people to see it, I really do,” he said. “I think it’s an important conversation.”
It’s strange to think of Danson as nervous about anything, but in this case, it’s not hard to see why: his latest project means a lot to him, about a subject that touches everyone. In the new Netflix series “A Man on the Inside,” Danson is a recently-retired widower without much to do, until he answers an ad from a private investigator, and becomes a mole inside a nursing home.
Like a lot of TV series, the premise seems a little far-fetched, but this one’s true: it’s based on “The Mole Agent,” a 2020 documentary about a real-life 83-year-old who goes undercover in a Chilean nursing home looking for signs of patients being mistreated. What the documentary found was a group of elderly people fighting loneliness and loss with heart and humor.
“A Man on the Inside” is no different, says series creator Mike Schur. “I would say the purpose of this show is simply to discuss a subject that very few people discuss, which is aging,” said Schur. “It’s this subject that we just don’t like to talk about. It’s thought of in this country (I think more than other countries) as something almost shameful or embarrassing.”
“If you’re dying, you somehow made a mistake,” said Danson.
“You screwed up! Yeah, you screwed up, you got old, you know?” Schur said. “And I think that’s weird, because this is what happens if we’re lucky. If we’re lucky, we get old!”
At 76, Danson himself is aging gracefully, with an attitude inspired by a Hollywood legend: Jane Fonda. “She was turning 80, and at 70 I was starting to go, ‘Well, I’d better look for a nice place to land, you know, this life plane,’ or whatever,” he said. “And I looked at her and it was like, no. She has her foot on the gas pedal! She’s, like, doing a 12-hour day, shooting her show, jumping on a bus to go, you know, support the service industry in Sacramento with a handful of women.
“Don’t slow down, just keep going, keep living your life. I think that’s one of the things our elders can pass on to us. This is how you live life right up until the end.”
Seems like Danson’s elders set a good example: his parents wouldn’t allow a TV in their home. “My mother didn’t like them,” he said. “She’d rather you read, or go out and play, or be creative.”
But then, Danson got famous, on TV. His parents finally got one. “But they put kind of this beautiful tapestry over the front of it, so when you walked in their house, you didn’t see a TV, you saw this beautiful tapestry with a candle on top, and they would take it off and watch ‘Cheers,’” he said.
Danson still credits his success today to that one show about a Boston bar. But since he hung up his bartender apron in 1993, he’s been in hit after hit. He was the title character in “Becker.” In “Damages,” he held his own with Glenn Close. He went to heaven and hell in “The Good Place.” And he’s even played himself in “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Along the way Danson has used his fame to draw attention to his passion project, Oceana, an organization dedicated to preserving the world’s oceans. Asked if he feels they have made progress, he replied, “Yes. I mean, our focus is fishing, over-fishing, making sure that the fisheries of the world are healthy. Because if done right, you could feed a billion people a fish meal every day.”
That sounds a little like a miracle – something he touches on in his new show, and something he says he lives with every day.
Asked what are the miracles in his life, Danson replied, “Mary Steenburgen is, you know, literally heaven-sent. I did some work on myself for about a year before I met her, after ‘Cheers,’ becoming emotionally mature and real. And I worked hard at it. And then along came Mary Steenburgen. … We are so blessed. To love somebody and to be loved, is just one of those heaven-on-earth miracles, you know? And that came with Mary.”
And the idea Ted Danson is hoping to share with his latest project is that miracles can be found in any life, right up until the very end. “This is your life,” he said, “not just up to, you know, 65 and then you retire and are going down. No, you get to live right up until you don’t live. And it’s your life. It’s such a gift. Explore it, and be excited about it. Yes, it hurts. Yes, it’s sad. Yes, there’s grief. Yes, there’s all of that. But embrace it. Embrace it, is kind of what I think the message of the show is. It’s what I hope I live with.”
He got emotional sharing that. “I’m just emotional ’cause I finally said something I wanted to say!” he laughed.
To watch a trailer for “A Man on the Inside,” click on the video player below:
For more info:
Story produced by John D’Amelio. Editor: Steven Tyler.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
THE BBC has given viewers a peek behind the scenes of its new period drama Miss Austen, which features an all-star cast – not least a Line of Duty star.
Keeley Hawes stars as Cassandra Austen in the film – hot off the heels of Scoop.
3 3
3
The star-studded BBC adaptation of Gill Hornby’s much-loved novel is expected to air next year on the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth.
The new pictures show the star-studded cast for the first time and reveal an insight into what will come for excited fans.
Meanwhile, other talents include Rose Leslie from Game of Thrones as Isabella Fowle, Phyllis Logan from Downtown Abbey, Calam Lynch from Bridgerton, and Alfred Enoch from Harry Potter.
Also pictured are Synnøve Karlsen (Last Night in Soho, Clique), Patsy Ferran (Living, Hot Milk), Max Irons (Condor, The Wife), and Liv Hill (The Serpent Queen, Elizabeth Is Missing).
Viewers can also see Jessica Hynes (Life After Life, Years and Years), Mirren Mack (The Witcher: Blood Origin, The Nest) and Kevin McNally (The Crown, Ten Percent).
The four-part drama reimagines the literary mystery of Catherine Austen notoriously burning her famous sister Jane’s letters.
BAFTA-winning writer Andrea Gibb has adapted the story for the screen.
The story starts in 1830, sometime after Jane’s death, while Cassandra (Keeley Hawes) rushes to see her friend Isabella (Rose Leslie), who is about to lose her home following her father’s death.
Although Cassandra is seemingly there to help her friend.
But her real motive is to locate a stash of private letters that could destroy Jane’s reputation if in the wrong hands.
However, Cassandra is overwhelmed as she remembers her youth upon finding them.
Flashbacks introduce viewers to Young Cassy and Jane (Patsy Ferran) while Cassandra’s reminiscing helps her realise her blindness to the real cause of Isabella’s heartache.
Bonnie Productions also produce Miss Austen for Masterpiece in the US.
The series is directed by BAFTA award-winning filmmaker Aisling Walsh (Maudie, Elizabeth is Missing) and produced by Stella Merz (Gentleman Jack, Renegade Nell).
BBC crime dramas
The BBC is reopening case files on an all-star line-up of crime dramas this summer.
Here’s a refresher on the popular programmes which span six decades.
- Campion: Aired from 1989 to 1990, this detective drama series was adapted from novels by Margery Allingham and stars Peter Davison.
- Dalziel And Pascoe: A gritty detective drama series about a mismatched pair of policemen, based on the award-winning books by Reginald Hill. Aired from 1996 to 2007.
- Death In Paradise: A misanthropic detective inspector is assigned to a Caribbean island against his will. Premiered in 2011 and is still on air to this day.
- Happy Valley: Created by Sally Wainwright, this northern noir follows Sarah Lancashire as Sgt Catherine Cawood – tough, defiant and facing her traumatic past.
- Hinterland: Welsh drama starring Richard Harrington. Brooding DCI Tom Mathias uncovers secrets – and links to his troubled past amid mountainous terrain and close-knit villages. Aired from 2013 to 2016.
- Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Based on the novels of Elizabeth George, this drama series is about upper-crust DI Thomas Lynley and working class DS Barbara Havers. Aired from 2001 to 2007.
- Jonathan Creek: Starring comedian Alan Davies, this comedy-drama series follows a inventor of magic tricks who is often called in to solve puzzling murders. Aired from 1997 to 2016.
- Law & Order: Originally broadcast in 1978, this four-part drama series is about the British judicial system. Stars include Peter Dean and Derek Martin.
- Life On Mars: Beguiling science-fiction police drama following a Manchester policeman who travels back to 1973 following a car accident. Stars John Simm and Philip Glenister. Aired from 2006 to 2007.
- Luther: Crime drama series starring Idris Elba as DCI John Luther. Aired from 2010 to 2019, with a follow-up film released in 2023.
- Shetland: Detective drama starring Douglas Henshall, Ashley Jensen and Alison O’Donnell, showcasing the dark side of one of the most beautiful places on earth. Premiered in 2013 and is still on air to this day.
- The Cops: Set in the fictional northern town of Stanton, this acclaimed, provocative police drama stars Katy Cavanagh, Rob Dixon and John Henshaw. Aired from 1998 to 2001.
- Waking The Dead: With a cast including Trevor Eve, Sue Johnston and Wil Johnson, this series follows a cold case team who unearths sleeping secrets, but sometimes the past is best left buried. Aired from 2000 to 2011.
- Wallander: Starring Sir Kenneth Branagh, Kurt Wallander is unable to unsee the dark crimes he’s tasked to investigate while Wallander’s job comes at a cost to his family and relationships. Aired from 2008 to 2016.
Entertainment
“Mornings Memory”: Perdue Farms chairman Jim Perdue trades the boardroom for the “trenches”
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Hoda Kotb’s Today show replacement has been announced as Craig Melvin nearly two months after the host of 17 years announced her exit.
The news was revealed on Thursday’s edition of the long-running NBC morning show.
“Craig Melvin is the new anchor of the Today show!” co-host Savannah Guthrie gushed, calling this “one of the most popular decisions NBC News has ever made.”
Melvin became a news anchor for Today in 2018 and co-host of Third Hour of Today the following year. He will co-anchor alongside Guthrie for the 7 and 8am hours beginning January 13, NBC said.
“You were made for this job. … You have all the things that this job needs. You’re the right person for it,” Kotb told her successor.
Melvin said it was “the latest in a long line of blessings.”
“I am beyond excited and grateful… I talked to mom and dad yesterday and I’m thankful they’re still young enough and healthy enough to be able to see this.”
The replacement comes after Kotb announced she was leaving the network after 26 years on September 26.
“I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new,” the host said at the time.
The broadcast journalist, who turned 60 in August, explained that spending time with her young daughters, Haley, seven, and Hope, five, was also an important part of her decision.
“Obviously I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have,” she said. “I feel like we only have a finite amount of time.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
“And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world,” Kotb said.
She clarified that she will continue hosting the Today show alongside co-anchor Savannah Guthrie through January 1, 2025.
Kotb has been an integral part of NBC News for nearly three decades, having first joined the network in 1998 as a correspondent on its weekly nighttime show Dateline.
In 2008, she moved on to co-host the fourth hour of the Today show with Kathie Lee Gifford and then Jenna Bush Hager in 2019.
After NBC fired Today show host Matt Lauer in 2017 following accusations of sexual misconduct, Kotb stepped in alongside Guthrie as a temporary replacement. Her role became permanent weeks later as viewers responded well to the pairing.
Speaking to TheNew York Times, Guthrie commended Kotb’s decision: “It takes such guts to leave a place where you’re so comfortable, so beloved. There’s nothing rash about this.”
Kotb also wrote a letter to the Today staff outlining her plans to “remain a part of the NBC family.”
“Happily and gratefully, I plan to remain a part of the NBC family, the longest work relationship I’ve been lucky enough to hold close to my heart. I’ll be around. How could I not? Family is family and you all will always be a part of mine.”
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
-
Science & Environment2 months agoHow to unsnarl a tangle of threads, according to physics
-
Technology2 months agoWould-be reality TV contestants ‘not looking real’
-
Technology2 months agoIs sharing your smartphone PIN part of a healthy relationship?
-
Science & Environment2 months agoHyperelastic gel is one of the stretchiest materials known to science
-
Science & Environment2 months agoX-rays reveal half-billion-year-old insect ancestor
-
Science & Environment2 months ago‘Running of the bulls’ festival crowds move like charged particles
-
Science & Environment2 months agoPhysicists have worked out how to melt any material
-
MMA1 month ago‘Dirt decision’: Conor McGregor, pros react to Jose Aldo’s razor-thin loss at UFC 307
-
News1 month ago‘Blacks for Trump’ and Pennsylvania progressives play for undecided voters
-
News1 month agoWoman who died of cancer ‘was misdiagnosed on phone call with GP’
-
Money1 month agoWetherspoons issues update on closures – see the full list of five still at risk and 26 gone for good
-
Sport1 month agoAaron Ramsdale: Southampton goalkeeper left Arsenal for more game time
-
Football1 month agoRangers & Celtic ready for first SWPL derby showdown
-
Sport1 month ago2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka
-
Science & Environment2 months agoA new kind of experiment at the Large Hadron Collider could unravel quantum reality
-
Business1 month ago
how UniCredit built its Commerzbank stake
-
Science & Environment2 months agoMaxwell’s demon charges quantum batteries inside of a quantum computer
-
Science & Environment2 months agoSunlight-trapping device can generate temperatures over 1000°C
-
Science & Environment2 months agoLiquid crystals could improve quantum communication devices
-
Science & Environment2 months agoQuantum forces used to automatically assemble tiny device
-
Science & Environment2 months agoLaser helps turn an electron into a coil of mass and charge
-
Technology2 months agoUkraine is using AI to manage the removal of Russian landmines
-
Business1 month ago
Top shale boss says US ‘unusually vulnerable’ to Middle East oil shock
-
Technology1 month agoSamsung Passkeys will work with Samsung’s smart home devices
-
MMA1 month agoPereira vs. Rountree prediction: Champ chases legend status
-
News1 month agoNavigating the News Void: Opportunities for Revitalization
-
Science & Environment2 months agoQuantum ‘supersolid’ matter stirred using magnets
-
Technology2 months agoRussia is building ground-based kamikaze robots out of old hoverboards
-
Science & Environment2 months agoWhy this is a golden age for life to thrive across the universe
-
News1 month agoMassive blasts in Beirut after renewed Israeli air strikes
-
Technology1 month agoGmail gets redesigned summary cards with more data & features
-
News1 month agoCornell is about to deport a student over Palestine activism
-
Technology1 month agoSingleStore’s BryteFlow acquisition targets data integration
-
Technology2 months agoMicrophone made of atom-thick graphene could be used in smartphones
-
Business1 month agoWater companies ‘failing to address customers’ concerns’
-
Sport1 month agoBoxing: World champion Nick Ball set for Liverpool homecoming against Ronny Rios
-
Sport1 month agoShanghai Masters: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz win openers
-
Entertainment1 month agoBruce Springsteen endorses Harris, calls Trump “most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime”
-
Money1 month agoTiny clue on edge of £1 coin that makes it worth 2500 times its face value – do you have one lurking in your change?
-
Technology1 month agoEpic Games CEO Tim Sweeney renews blast at ‘gatekeeper’ platform owners
-
MMA1 month agoPennington vs. Peña pick: Can ex-champ recapture title?
-
Technology2 months agoMeta has a major opportunity to win the AI hardware race
-
Science & Environment2 months agoITER: Is the world’s biggest fusion experiment dead after new delay to 2035?
-
MMA1 month agoDana White’s Contender Series 74 recap, analysis, winner grades
-
MMA1 month agoKayla Harrison gets involved in nasty war of words with Julianna Pena and Ketlen Vieira
-
Sport1 month agoAmerica’s Cup: Great Britain qualify for first time since 1964
-
Technology1 month agoMicrosoft just dropped Drasi, and it could change how we handle big data
-
Technology1 month agoLG C4 OLED smart TVs hit record-low prices ahead of Prime Day
-
Sport1 month agoWXV1: Canada 21-8 Ireland – Hosts make it two wins from two
-
Science & Environment2 months agoNuclear fusion experiment overcomes two key operating hurdles
-
News2 months ago▶️ Hamas in the West Bank: Rising Support and Deadly Attacks You Might Not Know About
-
Technology2 months agoWhy Machines Learn: A clever primer makes sense of what makes AI possible
-
News1 month agoHarry vs Sun publisher: ‘Two obdurate but well-resourced armies’
-
MMA1 month ago‘Uncrowned queen’ Kayla Harrison tastes blood, wants UFC title run
-
Travel1 month ago
World of Hyatt welcomes iconic lifestyle brand in latest partnership
-
Business1 month ago
It feels nothing like ‘fine dining’, but Copenhagen’s Kadeau is a true gift
-
Football1 month ago'Rangers outclassed and outplayed as Hearts stop rot'
-
Sport1 month agoNew Zealand v England in WXV: Black Ferns not ‘invincible’ before game
-
Science & Environment2 months agoNerve fibres in the brain could generate quantum entanglement
-
Technology2 months agoUniversity examiners fail to spot ChatGPT answers in real-world test
-
Sport1 month agoURC: Munster 23-0 Ospreys – hosts enjoy second win of season
-
News2 months agoRwanda restricts funeral sizes following outbreak
-
Technology1 month agoCheck, Remote, and Gusto discuss the future of work at Disrupt 2024
-
Technology1 month agoNintendo’s latest hardware is not the Switch 2
-
TV1 month agoসারাদেশে দিনব্যাপী বৃষ্টির পূর্বাভাস; সমুদ্রবন্দরে ৩ নম্বর সংকেত | Weather Today | Jamuna TV
-
Business1 month ago
Italy seeks to raise more windfall taxes from companies
-
MMA1 month agoStephen Thompson expects Joaquin Buckley to wrestle him at UFC 307
-
Business1 month ago
The search for Japan’s ‘lost’ art
-
Sport1 month agoPremiership Women’s Rugby: Exeter Chiefs boss unhappy with WXV clash
-
Politics1 month ago
‘The night of the living dead’: denial-fuelled Tory conference ends without direction | Conservative conference
-
Business1 month agoWhen to tip and when not to tip
-
News1 month agoHull KR 10-8 Warrington Wolves – Robins reach first Super League Grand Final
-
Science & Environment2 months agoA tale of two mysteries: ghostly neutrinos and the proton decay puzzle
-
MMA2 months agoHow to watch Salt Lake City title fights, lineup, odds, more
-
Money1 month agoThe four errors that can stop you getting £300 winter fuel payment as 880,000 miss out – how to avoid them
-
Sport1 month agoHow India became a Test cricket powerhouse
-
Sport1 month agoSnooker star Shaun Murphy now hits out at Kyren Wilson after war of words with Mark Allen
-
Sport1 month agoFans say ‘Moyes is joking, right?’ after his bizarre interview about under-fire Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag goes viral
-
News1 month agoCrisis in Congo and Capsizing Boats Mediterranean
-
Science & Environment2 months agoA slight curve helps rocks make the biggest splash
-
TV1 month agoTV Patrol Express September 26, 2024
-
Football1 month agoFifa to investigate alleged rule breaches by Israel Football Association
-
News1 month agoUK forces involved in response to Iran attacks on Israel
-
News2 months ago▶️ Media Bias: How They Spin Attack on Hezbollah and Ignore the Reality
-
Science & Environment2 months agoHow to wrap your mind around the real multiverse
-
Football1 month agoWhy does Prince William support Aston Villa?
-
Sport1 month agoBukayo Saka left looking ‘so helpless’ in bizarre moment Conor McGregor tries UFC moves on Arsenal star
-
News1 month ago▶ Hamas Spent $1B on Tunnels Instead of Investing in a Future for Gaza’s People
-
Sport1 month agoPhil Jones: ‘I had to strip everything back – now management is my focus’
-
Technology1 month agoSamsung Galaxy Tab S10 won’t get monthly security updates
-
Technology1 month agoMusk faces SEC questions over X takeover
-
Sport1 month agoChina Open: Carlos Alcaraz recovers to beat Jannik Sinner in dramatic final
-
Sport4 weeks agoSunderland boss Regis Le Bris provides Jordan Henderson transfer update 13 years after £20m departure to Liverpool
-
TV1 month agoএই ডিভাইস দিয়ে দেখা যায় পৃথিবীর সব টিভি চ্যানেল! | Smart Tv Box | Independent TV
-
Business1 month ago
Bank of England warns of ‘future stress’ from hedge fund bets against US Treasuries
-
Technology1 month agoJ.B. Hunt and UP.Labs launch venture lab to build logistics startups
-
Money1 month agoDWP reveals exact date that cold weather payments will start this winter – can you get free cash for your energy bills?
-
Sport1 month agoSturm Graz: How Austrians ended Red Bull’s title dominance
-
Money1 month agoFive benefits changes the Government could make next month in its Autumn Budget – from PIP to fraud crackdown
-
MMA1 month ago‘I was fighting on automatic pilot’ at UFC 306
You must be logged in to post a comment Login