How Did Linda Lavin’s Death Change ‘Mid-Century Modern’? Everything We Know About the New Hulu Comedy

Hulu will soon debut a new comedy that’s sure to be fabulous. From the creators of Will & Grace comes Mid-Century Modern, starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, Nathan Lee Graham, and the late Linda Lavin (whose death in December 2024 prompted major rewrites — more details below).

Max Mutchnick, David Kohan, and executive producer Ryan Murphy have come together to make this comical show, which follows three gay best friends who decide to live with the wealthiest one’s mother in Palm Springs after an unanticipated death.

Here, we dive into everything there is to know about Mid-Century Modern, from the release date to the full cast, trailer, and more. Keep checking back for official updates as we get closer to the premiere date.

When does Hulu’s Mid-Century Modern premiere?

The new show will debut with all 10 episodes on Friday, March 28, only on Hulu.

Is there a Mid-Century Modern trailer?

The show has an official trailer available on Instagram. Click the video below to watch.

 

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What is Hulu’s Mid-Century Modern about?

The official synopsis says, “Mid-Century Modern follows three best friends — gay gentlemen of a certain age — who, after an unexpected death, decide to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs where the wealthiest one lives with his mother. As a chosen family, they prove that no matter how hard things get, there’s always someone around to remind you it would be better if you got your neck done.”

Mid-Century Modern stars Lane as Bunny Schneiderman, Bomer as Jerry Frank, Graham as Arthur Broussard, and Lavin as Sybil Schneiderman, Bunny’s mother.

Sadly, Lavin died on December 29, 2024, at the age of 87 due to complications from recently discovered lung cancer, midway through production for Season 1. Lavin was an Emmy-nominated actress and two-time Golden Globe winner.

Was Linda Lavin written out of Mid-Century Modern?

Lavin reportedly had three episodes left to film before her death, according to The Wrap. Her death forced the series to overhaul its premise a bit, given that Lavin was playing the Palm Springs mother. Mutchnick, one of the creators, revealed how they wrote Lavin out of the series in a January Instagram post (below) that featured photos from the set of the apparent funeral episode. The photos show a memorial at Lavin’s trailer.

“This Week at Mid Century Modern we filmed an episode I never thought we’d have to write, ‘Here’s to you Mrs Schneiderman,'” Mutchnick wrote. “Saying goodbye to the character of Sybil was painful. Saying goodbye to Linda Lavin was heartbreaking.”

 

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Who is in the Mid-Century Modern cast?

In addition to Lane, Bomer, Graham, and Lavin, guest stars Pamela Adlon, Vanessa Bayer, Kim Coles, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Judd Hirsch, Richard Kind, Stephanie Koenig, Billie Lourd, Esther Moon Wu, Jaime Moyer, Cheri Oteri, Rhea Perlman, Zane Phillips, and more will appear throughout the season.

Here’s a more in-depth look at each of the main characters: “A successful businessman with one foot in retirement, Bunny is forever in search of love, but he first has to be convinced he’s worthy of it. Like her son, Sybil’s strengths are her weaknesses: wise, caring, and iconoclastic — which sometimes means she’s critical, smothering, and amoral. Jerry left the Mormon Church and his marriage in his early 20s after his wife informed him and the rest of the congregation that he was a homosexual. Now a latter-day saint in the literal sense of the term, Jerry is pure of heart. He is also hard of body and soft of head. Arthur is dignified, elegant, brilliant even. His edginess comes from the knowledge that real life will never quite match the grace and panache that would exist if only he were in charge.”