On December 13, 2012, TV Land announced that they were not renewing Retired at 35 for another season and it was cancelled, making it the first TV Land original sitcom to be cancelled from the network.[3][4]
Premise
The series follows a successful New Yorker named David (Johnathan McClain), who decides to leave the rat race and his job in the big city to visit his father (George Segal) and mother (Jessica Walter) who live in a retirement community in Florida. Hoping to reconnect with them and re-evaluate his life, he makes a snap decision to quit his job and take some time to live the dream of retirement that so many are working toward. But he soon finds, to his surprise, that his parents are in the final stages of separating.
David Robbins (Johnathan McClain), a successful company man from New York, visits his retired parents Alan and Elaine (George Segal and Jessica Walter) in Florida. Still stressed out from his job, he decides to permanently move in with them just as his mother has decided to separate from his father. David then helps his heartbroken father by setting him up on a blind date with Susan (Christine Ebersole), a woman close to Alan's age. When Alan passes on the date, David unexpectedly gets sexually involved with Susan, who also happens to be the adoptive mother of his childhood crush, Jessica (Ryan Michelle Bathe).
David tries his best to bring Alan and Elaine back together, but unbeknownst to him they have already reconciled by having a sex-only relationship with no emotional connections.
Alan becomes jealous when David is accompanying Elaine on dates with her new astronaut boyfriend Dan (John O'Hurley). It bothers Alan so much that he forbids David to meet them anymore.
David and Brandon arrange for Alan to date a number of available single women in town, until Peter Dixon (Fred Willard), the retirement community's "it" boy, steals Alan's thunder.
In an effort to stop Elaine from meddling in his dating life, David tells a lie about a date going badly that she had set up with a friend's daughter named Lilah (Ashley Williams). When the relationship continues to go well, David has to tell one lie after another. Unfortunately for David, his true love Jessica finally decides to give him a chance...just before she discovers David has taken the "next step" with Lilah.
David is frustrated by cars speeding down his street and asks that a speed gate be built there. He encourages Alan to run for neighborhood president to change things, but Elaine becomes more interested instead. Things become overly competitive between his parents as they both campaign for the position.
Alan sets David up for four job interviews in one day, and he flunks on all of them. David finally gets a job at Susan's real estate office...with Alan being the one that is actually paying his salary.
Alan and Elaine decide not to get each other gifts on their first wedding anniversary after their separation. David finally decides to tell Jessica that he slept with her mother, Susan.
Season 2 (2012)
Retired at 35 was renewed for a second season of ten episodes, on March 21, 2011.[17][18]Marissa Jaret Winokur joined the cast as Amy Robbins, David's bubbly sister. The role was previously played by Casey Wilson in the pilot episode.[19] Production on the 10 episodes of season 2 began on November 3, 2011.[20] The new season premiered at 10 PM (EDT) on Tuesday, June 26, 2012.[21] After three episodes aired, TV Land moved the first-run episodes to Wednesdays at 11 PM (EDT).[22]
Elaine appears determined to pursue a one-night stand of her own after catching Alan in bed with Susan. Alan asks David and Amy (Marissa Jaret Winokur) to find out if their mother is following through on her threat, as he's determined to win her back.
Alan and Elaine go to couples therapy, and the therapist, Dr. Keller (Robin Givens) suggests that each plan a secret date for the other. David moves in with Amy, after the presence of both his parents in the condo begins to bother him. But Amy soon becomes bothered by David's presence.
Elaine takes part in Alan's poker games, making him uncomfortable. David begins working for Brandon's pool care business, but hurts Brandon's feelings by saying that he is embarrassed to tell his parents what his real job is. Brandon meets Amy's boyfriend Jared (John Ross Bowie), which stirs up romantic feelings that Brandon has had for Amy since childhood.
David meets a nice girl named Jenn (Danneel Harris) at the grocery store, and lies to her about his career and financial situations. Alan and Elaine become convinced that Jenn is hiding ulterior motives with regards to David. After revealing the truth about his "retirement" to Jenn, David takes a job as a bartender. Amy and Jared agree to move in together, but after Amy gets advice from Alan about the decision, she scares Jared about possible marital commitments.
Amy pushes her father to be more friendly toward Jared, but later regrets it when Alan convinces Jared to move his huge massage chair into his and Amy's apartment. Elsewhere, David is annoyed when Alan replaces him with Jared on the community's softball team, even giving David's old uniform to Jared.
David becomes suspicious of Elaine's motives when he discovers that she hasn't released her old apartment yet. David then enlists Amy's help to uncover other secrets their mother might be hiding. While Jared is away on a business trip in Atlanta, Amy is alone and frequently calls him with no answer back. Brandon finally reveals to Amy his true feelings for her, then kisses her. Meanwhile, Jenn's child and David's lack of his own place cause the two to look for a place to have sex.
Amy is confused after getting a surprise kiss from Brandon, making her question her relationship with Jared. Making matters worse, the entire Robbins family gets involved in Amy's love life. Elsewhere, Jenn discovers a phone number that David received from a female bar patron and refused to throw away, causing her to end their relationship.
Following her breakup with Jared, Amy fears she may be pregnant with Jared's child. Amy lets her excited parents share the "happy news" before finally revealing that her pregnancy test was negative.
Jared proposes to Amy, leaving Brandon both heartbroken and a little suspicious of Jared's motives when the wedding is scheduled in two weeks. David discovers that Brandon's suspicions have merit.
Amy faces a difficult choice: She discovers that Jared wanted to marry her quickly to get a green card, or else he will be deported to Canada. She asks Brandon for advice, and realizes how much Brandon is in love with her.
Production
Development
TV Land placed a pilot order on October 26, 2009.[33] The series was created by Chris Case, who also serves as executive producer. Michael Hanel and Mindy Schultheis are executive producers, as well. Retired at 35 was ordered to series by TV Land on April 16, 2010.[34] The series, which is TV Land's second original scripted comedy series, premiered on January 19, 2011, following Hot in Cleveland.[35]
Casting
Casting announcements began in November 2009, with George Segal as the first actor cast, playing the role of Alan Robbins, David's father, who bonds with his son while showing him the glories of his newfound lifestyle.[36] Johnathan McClain, Josh McDermitt, and Ryan Michelle Bathe were the next actors cast, with McClain playing David Robbins, a successful young businessman who decides to leave New York behind and move into his father's Florida retirement home, McDermitt playing Brandon, David's best friend, and Bathe playing Jessica Sanders, David's love interest.[37] The last series regular cast was Jessica Walter as Elaine Robbins, David's mom and Alan's ex-wife.[38] Segal and Walter had previously teamed on Bye Bye Braverman (1968); the two stars died one day apart on March 23 and 24, 2021 respectively. Marissa Jaret Winokur joined the cast in the second season as Amy Robbins, David's sister, a sharp-tongued, quick-witted, successful saleswoman for a pharmaceutical company with a bubbly personality, a role that was originally played by Casey Wilson in the pilot.[39]
Filming
The series is filmed in multicamera format in front of a live studio audience.[40]
