Netflix’s The Four Seasons, co-created by Tina Fey, turns Alan Alda’s 1981 film into a smart, eight-part series about the ups and downs of long-term friendship and marriage. It mixes gentle humour with real emotion, following three couples in their 50s who have been friends since college that take a short holiday together once a season, starting in the home of Nick, a charming hedge fund manager adeptly played by Steve Carell.

The show starts with a shock, Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver) throws a surprise vow-renewal, not knowing Nick plans to ask for a divorce that same day. The news shakes the group, sparking tensions and deeper self-reflection.

Over the year, each character faces change.

Nick brings along his much younger girlfriend, Ginny (Erika Henningsen), which unsettles the group. Danny (Colman Domingo) deals with a heart issue, and Claude (Marco Calvani) struggles with problems in their open marriage. Anne tries to move on, while Kate (Tina Fey) and Jack (Will Forte) hit rough patches of their own.

Then a tragic twist means the group must come together to deal with their grief, while a further twist questions how they will face the future.

The acting is strong all around and the show has been well received.

Carell brings warmth and depth to Nick and shows there is more to him than a punchline. Kenney-Silver gives Anne quiet strength. Fey is sharp and grounded as Kate, while Forte brings warmth to her easygoing husband. Man of the moment Domingo and Calvani bring both humour and heart as the stylish, struggling couple.

The show looks great, too. Spring feels hopeful, winter is bare and emotional. The camera captures distance and closeness beautifully, especially during one tense dinner scene where no one says what they really mean.

The dialogue is fresh, often funny and avoids clichés. Silence, glances, and pauses say as much as words. There’s also a gentle look at wealth and privilege, but without pointing fingers. It’s more about how comfort can hide deeper worries about ageing, regret and connection.

Alda makes an almost unrecognisable brief, respectful cameo, a nice nod to the original. But this isn’t just a remake. Fey and her team have created something new, thoughtful, tender and quietly powerful.