What is life after retirement? For Charles Nieuwendyk, the protagonist of Man on the Inside, it develops into an unexpected job as an amateur private investigator. When he answers a newspaper ad one day, this retired professor goes undercover inside a San Francisco retirement home to find a thief stealing from its residents.

In the leading role is Ted Danson, who I came to know from The Good Place, another popular series on Netflix. Stephanie Beatriz plays Didi, the retirement home’s director, who is both mysterious and caring.

What unfolds in its eight episodes is a rather comic series of events as Charles, who is clueless about investigations and collecting evidence, attempts to solve a crime. He befriends the other residents and blends in so they don’t suspect him and report back to this boss. In the process, relationships flourish.

What struck me most about Man on the Inside though was a glimpse inside the life of the so-called ‘elderly’, the loneliness many face, the huge life transitions they go through when their life-long partner or beloved neighbour dies, when their memory starts to fade and the person you once knew starts slipping away.

They belong to a part of society that is often forgotten. Their children lead busy lives, working and raising their family, while they remain behind, visited just a couple of times a week if lucky.

It made me think about what will happen to my parents when they are older, how my grandmother might feel now that she is alone and all of the other retired people who may live alone and don’t have access to such luxurious retirement homes in lush grounds, with disco nights, art classes and activities.

Although it is a comedy and has its fair share of funny moments, this insight into life well after retirement was what moved me the most. We may not all be lucky to live at (or afford) a place like the Pacific View Retirement Community.

The series’ ending left me with a rather bittersweet ‘that’s life!’ feeling and I’m holding tight until season two is released sometime this year. I know Charles and his buddies will be back for more adventures because as they’ve shown, life does definitely not end after 70!