Retirees Star in New Reality TV Show, Sunset Daze

April 28, 2010 — The “coming of age” movie and TV show has just taken on a new dimension for us baby boomers. “Sunset Daze“, a TV show that debuts today on WE TV, shows just how far (and how low) we are about to go as a generation. Once we were celebrated for our youth in movies like “The Graduate” and events like “Woodstock”. Now, the age group just a few years older than us oldest baby boomers is starring in what the New York Times calls a “boozy, oversexed reality TV genre”. The Times has given the new show unusually full coverage with a front page article yesterday and a generally very positive review in today’s television section. Yesterday’s article was “Boozy, Bawdy Reality TV, With a Few Wrinkles“, today’s is “The Golden Years: Feisty, Fit, and Flirty“

The cast lives and the show is set in that southwestern capital of retirement, Sun City Grand in Surprise, AZ. A mix between “The Golden Girls” and “Jersey Shore”, the new show features interesting characters of both sexes. LaWanda Price, 74, goes by the name “Hot Legs”. Jack Zells, a latter day single, has adopted the name Mr. Romeo to fit his role on the show (extremely reminiscent of Mr. Midnight in Andrew Blechman’s indictment of The Villages, “Leisureville”). Sandy Miracle-Jones is a sassy blonde who orders a double pinot grigio when she’s out on a date. Another character is an ex-nun who likes sky-diving and drinking. In the first episode, a vibrator and “going commando” (sans underwear), provide the requisite titillation.

Sounds like it might be watching, at least to check it out. Comparing it to other reality TV shows, the Times’ critic found the characters more likable and real.