Mr. Sunshine
Oh, joy.
Created by Alex Barnow, Marc Firek, Matthew Perry
On ABC
A workplace comedy built on a self-absorbed protagonist's midlife reckoning, sustained by an ensemble of eccentric characters and high-energy irreverence.
Ben Donovan is a self-involved manager of a second-rate San Diego sports arena who begins to re-evaluate his life on his 40th birthday. Working alongside him is his boss and arena owner, Crystal--attractive, powerful and highly erratic; Alice--the cute, tomboyish marketing director and Ben's friend with benefits; Alonzo--a former basketball player, handsome and unbelievably happy; Ben's assistant, Heather--pretty, sweet, but terrifying because she once lit a boyfriend on fire; Crystal's son, Roman--sweet-faced, clueless and Ben's newest employee; and a hapless operations crew whom Ben refers to collectively as the "Steves."
Clusters
Genres
Where to watch
Questions people ask
Is Mr. Sunshine violent? Barely. Less violent than 78% of series.
Is Mr. Sunshine scary? Barely. Less frightening than 76% of series.
Is Mr. Sunshine sad? Not especially. Less sad than 68% of series.
Does Mr. Sunshine leave you hopeful? Not especially. Less hopeful than 63% of series.
Is Mr. Sunshine easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Cinnamon Score
How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Familiar shape, done well.
How unlike any other series this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Like Mr. Sunshine
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as Mr. Sunshine
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like Mr. Sunshine, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like Mr. Sunshine, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like Mr. Sunshine, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
