The second season of Ted Danson’s critically acclaimed comedy series, A Man on the Inside, is finally here. The series, about a retiree-turned-amateur private investigator, earned the veteran actor a Golden Globe nomination after the first season, and things should only get better, especially now that Danson’s real-life wife, Mary Steenburgen, is part of the cast. All eight episodes of Season 2 will be available on Netflix on November 20, 2025.
The comedy series is another high mark in Danson’s great TV career. Even though the actor has been part of iconic movies like Body Heat and Saving Private Ryan, his best work has been seen on television. In fact, Danson has been a part of a whopping 62 small-screen projects, earning 18 Emmy nominations for his acting. But which are his best TV shows?
The following 8 shows stand out for Danson’s performances and the overall quality.
8
‘Bored to Death’ (2009 – 2011)
A nasty breakup in Bored to Death leaves the struggling Brooklyn novelist Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzman) directionless. He thus begins moonlighting as an unlicensed P.I., taking on weird cases that often spiral into slapstick adventures. Aiding him are his best friend, Ray Hueston (Zach Galifianakis), a cartoonist, and George Christopher (Ted Danson), a magazine editor.
This light but lacerating satire of mid-life crisis and the hubris of those who believe they have figured out everything in life (especially for Danson’s character), will crack you up in ways you never expected. The characters’ childish need to relive their glory days highlights their ineffectuality as adults, yet their actions will also inspire you to look in the mirror. Today, Bored to Death still gets discussed as one of the shows that were canceled too soon. Plans for a sequel film have been floating around for years, but nothing has materialized so far.
7
‘Damages’ (2007 – 2010)
Drawing inspiration from various real-world cases, Damages follows the thorny professional lives of ruthless lawyer Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) and her protégée, recent law school graduate Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne). Caught between the pull of independence and pressure to conform to industry norms, the two often feel isolated, a fact exacerbated by the relentlessly unjust treatment by various powerful figures around them, but they always come out on top. Season 1 primarily centers on their fight with Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson), a billionaire who has been sued by his employees.
Though not for those who care little about lawyer tales, this underexposed legal drama (especially in recent years) certainly deserves a wider audience on streaming. Relying on nonlinear narratives, employing foreshadowing, flashforwards, and red herring narration techniques, Damages keeps you glued throughout its season. And Danson is so good that his shocking acts inspire both revulsion and a surging measure of sympathy. For his great work, he received two Emmy nominations, one for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and another for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
6
‘Becker’ (1998 – 2004)
Set in the Bronx, Becker stars Ted Danson as the titular character, John Becker, a cynical doctor who operates a tiny practice and is constantly pissed at everyone, including his patients, friends, and co-workers. Despite his moody nature, his patients, associates, and friends stay loyal to him because of his skills and compassion.
Danson’s Becker is constantly annoying, but it’s impossible to hate him because he never forfeits his conscience. Overall, marvelous dialogue and numerous heartwarming moments make Becker worth capturing. The titular character’s endless rants are some of the best you will see on TV. The show also impresses by tackling a string of serious issues, including racial discrimination, LGBTQ rights, drug addiction, mental health, and political correctness.
5
‘CSI’ (2000 – 2015)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation follows a competent team of crime scene investigators (CSIs) employed by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVPD as they solve murders using physical evidence. Ted Danson portrays D.B. Russell, the graveyard shift supervisor and director of the Las Vegas Crime Lab in later seasons.
Fans of police procedurals will forever be locked in debate regarding which show is better between CSI and Law & Order. It’s wiser to take both. This particular series and its spin-off shows have been criticized for pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable viewing for primetime network television, but also for raising the bar for real-world investigations and trials. There are too many great characters in the show, so singling out Danson’s Russell as a standout would be wrong, but the actor sure does more than the bare minimum. You’ll clap for him, and everyone else.
4
‘Fargo’ (2014 – 2024)
Adapted from the Coen Brothers’ critically acclaimed 1996 film of the same name, Fargo is an anthology series telling stories of different crime sagas that played out in different periods in the American Midwest, mainly in Minnesota. Danson stars in the second season (a story about the cover-up of a hit-and-run) as Rock County Sheriff Hank Larsson.
Danson was lucky enough to star in one of the show’s most unforgettable seasons (it received 18 Emmy nominations), and he nailed the Minnesota accent, though he admitted that he struggled to learn it. Overall, Fargo is brilliant, cinematography-wise, matching the Coen Brothers film. It’s either the snow or the sand, two things that often bring the best out of a camera. You’ll totally enjoy the twists, and the neatly done violence will leave you awed rather than disgusted.
3
‘A Man on the Inside’ (2024 – Present)
Charles (Danson), a retired engineering professor, is searching for meaning in life following his wife’s passing. He inadvertently finds it when he stumbles upon a newspaper advertisement seeking an elderly person for an undercover investigation. Charles is then tasked with infiltrating the Pacific View Retirement Community and solving a major crime. How will he fare in A Man on the Inside?
Based on the Oscar-nominated documentary, The Mole Agent, this tense, timely, and funny nail-biter is effective not only because showrunner Michael Schur gets all the fundamentals right, but because everything seems tailored to Danson’s strengths. There is plenty of deadpan humor and “did he just say that?” lines, making the viewing experience wholesome. It’s still early days, but all signs so far point to a marvelous comedy that’ll have a lengthy run.
2
‘The Good Place’ (2016 – 2020)
In The Good Place, dead people who lived righteous lives are sent to the “Good Place,” a Heaven-esque utopia supervised by afterlife “architect” Michael (Ted Danson), while evil people are sent to the “Bad Place” to suffer. When the intractable Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) finds herself at the former location, she quickly realizes a mistake has been made, so she does everything in her power to prevent discovery.
With paradise-like detail lovingly rendered, and Danson’s not-so-uptight character a comic study in contrasts, The Good Place is an evocative, amiable crowd-pleaser that will leave you smiling after every episode. The show is also very smart, utilizing various theories of moral philosophy such as moral particularism, Aristotelian virtue ethics, Kantian deontology, and nihilism. Danson’s performance was constantly praised, and he deservedly received three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of Michael.
1
‘Cheers’ (1982 – 1993)
Cheers stars Ted Danson as Sam Malone, a bartender and proprietor of the titular establishment who has a reputation for being a lothario. The former baseball relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox interacts with many characters at the bar, their stories fully explored. Sam also has an on-again, off-again relationship with the lovely Diane Chambers (Shelley Long).
So good is Cheers that it was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the Emmys for all 11 of its seasons on the air. A celebration of ordinary human interactions, the warm, touching show captures the unquenchable spirit, countenance, and concern of adults who are simply trying to figure out the basics of life. Many TV leads are never lucky enough to have another hit after starring in a major hit show, but Danson somehow did it. None of it would have been possible if he weren’t so good at his craft.
- Release Date
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November 21, 2024
- Network
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Netflix
