The new comedy miniseries THE FOUR SEASONS on Netflix is a new take on a less well-known romantic comedy movie from 1981. With eight episodes, this show, which was created and written by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield, shows long-term friendships and relationships in a warm and nuanced way. The show follows the lives of three couples on four vacations, with two episodes each season. Tina Fey plays Kate, Steve Carell plays Nick, Colman Domingo plays Danny and Will Forte plays Jack. But while the show is rooted in timeless emotional experiences, many viewers are wondering: is The Four Seasons based on a true story?
THE PLOT OF THE FOUR SEASONS
If you watch The Four Seasons on Netflix, it’s not like most sitcoms. The show isn’t about everyday life; it’s only about vacations. The characters are seen at beach resorts, mountain lodges, and other beautiful places. Laughter, fights, and deep reflection test and strengthen their relationships.
The first couple viewers meet are Kate and Jack, portrayed by real-life friends Tina Fey and Will Forte. Their characters represent the original Alan Alda and Carol Burnett pairing from the 1981 film. Kate and Jack consider themselves pros at marriage, only to learn otherwise as their story unfolds.
Steve Carell and Kerri Kenney-Silver play Nick and Anne next. They are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, but they are also thinking about their future together. The character is well-thought-out and honest, and the story shows how complicated long-term commitment can be.
Last but not least, Danny and Claude, the gay couple played by Colman Domingo and Marco Calvani, give the show a new feel. Even though they are dating, their relationship isn’t based on it. The show is more about the problems they have as a couple, both emotionally and practically.
The audience is reminded of how fragile and important love and friendship are through these intertwined stories. The show deals with these issues through humor and warmth, keeping the spirit of the movie while giving it its own voice.
THE PLOT OF THE ORIGINAL 1981 FILM
The series is inspired by the 1981 film The Four Seasons, directed by and starring Alan Alda. The original movie also featured Carol Burnett, Rita Moreno, Jack Weston, and Len Cariou. It followed three married couples who vacationed together during each of the four seasons. The film was a character-driven study of marital relationships, aging, and the evolving dynamics of friendship.
Alda’s film focused on how people grow and sometimes grow apart, even within tight-knit circles. It was comedic but grounded in realism, presenting relatable characters in often awkward, emotionally vulnerable situations. Though it may not have reached the critical acclaim of other romantic comedies, it found an audience for its thoughtful, slice-of-life storytelling.
Tina Fey and her collaborators modernized this idea for the series, with changes such as new character dynamics, a same-sex couple, and more diverse perspectives. Still, the essence remains: how time and familiarity impact relationships.
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IS “THE FOUR SEASONS” BASED ON A TRUE STORY?
In a literal sense, The Four Seasons is not based on a real-life story. It is not a dramatization of true events or adapted from a memoir. However, like the film that inspired it, the series is deeply rooted in real-life experiences, which gives it an air of authenticity.
The film was influenced by Alda’s marriage to photographer and writer Arlene Alda. The couple raised three daughters and balanced demanding careers in their long marriage, which began in 1957. Alda said their open communication and mutual respect helped the film portray imperfect but enduring love. Exaggerated for comedy, the group’s vacations mirror the Aldas’ real-life travels with friends, where shared meals and late-night talks revealed human bonds’ complexities. Even though the film used rom-com tropes, Alda’s years as an actor and improviser gave it a grounded feel.
Tina Fey has acknowledged her personal connection to the original film. Despite being just 10 years old when it was released, she grew up watching it repeatedly on early cable television. To her, it was aspirational and comforting. That nostalgia is woven into the show’s tone.
Moreover, the themes explored in the show reflect universal truths. Long-term relationships—whether romantic or platonic—require effort, understanding, and renewal. The writers, all of whom are married women in long-term relationships themselves, used their own life experiences to craft the emotional core of the show.
Tracey Wigfield, one of the co-creators, explained that they wanted to focus on grounded, realistic stories about marriage and friendship. They deliberately avoided heightened, cartoonish situations, instead choosing to depict those familiar moments when you pause and reevaluate someone who’s always been in your life.
The stories of Kate and Jack, Nick and Anne, and Danny and Claude are fictional, but their issues are drawn from the creators’ understanding of real relationships. From midlife crises to questions of identity, from shifting desires to unexpected moments of grace—these are challenges many viewers will recognize.
Even casting decisions were made with authenticity in mind. Will Forte’s character needed to convey vulnerability and humor simultaneously. Steve Carell, who hadn’t seen the original movie recently, wanted to enter the role without any preconceived ideas, focusing instead on the emotional truth of his character. Colman Domingo, a seasoned dramatic actor, embraced the opportunity to explore relationship dynamics in a lighter setting.
In addition, the show does not shy away from depicting generational differences. When Nick begins a relationship with a younger woman, Ginny (played by Erika Henningsen), it could have easily become a stereotypical subplot. But the show instead develops Ginny as a three-dimensional character, with real feelings and a meaningful connection to Nick.
The series also takes an honest look at open relationships. Danny and Claude use dating apps and attend couples therapy, but the heart of their struggles lies in emotional miscommunication and the pressures of adulthood, not in their sexual arrangements. By presenting modern relationships in all their complexity, the show reinforces its grounding in real life.
So, while THE FOUR SEASONS may not be based on any one true story, it is a show steeped in emotional truth. Inspired by a film that itself was a reflection on real-life relationships, the Netflix adaptation offers a thoughtful, heartfelt, and at times hilarious look at love, friendship, and the passage of time.
In essence, it may not recount a specific person’s story, but it tells everyone’s story—or at least, parts of it that many of us know all too well.
Check back soon on tvacute.com for more news, updates, and coverage on THE FOUR SEASONS and your other favorite shows.
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