# American Classic (TV series)
**American Classic** is an American comedy-drama television series created by Michael Hoffman and [Bob Martin](https://www.edgepedia.org/bob-martin) for the premium network MGM+, starring [Kevin Kline](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-kline) as a narcissistic Broadway star who returns to his Pennsylvania hometown after a public meltdown and tries to save his family's ailing theater by staging [Thornton Wilder](https://www.edgepedia.org/thornton-wilder)'s *Our Town*.[1](https://www.broadwaynews.com/a-tony-award-winning-writer-and-a-tony-winning-actor-launch-a-streaming-series-about-regional-theater/) • [2](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2026-03-01/american-classic-review-kevin-kline-laura-linney) The eight-episode first season premiered on March 1, 2026, with a two-episode debut and ran weekly to a season finale on April 12, 2026.[3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17676654/news/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Network / premiere | MGM+; premiered March 1, 2026 with two episodes; season finale April 12, 2026[3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17676654/news/) |
| Format | Half-hour comedy-drama, one season of 8 episodes, roughly 34 minutes each[4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/american-classic) |
| Creators | Michael Hoffman and Bob Martin; writers Hoffman, Martin, and Ellen Fairey; directors Hoffman and Tricia Brock[1](https://www.broadwaynews.com/a-tony-award-winning-writer-and-a-tony-winning-actor-launch-a-streaming-series-about-regional-theater/) |
| Lead cast | Kevin Kline (Richard Bean), Laura Linney (Kristen Forrest Bean), Jon Tenney (Jon Bean), Len Cariou (Linus Bean), Tony Shalhoub (Alvy Stritch)[5](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/american-classic/umc.cmc.35g6ipv0ytayfjwj3xyz88q7v) • [6](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/american-classic/cast/1060524913/) |
| Setting | Millersburg, Pennsylvania, and the Bean family's small-town playhouse, now a dinner theater[2](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2026-03-01/american-classic-review-kevin-kline-laura-linney) |
| Central plot | Richard Bean stages a production of Thornton Wilder's *Our Town* with local townspeople to save the theater from a casino developer[7](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/27/arts/american-classic-kevin-kline/) |
| Reception scores | Rotten Tomatoes 94%, IMDb 6.8 (795 votes), Metascore 71[4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/american-classic) • [6](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/american-classic/cast/1060524913/) |
| Production | Fifth Season in collaboration with Likely Story and Anonymous Content[8](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/how-to-get-cast-on-mgm-american-classic-79984/) |
## Premise and characters
Richard Bean (Kevin Kline) is a renowned stage actor opening on Broadway in *King Lear* who forgets lines, has to be pushed onstage, and then drunkenly assails a hostile New York Times critic at the after-party; the moment goes viral and he is suspended from the play.[2](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2026-03-01/american-classic-review-kevin-kline-laura-linney) • [9](https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/american-classic-kevin-kline-mgm-plus-tv-review-2026) Hours later he learns of the death of his mother ([Jane Alexander](https://www.edgepedia.org/jane-alexander), appearing in film clips) and returns to Millersburg, where his family, described as all actors like the Barrymores, owns a once-celebrated theater that has become a low-rent dinner theater serving roast beef and second-rate musicals such as touring productions of *Nunsense* and *Forever Plaid*.[2](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2026-03-01/american-classic-review-kevin-kline-laura-linney) • [5](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/american-classic/umc.cmc.35g6ipv0ytayfjwj3xyz88q7v)
Richard decides to save both the theater and "the soul of the town" by staging *Our Town*, performed by actual townspeople, with ambitions of a real horse and rain on stage.[7](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/27/arts/american-classic-kevin-kline/) • [10](https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/American-Classics-Theatrical-DNA-is-Its-Pedigree-20260402) His former lover and acting partner Kristen Forrest Bean ([Laura Linney](https://www.edgepedia.org/laura-linney)) left him and the acting life years earlier and is now married to his good-hearted brother Jon ([Jon Tenney](https://www.edgepedia.org/jon-tenney)); she serves as the town's mayor.[7](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/27/arts/american-classic-kevin-kline/) Their teenage daughter Miranda ([Nell Verlaque](https://www.edgepedia.org/nell-verlaque)) wants to pursue acting in New York but is afraid to tell her parents and is weighing attending Penn.[7](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/27/arts/american-classic-kevin-kline/) • [2](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2026-03-01/american-classic-review-kevin-kline-laura-linney)
An external menace arrives in the form of developer Connor Boyle ([Billy Carter](https://www.edgepedia.org/billy-carter)), who is greedy for profit and plans to put a casino where the Beans' family theater stands, a situation that troubles the conscience of Mayor Kristen and fuels a subplot about a casino vote.[7](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/27/arts/american-classic-kevin-kline/) • [5](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/american-classic/umc.cmc.35g6ipv0ytayfjwj3xyz88q7v) [Elise Kibler](https://www.edgepedia.org/elise-kibler) plays Boyle's girlfriend Nadia Romanova, speaking with a heavy Russian accent, and [Jessica Hecht](https://www.edgepedia.org/jessica-hecht) appears as Richard's ex-wife Polly.[7](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/27/arts/american-classic-kevin-kline/) • [5](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/american-classic/umc.cmc.35g6ipv0ytayfjwj3xyz88q7v) Len Cariou plays Richard and Jon's father Linus, the theater's former artistic director, who is in the early stages of dementia.[9](https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/american-classic-kevin-kline-mgm-plus-tv-review-2026) Tony Shalhoub plays Richard's agent Alvy Stritch, and the cast also includes Aaron Tveit as Troy and Stephen Spinella.[6](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/american-classic/cast/1060524913/) • [11](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/streaming/10-top-new-shows-you-can-stream-this-week-on-netflix-hulu-and-more-feb-23-march-1)
## Production and development
The idea originated with producer Leslie Urdang, who pitched Michael Hoffman a story about a seasoned Broadway performer who has a public meltdown and returns to the family business, a small regional theater in Pennsylvania. After several years developing the concept, Hoffman brought in Bob Martin, whose theatrical background made him a natural collaborator.[1](https://www.broadwaynews.com/a-tony-award-winning-writer-and-a-tony-winning-actor-launch-a-streaming-series-about-regional-theater/) • [12](https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Exclusive-How-AMERICAN-CLASSIC-Brought-OUR-TOWN-to-the-Screen-20260409) The project had been in the works at MGM+ for more than three years; it was announced on the development slate of the platform, then named Epix, on February 3, 2022, and the series order made it only the second half-hour comedy in MGM+'s history after *Graves* (2016).[13](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kevin-kline-comedy-american-classic-170000764.html)
Hoffman, Martin, and Ellen Fairey serve as executive producers and writers alongside Kline, Leslie Urdang, Anthony Bregman, and others; Kline is also an executive producer, Tenney is co-executive producer, and Hoffman directed the pilot.[1](https://www.broadwaynews.com/a-tony-award-winning-writer-and-a-tony-winning-actor-launch-a-streaming-series-about-regional-theater/) • [13](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kevin-kline-comedy-american-classic-170000764.html) • [14](https://www.ctpublic.org/2026-04-04/actor-kevin-kline-discusses-the-inspiration-behind-the-new-series-american-classic) Production was planned for New Jersey, and the series is produced by Fifth Season in collaboration with Likely Story and [Anonymous Content](https://www.edgepedia.org/anonymous-content).[13](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kevin-kline-comedy-american-classic-170000764.html) • [8](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/how-to-get-cast-on-mgm-american-classic-79984/) According to the logline, each season is intended to follow a different Richard Bean production that reflects the stories of the Bean family and "the transformative power of making art."[15](https://www.tvinsider.com/1244218/american-classic-plot-cast-premiere-date-trailer-details/)
## Theatrical pedigree
The series draws heavily on its creators' theater backgrounds. Martin was one-third of the creative team behind the Canadian backstage series *Slings & Arrows*, co-wrote the Broadway musicals *The Drowsy Chaperone* and *[The Prom](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-prom-musical)*, and co-wrote the book for the Broadway musical *[Smash](https://www.edgepedia.org/smash-musical)*; Hoffman ran the Idaho Shakespeare Festival and Boise Contemporary Theater.[10](https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/American-Classics-Theatrical-DNA-is-Its-Pedigree-20260402) • [16](https://playbill.com/article/american-classic-laura-linney) Reviewers noted the *Slings & Arrows* comparison directly: as in that series, themes and speeches from the play being performed echo in the performers' lives.[2](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2026-03-01/american-classic-review-kevin-kline-laura-linney) Kline, Linney, and Hecht have all done extensive Broadway work, and the series makes room for Richard to perform soliloquies from *Hamlet* and *Henry V*, roles Kline has played onstage.[7](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/27/arts/american-classic-kevin-kline/) • [2](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2026-03-01/american-classic-review-kevin-kline-laura-linney)
## Reception
Critical response was largely positive. The Los Angeles Times called it "a love letter to theater, community and community theater"; the RogerEbert.com review described it as comfort viewing in the tradition of *Northern Exposure*, *Schitt's Creek*, and *Ted Lasso*; and NPR's WXXI review called it "an absolutely charming and wonderful TV jewel."[2](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2026-03-01/american-classic-review-kevin-kline-laura-linney) • [9](https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/american-classic-kevin-kline-mgm-plus-tv-review-2026) • [17](https://www.wxxinews.org/npr-news/2026-03-10/american-classic-is-a-hidden-gem-that-gets-even-better-as-it-goes) [The Boston Globe](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-boston-globe) offered a more reserved take, finding the eight-part series "fairly enjoyable as long as you don't look at it too closely," with wafer-thin characterizations and subplots that appear and disappear quickly.[7](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/27/arts/american-classic-kevin-kline/) Aggregated scores stood at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.8 on IMDb, and a Metascore of 71.[4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/american-classic) • [6](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/american-classic/cast/1060524913/)
As of October 2026 the series streamed on MGM+, fuboTV, the MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, and Spectrum On Demand, free with ads on [The Roku Channel](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-roku-channel), and was available for purchase on Amazon Video and the Apple TV Store.[4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/american-classic)
## References
1. [A Tony Award-winning writer and a Tony-winning actor launch a streaming series about regional theater, Broadway News](https://www.broadwaynews.com/a-tony-award-winning-writer-and-a-tony-winning-actor-launch-a-streaming-series-about-regional-theater/)
2. [In 'American Classic,' Kevin Kline and Laura Linney deliver a love letter to theater, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2026-03-01/american-classic-review-kevin-kline-laura-linney)
3. [American Classic (TV Series 2026– ) - News, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17676654/news/)
4. [American Classic - streaming tv show online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/american-classic)
5. [American Classic - Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/american-classic/umc.cmc.35g6ipv0ytayfjwj3xyz88q7v)
6. [American Classic - Full Cast & Crew, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/american-classic/cast/1060524913/)
7. [In 'American Classic,' acting runs in the family, The Boston Globe](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/27/arts/american-classic-kevin-kline/)
8. [How to Get Cast on MGM+'s 'American Classic', Backstage](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/how-to-get-cast-on-mgm-american-classic-79984/)
9. [The Play's the Thing with MGM+'s Charming Ode to the Theater, "American Classic", RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/american-classic-kevin-kline-mgm-plus-tv-review-2026)
10. [American Classic's Theatrical DNA is Its Pedigree, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/American-Classics-Theatrical-DNA-is-Its-Pedigree-20260402)
11. [10 top new shows you can stream this week, Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/streaming/10-top-new-shows-you-can-stream-this-week-on-netflix-hulu-and-more-feb-23-march-1)
12. [Exclusive: How AMERICAN CLASSIC Brought OUR TOWN to the Screen, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Exclusive-How-AMERICAN-CLASSIC-Brought-OUR-TOWN-to-the-Screen-20260409)
13. [Kevin Kline Comedy 'American Classic' Gets MGM+ Series Order, Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kevin-kline-comedy-american-classic-170000764.html)
14. [Actor Kevin Kline discusses the inspiration behind the new series, 'American Classic', Connecticut Public](https://www.ctpublic.org/2026-04-04/actor-kevin-kline-discusses-the-inspiration-behind-the-new-series-american-classic)
15. ['American Classic': Premiere Date, Trailer, Cast, Plot, and More, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/1244218/american-classic-plot-cast-premiere-date-trailer-details/)
16. [In American Classic, Laura Linney Sings a Showtune and Affirms Her Love for Theatre, Playbill](https://playbill.com/article/american-classic-laura-linney)
17. ['American Classic' is a hidden gem that gets even better as it goes, WXXI News](https://www.wxxinews.org/npr-news/2026-03-10/american-classic-is-a-hidden-gem-that-gets-even-better-as-it-goes)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Sitcom and comedy series › American sitcoms and comedy series › 2020s cable and streaming comedies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license