MTV’s My Super Sweet 16 is a fascinating, disgusting look into the most spoiled brats in America: rich, insanely entitled teens whose parents throw them lavish, ostentatious parties and who tend to whine and scream when they don’t get everything exactly their way. Its mesmerizing train-wreck quality has made it a cable hit, so it’s not surprising that another show has come along to try to capitalize on the formula—only that it took so long.
At first glance, The Big 4-0 (TV Land, Wednesdays, 10 p.m.) looks set up to do for people turning 40 what My Super Sweet 16 did for people turning 16, and confirm that 40-year-olds can be just as spoiled, self-centered and egotistical as 16-year-olds. Sadly, 4-0 turns out instead to be more of an antidote to Sweet 16, showing that even when throwing themselves elaborate celebrations to commemorate the halfway marks in their lives, these 40-year-olds behave disappointingly like mature adults.
Perhaps there’s more distasteful wallowing to come, but at least in its first episode, 4-0 is wholesome and bland. The show’s opener focuses on Derrick, a former pro football player who now coaches college ball, and is hoping to stage a match between his old teammates and his current players, to prove that he’s not yet over the hill when it comes to athletics. A likable and giving guy, Derrick has a loving wife and three kids (including one who’s adopted), and there’s little drama on the road to putting together the game.
And although it takes place in a huge stadium and comes complete with cheerleaders, a marching band and official referees, Derrick’s birthday game never seems over the top or out of proportion to his life. He uses the resources his career affords him to have a fun day playing football, manages to improve his physical condition after being out of the game for a decade and bonds with his indulgent and loving friends and family.
But how boring is that? TV Land, once exclusively the network of old reruns, has in the last few years been working to brand itself as the go-to network for baby boomers, and this sort of feel-good show about getting older is exactly the kind of thing it’s now peddling (even if 40 is now a bit outside of the baby boom demographic). The network has gone from promoting nostalgia to sort of pre-manufacturing it, with reality shows like this one and High School Reunion. It’s nice to feel good about getting older, and also heartening to think that at least some people will grow out of the selfishness and short-sightedness typical of teenagers.
There isn’t the grandiose sense of accomplishment to The Big 4-0 that marks the most successful inspirational reality shows (think Extreme Makeover: Home Edition), though, so salaciousness would probably work much better. Future episodes will focus on a model trying to reclaim her sexiness and a gigantic masquerade ball-style party—but there’s also a paralyzed guy who gets to skydive and a woman rediscovering her heritage. It’s not likely that anything particularly crass will come of these efforts, and although it may make those facing their own big 4-0 feel a little better about the whole thing, it won’t be nearly as fun to watch as the people for whom turning 16 is the most important thing to ever happen in their lives.
The Big 4-0
** 1/2