Netflix has dropped a serialized remake of The Four Seasons on May 1, bringing a new ensemble dramedy to audiences more than four decades after Alan Alda's 1981 film debuted.The original film was directed by Alda and starred Carol Burnett, Rita Moreno, and Len Cariou. It followed three couples navigating midlife crises during seasonal vacations.The Netflix series, co-created by and starring Tina Fey, roughly follows the same concept, with eight episodes, two each representing events during the four seasons—but updates the dynamics for a new audience.'The Four Seasons' Netflix CastThe new adaptation stars Fey as Kate, married to Jack, played by fellow Saturday Night Live (SNL) alum Will Forte. Kate's longtime best friend is Anne, played by Kerri Kenney-Silver, who struggles with her marriage to Nick, played by Steve Carrell. Those four are joined by couple Claude and Danny, played by Marco Calvani and Colman Domingo, respectively.Supporting cast members include Julia Lester as Anne's daughter and Erika Henningsen as Nick's younger beau, Ginny. Alda also makes a cameo in the series.In an interview with The Today Show, Fey said only a "likeable" actor like Carrell could play a complicated character like Nick."To me, Steve is kind of the Jimmy Stewart of our generation," she said, referencing the late star who played in films like Vertigo and It's a Wonderful Life.In the same interview, Forte said all of the characters go on a "complete journey" throughout the series. "I feel like there are six emotional centers of this group," he said.How the Netflix Series Compares to the 1981 MovieThe Netflix version retains the structural skeleton of the 1981 film but is layered with new twists and turns throughout. On its surface, the Netflix series offers a modern twist to the classic comedy.One notable twist is a cast change up, as gay couple Claude and Danny are the modern, realistic equal of the roles of Claudia and Danny, played by Moreno and Jack Weston. Moreover, the set of three couples in the series have been aged up a decade. The original film was about friends in their 40s, excluding Weston, who is supposedly older.The series is longer than the film. The movie's runtime is 1 hour and 47 minutes, while each episode in the eight-episode series ranges from 27 to 35 minutes. The length of the Netflix series offers significantly more time to unravel some of the difficulties with the pair's relationship downturn."I do think that a series like this, where you can just expand things and take your time a little bit more felt like a perfect way to hang out with these characters a little bit longer," Fey said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.That's particularly apparent for Kenney-Silver's character. While Anne and Nick's character plots are the same in both versions, the time provides more context to show the unraveling of the relationship. In the original film, Anne ends up playing more of a supporting role, whereas in the series she's more center-stage, and viewers see more of her struggle."I watched this movie probably 30 times when I was 11, and my parents had just gotten divorced," Kenney-Silver told TODAY. "That movie sort of felt a little bit like a documentary that I wasn't in, but I was very much a part of."Generally, the series makes an effort to give more time for all of the characters to explore the emotional weight of their situations. This includes Ginny, who is a fleshed-out character in the series rather than a tool to advance Nick's character development. Characters carry the weight of previous tensions and unresolved conversations from one episode to the next, a slight variation from the original series.What Happens Next?There is no formal announcement yet regarding a second season. The Four Seasons is currently available to stream on Netflix.