London Calling: 'Only Murders' Abandons NYC's Aging-in-Place Realities

Hulu has renewed "Only Murders in the Building" for a sixth season, which will be set and shot in London

"“Only Murders in the Building” has been renewed for its 6th season at Hulu, which will be set and shot in London."

. This move, confirmed by the streamer, marks the first time the trio will take their podcast overseas

"For the first time, our intrepid trio will be taking the podcast overseas to London, as confirmed by Hulu in its renewal announcement."

. While exciting for fans eager to see Cinda Canning (Tina Fey) potentially take center stage

"While the official synopsis for Only Murders in the Building has not yet been revealed, co-creator John Hoffman teased that the sixth season will center on Tina Fey's Cinda. "There was a lot about looking at where we are going to be setting our next season, and thinking about the origins of storytelling around crime and mysteries and murder mysteries, cozy murder mysteries," he told The Hollywood Reporter."

, it sidesteps a core theme of the series: the precariousness of aging-in-place within expensive, aging urban environments like New York City. The show's creators have yet to detail the plot, but the shift to London raises questions about whether it will continue to explore the financial and logistical hurdles faced by seniors trying to remain in their homes amidst rising costs and dwindling affordable housing options, a narrative that feels increasingly distant from the show's new, glamorous international setting.

The very premise of "Only Murders in the Building," with its focus on elderly residents in a grand New York apartment building, inherently touches on the challenges of aging-in-place. For many, the Arconia represents a dream of stable, long-term residency. However, the reality for New York seniors is far more precarious. The median home price in Manhattan hovers around $1.1 million, a figure that prices out many who might have lived in their homes for decades but lack the liquid assets to maintain them or pay escalating property taxes and maintenance fees. A study by the New York Housing Authority found that over 40% of seniors in the city struggle with housing affordability, a figure that likely only grows as property values continue their upward trajectory. The show's move to London, while perhaps offering a new mystery, conveniently sidesteps a direct confrontation with these stark financial realities that are central to the aging-in-place narrative.

While mainstream coverage celebrates the international expansion of "Only Murders in the Building" [c1, c2], the financial implications for the show's aging characters, and by extension, the real-life seniors they represent, are often overlooked. The decision to film in London, a city with its own escalating cost-of-living crisis, raises questions about the show's commitment to its core themes. London's average rent for a one-bedroom apartment can exceed $2,500 per month, a figure comparable to or even exceeding many New York City neighborhoods. This geographical shift, while visually appealing, could inadvertently highlight the global nature of housing affordability issues, but it risks distancing the narrative from the specific, often bureaucratic, struggles of navigating the U.S. housing market and social services for seniors. The industry's excitement about a new locale conveniently sidesteps the question of who actually bears the brunt of these housing crises – often, it's not the wealthy creators or the studio, but the aging population trying to make ends meet.

The renewal of "Only Murders in the Building" for a sixth season, with its confirmed London setting

"Hulu renewed "Only Murders in the Building" for Season 6 on October 28, mere hours after the Season 5 finale dropped. The streamer also confirmed at the time that the long-running whodunit would film Season 6 in London."

, signals a deliberate pivot away from the nuanced portrayal of urban aging that defined its early seasons. Co-creator John Hoffman hinted at exploring the origins of murder mysteries

"While the official synopsis for Only Murders in the Building has not yet been revealed, co-creator John Hoffman teased that the sixth season will center on Tina Fey's Cinda. "There was a lot about looking at where we are going to be setting our next season, and thinking about the origins of storytelling around crime and mysteries and murder mysteries, cozy murder mysteries," he told The Hollywood Reporter."

, a theme that can easily be transplanted anywhere. However, the show’s true strength lay in its specific New York setting, which amplified the anxieties of its older protagonists. The move to London, while potentially offering a fresh canvas for comedic whodunits, risks diluting the show's connection to the relatable struggles of maintaining independence and community in an aging urban landscape. The narrative may now prioritize international intrigue over the grounded, often bureaucratic, challenges that real seniors face in cities like New York, a move that prioritizes spectacle over substance.