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Red Oaks

Red Oaks

2014–2017Ended3 seasons26 episodes~30 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

A coming-of-age comedy set in the "go-go" 80s that is equal parts hijinks and heartfelt about a college student enjoying a last hurrah before summer comes to an end--and the future begins. David Myers, an assistant tennis pro at the Red Oaks Country Club in suburban New Jersey in 1985, is both reeling from his father's heart attack and conflicted about what major to declare in the fall. While there, he meets a colorful cast of misfit co-workers and wealthy club members including an alluring art student named Skye and her corporate raider father Getty.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Red Oaks?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Red Oaks streaming on Prime Video.

Subscription

Free

Highlights

What stands out about Red Oaks?

Red Oaks earns 4 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Preferred by Men.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Red Oaks worth watching?

Red Oaks' Midcredits score is the 88th percentile of all shows, from 14K ratings across 2 sources. 90% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

88th percentile

Better received than 88% of shows

87th percentile among Comedy87th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)79th
Approval (how many liked it)93rd

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

77 /100

79th percentile of all shows

80th percentile among Comedy77th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

90% liked it

93rd percentile of all shows

92nd percentile among Comedy92nd percentile among 2010s
90% rated it 7–1010% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

88th percentile

14K ratings across platforms

81st percentile among Comedy88th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 7% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both fans and detractors agree the show is a light, nostalgic 80s-set coming-of-age comedy heavily indebted to Caddyshack and John Hughes films, with a likable cast but derivative plotting.

Fans praised

  • Endearing, well-developed characters with genuine arcs
  • Comforting, feel-good tone evoking 80s coming-of-age nostalgia
  • Strong ensemble cast performances, especially Reiser, Kind, Esmer, and Cooper

Detractors panned

  • Derivative, borrowing heavily from Caddyshack and other 80s tropes without originality
  • Shallow female characters written as male fantasies, cardboard cutouts
  • Main character David is passive, unrealistic, and lacks charisma or believability

What stands out

Sound and music80

Excellent soundtrack with deep 80s cuts; music praised by fans, detractors find it overused

ActingDivisive75

Ensemble praised as flawless; Reiser, Kind, Esmer singled out; detractors find lead Roberts miscast and note female performances flat

AtmosphereDivisive70

Nostalgic 80s setting well evoked via costumes, props, and tone; detractors say inauthentic, thin veneer

CharactersDivisive65

Endearing, well-developed arcs for main cast; detractors see clichés, cardboard cutouts, unrealistic romantic pairings

PacingDivisive65

Short episodes, breezy and easy to binge; some find slow or meandering

HumorDivisive60

Subtle, character-driven comedy lands for fans; detractors find it unfunny, forced

Plot and storyDivisive55

Comforting, simple narrative loses direction in later seasons; predictable, slow, lacks stakes

Originality35

Openly derivative of Caddyshack, John Hughes, Superbad; 'comfort food' not innovating

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 22 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 14 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Episodes

3 seasons

Season 3 · 2017 · 6 episodes

  • S3E1

    Summer in the City

    Oct 19, 201728 min
  • S3E2

    Samwich

    Oct 19, 201726 min
  • S3E3

    A Little Business Proposition

    Oct 19, 201726 min
  • S3E4

    Memories

    Oct 19, 201727 min
  • S3E5

    Paroled

    Oct 19, 201731 min
  • S3E6

    Action!

    Oct 19, 201731 minFinale

Watch experience

What is Red Oaks like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and gentle — a slow-burn watch that leaves you feeling good.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
WarmJoyfulBittersweet
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
WarmPlayful
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedNew arc each season
ToneThe show holds its characters with genuine affection, finding humour and heart in their summer antics without irony.
The rideAcross its run the series sustains a warm, lightly comic mood; the final season carries more bittersweet weight as David faces leaving summer behind.
StructureThe series unfolds linearly across three summers, following David's journey from college to career.
Episode formatThe series follows a continuous story of David's summers and personal growth across seasons, though individual episodes often have a self-contained arc.
Season formatEach season covers one summer in David's life, with its own set of relationships and challenges, while the core cast and setting continue.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Feel-goodHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe show leaves the viewer with a warm, optimistic feeling about growing up and moving on, without heavy emotional weight.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeA coming-of-age comedy following a college student over summers at a country club; lacks a single plot archetype shape.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfComingof age
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% (this title) · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% (this title) · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

Coming of age · 9% of showsClass · 4% of showsFriendship
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeDavid Meyers stands on the threshold of adulthood, discovering who he is and what matters through summer work, family dynamics, and friendships across class lines.
StanceThe show celebrates the messy, funny process of growing up, treating David's coming-of-age with affection rather than cynicism.

The world

Late 20th centurySuburbanInstitutionalRealistic
PopRockOrchestral classicalSupportive music · licensed compilation
SettingA country club in suburban New Jersey during the 1980s.
MusicThe soundtrack heavily features 1980s pop and rock hits to evoke the era.

Content guide

Is Red Oaks okay for kids?

TV-MA

Red Oaks is rated TV-MA. As of August 29, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (9/100), sexual content at moderate (51/100), language at intense (65/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (64/100) and frightening material at minimal (12/100). Overall it is heavier than 18% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 11 other countries
  • Canada18+
  • Germany18
  • France18
  • Belgium18
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK18
  • MexicoD
  • Norway18
  • RO18
  • Spain18
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 48% of all showsHeavier than 18% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 3%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 46%
Profanity
Intense
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 44%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 71%
Frightening / Intense
None / Minimal
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 6%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language and drug and alcohol content. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Red Oaks have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Red Oaks?

Cast

Craig Roberts
as David Meyers
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ennis Esmer
as Nash
Oliver Cooper
as Wheeler
Richard Kind
as Sam Meyers
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Paul Reiser
as Doug Getty
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Alexandra Turshen
as Misty
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jennifer Grey
as Judy Meyers
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Alexandra Socha
as Skye Getty
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Freddie Roman
as Herb
Josh Meyers
as Barry

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