TV review: 'The Full Monty' reunion dares to face the naked truth about aging

Viewers under 40 may not be familiar with "The Full Monty," the 1997 Oscar-nominated hit about working-class Brits who raise money — and their town's spirits — by becoming strippers. But "youngsters" aren't this sequel's target audience. The "Full Monty" series, now streaming on Hulu, reunites the primary characters, all struggling with the injustices tied to getting old.

The eight episodes make a few nods to the movie, including a creaky re-creation of the "You Can Leave Your Hat On" dance. But the new stories, penned by Alice Nutter and original screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, mostly stand on their own with one recurring theme: How do you find work, love and respect at an age when you sometimes strain to remove your pants?

There are some silly misadventures, including the hunt for a valuable homing pigeon, a "Dog Day Afternoon"-type robbery and the disappearance of a dog that just won "Britain's Got Talent."

However, the goofiness works because it's performed by such a huggable cast, which includes Mark Addy and Tom Wilkinson, although the latter spends most of his brief appearances reading the newspaper. The standout is Robert Carlyle. His return as Gaz, the group's wiliest member, may remind you of Paul Newman in "Nobody's Fool," another performance that proved seniors are still capable of acting like juvenile delinquents.

Gaz and his buddies never remove all their clothes. But they do bare their deepest emotions. It's a heck of a strip show.

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