Forget the sexy young heroes of ABC drama “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and the studly military bros of Fox comedy “Enlisted.” The fall season’s hot commodity is the nutty, nocuous grandpa. The networks have dusted off a handful of actors from days of yore — including film veterans James Caan, 73, and George Segal, 79 — to play curmudgeonly grandfathers and eccentric woman-chasers that aren’t doing the AARP generation any favors. And for some of the senior actors, the new stereotypical sitcom roles are a stark contrast to their prior notable work.
Here are some of the key players in the garrulous geezer trend.
ACTOR: James Caan, 73
PAST MEMORABLE FILM PART: USO entertainer Eddie Sparks in 1991’s “For the Boys” (opposite Bette Midler as singer/dancer Dixie Leonhard)
NEW TV ROLE: Failed major league baseball player and misoginistic father Terry “The Cannon” Gannon Sr. on ABC comedy “Back in the Game” (premieres Wednesday, Sept. 25)
DEFINING TRAITS: Doesn’t seem to shave, guzzles beer and advocates for severe violence to resolve conflict
TYPICAL OUTBURST: “You get a pipe or a brick. When the kid comes around the corner, you crack ‘im.” — advising his grandson Danny (Griffin Gluck) on how to handle a bully
ACTOR: George Segal, 79
PAST MEMORABLE FILM PART: Steve Blackburn, a married man having an affair (with costar Glenda Jackson) in 1973’s “A Touch of Class”
NEW TV ROLE: Albert “Pops” Solomon, 80, on 1980s era ABC sitcom “The Goldbergs” (premieres Tuesday, Sept. 24)
DEFINING TRAITS: A red Trans Am, gold neck chain and aspirations to be like then-sexiest man alive Burt Reynolds
TYPICAL OUTBURST: “I’ve got a date with Shirley Nagel. She’s got 12 grand kids, so you know she puts out.”
ACTOR: Beau Bridges, 71
PAST MEMORABLE FILM PART: Husband Sonny opposite Oscar winner Sally Field in 1979’s “Norma Rae”
NEW TV ROLE: Tom Miller, freshly-separated after 43 years of marriage, on CBS sitcom “The Millers” (premieres Thursday, Oct. 3)
DEFINING TRAITS: Shrill, selfish and technologically inept (confuses garage door open for the TV remote; puts metal in the microwave)
TYPICAL OUTBURST: “You walked in on me masturbating!” — lamenting the last time he and his wife Carol (Margo Martindale) had sex a year ago, in the shower
ACTOR: Martin Mull, 70
PAST MEMORABLE FILM PART: Corrupt Colonel Mustard in 1985 board game spinoff “Clue”
NEW TV ROLE: Optimistic but failed businessman Crawford, who lives with son Warner (Giovanni Ribisi), on Fox comedy “Dads” (airs Tuesdays)
DEFINING TRAITS: Cheery persona, but prone to sharing jaw-dropping cultural and racial ignorance
TYPICAL OUTBURST: “The Chinese are lovely and honorable people — but you can’t trust ‘em. There’s a reason ‘Shanghai’’s a verb.”
ACTOR: Peter Riegert, 66
PAST MEMORABLE FILM PART: Pickle shop owner Sam Posner in 1988 romantic comedy “Crossing Delancey” (costarred Amy Irving)
NEW TV ROLE: Conservative, emotionally distant, destitute David, who moves in with his son Eli (Seth Green) on “Dads”
DEFINING TRAITS: Pessimistic couch potato with a fixation on senior bodily functions
TYPICAL OUTBURST: “Stay out of the bathroom between 3 and 4 (a.m.); that’s my ‘go time.’” — giving nighttime instruction to his son