Shrinking is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel, and Brett Goldstein. The series stars Segel as a grieving therapist who decides to become drastically more involved in his patients' lives. Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie, Lukita Maxwell, and Ted McGinley also star.
The series premiered on January 27, 2023, on Apple TV+. It has received positive reviews, with praise for its performances, writing, humor, and examination of grief. It was renewed for a second season in March 2023. The second season premiered on October 16, 2024. In the same month, the series was renewed for an 11-episode third season, which premiered on Apple TV on January 28, 2026. Shrinking was renewed for a fourth season in January 2026.
The first season received two nominations at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Segel and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Williams. Ford received nominations at the Critics' Choice Awards and the TCA Awards for his performance, along with nominations for the series itself. For its second season, the series was recognized as one of the top ten television programs of the year by the American Film Institute.
Contents
Premise
A therapist, Jimmy Laird, dealing with severe grief after his wife's death, begins to breach ethical barriers by telling his patients what he really thinks, resulting in massive changes to his and their lives.
Cast and characters
Main
Jason Segel as Jimmy Laird, a therapist who works at the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center and is grieving the death of his wife
Jessica Williams as Gaby Evans, a fellow therapist working with Jimmy at the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center
Luke Tennie as Sean Mitchell, a patient suffering from anger management issues who has sessions with Jimmy
Michael Urie as Brian Lorenzo, Jimmy's best friend who is a lawyer
Lukita Maxwell as Alice Laird, Jimmy's teenaged daughter with whom he has a strained relationship
Christa Miller as Liz Bishop, Jimmy's next-door neighbor who also helps with looking after Alice
Harrison Ford as Dr. Paul Rhoades, a senior therapist and colleague of Jimmy's at the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center who has Parkinson's disease
Ted McGinley as Derek Bishop (season 2–present; recurring season 1), Liz's husband
Recurring
Heidi Gardner as Grace (seasons 1–2), one of Jimmy's patients
Lilan Bowden as Tia (seasons 1–2, guest season 3), Jimmy's wife and Alice's mother who was killed in a drunk driving accident
Devin Kawaoka as Charlie, Brian's fiancé and eventually husband
Rachel Stubington as Summer, Alice's best friend at school
Kenajuan Bentley as Tim, Sean's estranged father
Lily Rabe as Meg, Paul's daughter
Wendie Malick as Dr. Julie Baram, a neurologist treating Paul's Parkinson's disease with whom he begins a romance and eventually marries
Kimberly Condict as Wally, one of Jimmy's patients who has obsessive–compulsive disorder
Tilky Jones as Donny (seasons 1–2), Grace's abusive husband
Mike C. Nelson as Dan, one of Jimmy's patients
Jill Knox as Donna, Mark's wife and one of Gaby's patients
Keith Powell as Mark, Donna's husband and one of Gaby's patients
Gavin Lewis as Connor Bishop (season 2; guest seasons 1, 3), a son of neighbors Liz and Derek and friend of Alice
Neil Flynn as Raymond (season 2–present; guest season 1), one of Paul's patients
Trey Santiago-Hudson as Jorge (season 2-present), a veteran who served with Sean and now runs a food truck with him
Guest
Asif Ali as Alan (season 1), one of Jimmy's patients
Miriam Flynn as Pam (season 1; season 3), Jimmy and Liz's heavily disliked neighbor
Brian Howe as Kip (season 1; season 3), Brian's father
Kelly Bishop as Susan (season 2), Paul's ex-wife and Meg's mother
Meredith Hagner as Sarah (season 2–present), Louis' former fiancée
Tanner Zagarino as Dylan (season 2), Alice's classmate with whom she goes on a casual date
Nora Kirkpatrick as Kellie (season 2–present), a nanny hired by Brian and Charlie
Matt Mitchell as Will Bishop (season 2-present), Liz and Derek's mature and responsible son
Michael J. Fox as Gerry (season 3-present), a Parkinson's patient Paul meets at the doctor's office
Isabella Gomez as Marisol (season 3), Sean's ex-girlfriend who comes back into his life
Sherry Cola as Maya (season 3), Gaby's newest patient
Samuel Page as Casey (season 3), Sarah's new boyfriend
Jeff Daniels as Randy Laird (season 3), Jimmy's father
Lisa Gilroy as Kimmy (season 3), a nurse Liz sets Jimmy up with
Candice Bergen as Constance (season 3), Derek's mother
Episodes
Production
It was announced in October 2021 that Apple TV+ had ordered a ten-episode season for the series, which would star Jason Segel, who co-created alongside Brett Goldstein and Bill Lawrence. In April 2022, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie, and Lukita Maxwell joined the cast, with James Ponsoldt joining the production as a director and executive producer. Production began in April 2022. The first season has a total of ten episodes. The series theme song "Frightening Fishes" was written by Ben Gibbard and Tom Howe.
During a 2023 interview with Harrison Ford for The Hollywood Reporter, author James Hibberd reminded Ford that he had said in 2002 that he was content to work only once per year and asked him why he had accepted the offer to play Dr. Paul Rhoades. Ford replied that he wanted to try new things after a period of not doing as much work as he wished due to the COVID-19 pandemic and his commitments to the titular role of the long-delayed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. As with his role in 1923, Ford accepted the Shrinking role despite there not being a script at the time, trusting that Segel, Goldstein, Lawrence and Brian Gallivan would deliver him a good script.
In March 2023, Apple TV+ renewed the series for a second season. In June 2024, Ashley Nicole Black joined the second season as a writer and a cast member in an undisclosed capacity. The season filmed from January to June 2024. Ted McGinley, who had a recurring role in the first season, was promoted to series regular for the second season. The show was pitched to Apple as a three-season-show, but the creators are open to continue if a fitting story emerges. On October 17, 2024, Apple TV+ renewed the series for a third season. Filming for the third season began in mid-February 2025 and concluded on July 16, 2025.
Shrinking was renewed for a fourth season in January 2026. Lawrence stated that the original three season story arc will still conclude as planned and the fourth season will begin "a new story with the same cast."
Release
Shrinking was released on January 27, 2023, with the first two episodes premiering together and the rest releasing on a weekly basis on Apple TV+. The second season premiered on October 16, 2024. The third season premiered on January 28, 2026, with a one-hour episode and the rest debuting on a weekly basis until the season finale on April 8.
Reception
Critical response
For the first season, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 91% approval rating based on 94 critic reviews with an average rating of 7.65/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Shrinking has darker ideas on its mind than its earnest approach can often translate, but Jason Segel and Harrison Ford's sparkling turns make these characters worth close analysis." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 68 out of 100 based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a B+ and described the series as "a funny, brainy grief-com about the power—and dangers—of radical honesty." Chicago Sun-Times's Richard Roeper gave a rating of 3.5 out of 4 stars and said, "You never know what goes on behind the scenes, but one gets the feeling Ford is having a great time on this show. We're sure having a great time watching it." Writing for The Wall Street Journal, John Anderson stated, "The overall sense is a little like laughing at a funeral; the human impulses are familiar, a little perverse and somehow comforting."
The second season received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a 97% approval rating based on 82 critic reviews with an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's critics consensus states, "Settling into a hangout comedy that's content to luxuriate in these lovable characters' company, Shrinking's appeal only continues to grow in this big-hearted second season." On Metacritic, the season has a score of 75 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
On Rotten Tomatoes, the third season holds a 92% approval rating based on 37 critic reviews with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's critics consensus read, "Shrinking's soothing balm of eager humanity shines through in the series' laugh inducing, heartstring pulling and tender third season." On Metacritic, the season has a score of 76 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".