Audible is teaming up with Kenya Barris’ Khalabo Ink Society for Big Age, a new Audible Original comedy series that puts aging, love, and second chances front and center — with plenty of laughs along the way.
Premiering February 5, Big Age follows recently retired couple Dot and Butch Watts as they’re nudged—okay, pushed—by their daughter into Sunset Gardens, a Florida retirement community that turns out to be anything but peaceful. What begins as a reluctant move quickly becomes a surprising new chapter filled with wild personalities, romantic complications, and moments that challenge everything the couple thought they knew about getting older.
Created by Kenya Barris, the Emmy-nominated mind behind black-ish, Big Age leans into Barris’ gift for blending sharp comedy with emotional honesty. The series explores what it means to age without fading into the background—and proves that reinvention doesn’t have an expiration date.
The cast is stacked with comedy heavyweights. Jenifer Lewis voices Dot Watts, a sharp-tongued, opinionated woman who refuses to go quietly into retirement life. Dot’s husband Butch is played by Cedric the Entertainer, bringing warmth and charm to a character navigating marriage, memory, and unexpected competition in his later years. Rounding out the central trio is Niecy Nash-Betts, who plays Ethel—Butch’s flirtatious high school sweetheart whose arrival stirs more than a little trouble.
The featured voice cast also includes Diarra Kilpatrick, Miles Brown, Michael Harney, P.J. Byrne, Nana Visitor, Jim Meskimen, Jane Gennaro, Sophie Hayden, and Rafael Ferrer, creating a lively ensemble that brings Sunset Gardens to life.
“Old people are some of the funniest, most unfiltered people I’ve ever met,” Barris said in a statement. “We wanted to flip the idea of what a retirement community looks like on its head, because that generation is out here living their best lives. At its core, this is a story about love, reinvention, and second chances—and getting older doesn’t have to mean slowing down.”
Lewis echoed that sentiment, describing Dot as “every woman who refuses to fade quietly into the background,” adding that the audio format allows her character’s humor and heart to shine in a unique way.
Audible’s Chief Content Officer Rachel Ghiazza praised the project for marrying “uproarious comedy with genuine emotional resonance,” calling Big Age a standout example of premium audio storytelling.
The series marks another collaboration between Audible and Barris, following earlier projects including The Unusual Suspects with Kenya Barris and Malcolm Gladwell. It also joins Audible’s growing slate of partnerships with major creatives and production companies across film, television, and publishing.
Big Age will be available exclusively on Audible, with preorders open now. For listeners looking for comedy that’s bold, heartfelt, and unapologetically alive, Sunset Gardens may be the last place you’d expect—and exactly where you want to be.