You don't have to be a boy to thrive on adventure. In the new Amazon series "The Dangerous Book for Boys," veteran actress Swoosie Kurtz plays the kind of grandmother who makes trouble and just wants to dance to Kiss classics.

Centered on a grieving trio of brothers who find newfound purpose in a mysterious book their late father left behind, the show bears a timely theme. It's an imperative to "get off your phones, your devices, get out in the world," Kurtz told Mary Elizabeth Williams on Salon Talks." "Be open to things. Learn how to tie a knot, how to write in code. It's a message we all need right now, not just the kids. It's life affirming."

And though the show is a comedy, it sensitively explores an often taboo subject - loss. "Everyone in the show is dealing with their grief in different ways," Kurtz said. "My character is very spiritual, very connected. She imparts to the kids these non-preaching lessons of how to deal with grief, with life and with death."