America

Thanks to streaming, TV is celebrating its senior moment more than ever

January 15, 2022
Henry Club

Martin Short and Steve Martin recognized for Hulu in nominations “Only murders in the building,” Michael Douglas in an ongoing comedy for Netflix “The Kominsky Method,” and Gene Smart a triple nominee, individually for HBO Max’s “Hacks” and HBO’s “Mare of Easttown,” and collectively with the cast of the former.
“Yellowstone,” a show anchored by the steely appearance of Kevin Costner, was also broken, as Brian Cox did for another powerful patriarch in “Succession,” and Michael Keaton. “Dopesic,” Fact-based limited series about the opioid epidemic.

It’s no secret that Hollywood has faced accusations of ageism, both in front of and behind the camera seeking younger audiences at the expense of older players. Yet the preferences and business model of streaming, and the abundance of content it creates, seem to tamper with that math.

Unlike ad-supported networks, which have prioritized reaching a more youthful demographic, streaming relies on subscriptions, and as a means of attracting such attention, features high-profile talent that helps people grow. will inspire. While advertisers pay a premium to reach adults under the age of 50, their parents and grandparents are just as green if the money is handed over directly.

While perhaps most prevalent in streaming, this trend is not unique to it. Chuck Lorre, creator of hit comedies like “The Big Bang Theory,” its prequel “Young Sheldon,” and the aforementioned “Kominsky Method,” has stocked his show with old regulars.

On “Young Sheldon,” Means complements the main cast beyond Annie Potts with Craig T. Nelson, Ed Begley Jr., Reba McEntire and Wallace Shawn as grandmothers.

“Be Positive,” another Lorre production, has taken an even more significant turn in its second season, with a major change in which the main character, played by Annaleigh Ashford, was put in charge of an assisted-living facility. has been placed, which includes a number of veteran actors – Hector Elizondo, Jane Seymour, Ben Wren, and Jim Beavers – as residents.

There is a practical aspect to all of this, with data showing that streaming viewers have gotten older during the pandemic. Research firm Ampere Analysis last year issued a report This suggests that Netflix’s subscriber base is getting older as those viewers explore more entertainment options at home.

The appetite for streaming content has not gone unnoticed by artists, especially with certain types of films significantly reducing their viability in theaters – a dynamic that was there before Covid-19 and only became more apparent in the last two years. Is.

In a recent interview with the hollywood reporterIn this article, Sandra Bullock — who has starred in two films for Netflix — made reference to Hollywood’s brutal history of keeping actresses “off pasture” after reaching a certain age.

“They’re good for actors. They’re good for filmmakers. If it wasn’t for Netflix, a lot of people wouldn’t be working,” said Bullock, 57. “Their stories won’t be told. Who would think that I, as a woman, would still be working at this point?”

Michael Douglas, Sarah Baker and Kathleen Turner "The Kominsky Method" In the third season of.
Of course, there is a whip relative to the bull rita moreno and William Shatner, both 90, featured prominently in the new version of Steven Spielberg “The Story of the West” and the latter is gaining headlines by travel in space On Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin. (Shatner also starred in “Senior Moment,” a movie released last year, opposite the ubiquitous Smart.)

Some caveats apply. Although there have been shows like “Kominsky Method” and “Grace and Frankie” starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, the juicier portions for actors in that age group — beyond the customary wacky grandparent roles — are still typically multi-generational. come in series.

Furthermore, recent signs of progress follow a long period in which actors – especially women – have seen opportunities fall off a cliff as they exit demos. Geena Davis, the outspoken lawyer on the issue, recently discussed The podcast interview cited those challenges, citing the long-standing practice of male actors insisting on taking very young women as their romantic interests, a situation he claimed to have experienced personally. did.
Also, the increasingly niche nature of entertainment has facilitated success in films, too. At last year’s Oscars, 83-year-old Anthony Hopkins became Oldest Best Actor Winner of All Time For “The Father” with two artists in the 60s and 70s, Frances McDormand and Yoon Yuh-jung, respectively, joined the winning troupe with them.
In 2019 InterviewIn writing, Lorre cited the ability to tell stories about aging, including “losing loved ones, endless health problems, [and] Feeling alienated from the culture – which is a youth-dominated culture.”

Television has been and remains a youth dominated medium in most cases. But thanks to these shows and others, the terms of that pique are starting to look at least a little more hospitable.

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