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TV Land is expanding their original content line-up by announcing that they’re moving forward with a sitcom pilot starring former “Cheers” actresses Kirstie Alley and Rhea Perlman. The show will reportedly center around Alley as a Broadway diva trying to reconnect with a son she gave up for adoption years before; Rhea will play her trusty and plucky personal assistant.

 

This news comes off the heels of a report that legendary Oscar-winning actress Jane Fonda, after having tested the television waters earlier this year with a 4-episode stint on “The Newsroom”, is gearing up to make things more permanent by headlining a show of her own, a sitcom for ABC focusing on a strained mother-daughter relationship (I’m guessing Fonda would be the mother in this scenario…).

 

As I ponder these two news items, I can’t help but notice how television has become a haven for actresses “of a certain age” to thrive. Back in the olden days, TV was considered the place where older actors went to die. But these days, mature actresses have discovered phenomenal success in television programs that they might not otherwise find in the film biz. Ironic for an industry that notoriously shuns “older” artists (not just actors but directors, writers, etc, as well) due to the erroneous belief that you can’t get consistent output from them… and yet, here these women are, faithfully pulling off terrific performances week after week... and, in many cases, being rewarded for it.

 

Here are some fun stats for y’all – at this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards, out of the 45 individual actresses who were nominated in performance categories, a whopping 73% were age 40 or older! Of those, 15 nominees were 50-plus, and 8 were 60 and above. And in 8 female acting categories altogether, 6 of them were won by these middle-aged ladies. Um… wow. Again, these are staggering numbers for an infamously youth-obsessed industry.

 

We’ve heard chatter for years and years about how there no good parts for women in movies anymore. While that might be true, it doesn’t seem the case AT ALL in television. So, for all you “experienced” ladies out there who can’t catch a break in films? Try giving TV a shot! It seems to be working out well for Kathy Bates, Glenn Close, Julianna Margulies, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Edie Falco, Melissa McCarthy, Tina Fey, Archie Panjabi, Jessica Lange, Julie Bowen, Sofia Vergara, etc, etc, etc…

 

 

- Katie Marzullo, YH Staff Editor

katie@younghollywood.com