Only Murders in the Building proves shows can thrive with older leads

Paste Magazine

"While Only Murders in the Building is a critical hit and has been a renaissance for two comedic legends, it is also a stinging reminder of how TV used to celebrate older actors," says Terry Terrones of the Hulu mystery series starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez. "The history of American television is littered with fascinating characters who were typically 50 and older, but over the past five decades that’s slowly and dramatically changed. The 1970s were full of rich and colorful roles played by mature leads. Characters like Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor in All in the Family), JR Ewing (Larry Hagman in Dallas), Maude Findlay (Bea Arthur in Maude) and Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx in Sanford and Son) were not only memorable, but pop culture phenomenons. The trend continued in the 1980s. Murder, She Wrote was one of CBS’s biggest hits for 12 years and was nominated for 10 Golden Globes and 12 Emmy Awards. Series star Angela Lansbury was 71 when the series ended. The Golden Girls focused on the lives of four older single women between the ages of 52 and 79, and was an instant ratings hit. Dynasty, The Equalizer, and The Cosby Show, which was the most popular TV series of the 1980s, are just some of the successful programs that had older actors as in leading roles. So when did Hollywood decide being old wasn’t cool? How did we go from a world where septuagenarian Angela Lansbury is the biggest star on television to teenager Millie Bobby Brown? I blame Beverly Hills, 90210, which premiered in 1990...The success of Beverly Hills, 90210 became a template for every teen-centric series that followed. While it wasn’t a critical hit, its incredible popularity led to a series of copycats, as its harder edge proved there was an audience for its occasionally risqué content. From Beverly Hills, 90210, the evolution of the teen genre is easy to trace. The series begat Dawson’s Creek (1998), Freaks and Geeks (1999), The OC (2003), Gossip Girl (2007), and countless others. From there, the interest in dramas and comedies with teen leads only intensified. With youth programming a must-have for every streaming service and TV network, a particular demographic was gradually left out in the cold. Sorry mature adults and seniors, but by 2021 you’ve been relegated to only parental roles—even if you’re not old enough to actually be the parent of your onscreen kid."