A 77-year-old actor has accused television producers of relying on "insulting" stereotypes when portraying older people on screen, as a new industry-backed report found millions of Britons aged 55 and over feel ignored by modern programming.
Chris Conil, who has worked as an extra on series including EastEnders, Silent Witness and The Bill, said many mature characters are written as "grumpy, feeble or comic relief" and that broadcasters are prioritising younger audiences at the expense of older viewers. "Ageing is a chapter, not the final page," he said. "Give us characters with proper stories, not cardboard cut-outs. If you respect older viewers, they'll be loyal and spread the word. But right now, we're being let down."
Conil, a former baker who later ran a retirement home and has trained as an actor, said television plays an "integral" role in the lives of older people and that drama and comedy should make more of the depth older characters can bring. He pointed to BBC dramas such as Happy Valley and sitcoms such as The Vicar of Dibley as examples of writing that "appeal across generations" and described Netflix's adaptation of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club novels as a "good start".
The criticism coincides with "The Upper Third", a report published by Freeview channel network Great!, which surveyed 2,092 people aged 18 to over 75 and conducted additional research of 2,060 people aged over 55 in August 2025. The study found that people aged 55 and over make up about a third of the UK population — roughly 22 million people — and watch more television than any other age group, averaging three hours and 42 minutes a day.
Despite that viewing time, 26% of over-55s told researchers they feel "forgotten" by today's TV producers. More than eight in 10 (85%) said they are not portrayed positively on television, with the figure rising to 89% for women aged over 75. Two-thirds (63%) of over-55s said older actors in modern dramas are often cast as "offensive", "doddering" or other stereotypical characters who become the butt of the joke. The report also found that, in the previous week, the five terrestrial channels showed just nine classic shows, accounting for less than 5% of total programming.
Great! network said the report underpinned a planned relaunch aimed at older viewers. The network, which operates Great! TV, Great! Action, Great! Mystery and the newly launched Great! Christmas, relaunched on Freeview channel 34 at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 4. Its schedule includes classic and long-running series and films such as Rising Damp, Murder, She Wrote and the Carry On films.
"Britain's most loyal TV viewers are 'not young', and so they're being routinely ignored by broadcasters," Great!'s marketing director Kate Gartland said in a statement. "Our core audiences are telling us loud and clear they feel left behind and want somewhere to watch their favourite shows — and that's exactly what we're giving them at Great! We curate our channels to celebrate the shows our audiences want, just how they want them."
Conil, who lives in Seaford with his wife and has previously turned to acting later in life and modelled for commercial work, is also the star of a new series of television adverts for Great!. He said broadcasters underestimate the "richness of older people's lives", pointing to the variety of stories and lived experience found in retirement communities and among older viewers.
Critics and advocates for older audiences have long argued that representation on screen affects both public perceptions and commercial decisions by broadcasters. The Great! report frames the relaunch as a response to audience demand, emphasising curation of classic content for viewers who said they felt overlooked by programming that targets younger demographics.
The debate over representation comes as British broadcasters and streaming services continue to adapt schedules and commissioning strategies to attract specific demographics. Producers and channels face competing pressures to reach younger viewers while serving an ageing population that, according to the Great! report, still consumes the most linear television.
Conil urged producers to take more risks with casting and storytelling for "the young at heart," saying reality is often "far funnier, richer and more moving than anything they showed." He asked television makers to stop patronising older audiences and to offer complex, culturally rich programmes that reflect decades of experience and audience loyalty.
The issue of how older people are depicted on television remains a topic of discussion among writers, producers and campaigners. The Great! relaunch signals one commercial response by prioritising classic programming and targeted scheduling; whether it prompts broader change in how older characters are written and cast across the industry remains to be seen.