A 77-year-old actor has accused television producers of relying on "insulting" stereotypes to portray older people on screen, remarks that coincide with a new industry report suggesting millions of Britons aged 55 and over feel sidelined by contemporary programming.
Chris Conil, who has worked as an extra on series including EastEnders, Silent Witness and The Bill, said older characters are frequently written as "grumpy, feeble or comic relief," and said broadcasters are prioritising younger audiences at the expense of older viewers. "Ageing is a chapter, not the final page," Conil said. "We are like fine wine, matured, but still with flavour. When you uncork us, there is anticipation, richness and character. That is what producers should be showing."
Conil's remarks accompany "The Upper Third," a report released by the Freeview channel network Great!, which found that 32% of the U.K. population — roughly 22 million people — are aged 55 or older and that many of them feel underrepresented on television. The study, based on surveys of more than 2,000 people and separate research of 2,060 respondents aged 55-plus, reported that 26% of older viewers feel forgotten by producers despite watching more television than any other age group, averaging three hours and 42 minutes a day.
The report found that 85% of respondents over 55 felt they were not portrayed positively on TV, a figure that rose to 89% for women over 75. It also said 63% of over-55s believe older actors in modern dramas typically play "offensive," "doddering" or other stereotypical characters who are often the "butt of the joke." Great! said that in the past week the five terrestrial channels showed just nine classic programmes, representing less than 5% of total programming.
Great! is positioning itself as a response to those findings. The network relaunched on Freeview channel 34 at 8 a.m. on Sept. 4, 2025, with a schedule aimed at older viewers, featuring series and films such as Rising Damp, Murder, She Wrote and the Carry On films. Kate Gartland, marketing director for Great!, said the relaunch is intended to give loyal older viewers "somewhere to watch their favourite shows" and criticised an industry focus on programming that targets younger demographics.
Conil, who lives in Seaford with his wife, Suzanne, 76, and who appears in a new series of ads for Great! TV, said television plays an integral role in the lives of residents in care settings and that producers fail to reflect the "eccentricity, history, stories that span decades" found there. He urged writers and commissioners to provide older characters with "proper stories, not cardboard cut-outs," and praised a handful of programmes he said appeal across generations, including the BBC's Happy Valley and The Vicar of Dibley.
The actor, a former baker who trained at the National Bakery School and ran a retirement home for 14 years before turning to acting later in life, said he welcomed Netflix's screen adaptation of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club as a constructive example and hoped future projects would expand opportunities for mature performers.
Industry commentators and broadcasters have in recent years debated how best to represent ageing on screen as population demographics shift. Advocates for older viewers point to their viewing loyalty and spending power, arguing for diverse, complex portrayals that reflect the experiences of later life. Broadcasters and producers have countered that programming decisions are shaped by commercial pressures and audience research, which often emphasise younger demographics prized by advertisers.
The Great! network said its relaunch is driven by a mission to "bring back the best of British television for a nation of forgotten viewers," and that the channel curation aims to match content to audience preferences. For now, the release of The Upper Third report and commentary from older performers such as Conil have renewed debate about who television serves and how programmes represent the later stages of life.
Conil said respect for older viewers could yield loyalty and word-of-mouth recommendations, adding: "If you respect older viewers, they'll be loyal and spread the word. But right now, we're being let down." The report's findings and Great!'s programming move may intensify scrutiny over portrayal and commissioning choices as broadcasters respond to an ageing national audience.