Taking Positive Steps to Tackle Age Discrimination in Hollywood

Brian Lowry’s report on the Women in Film-sponsored panel of writers, actors, directors and activists brought together to discuss the very real problem of ageism in Hollywood (“Hollywood Ageism: ‘We’ve Got to Make More of a Fuss,’ ” Oct. 7) left the impression that the only solutions offered to overcome age discrimination were litigation and political activism. Although the evening’s discussion included the citing of dismal statistics and some pessimism about the likelihood of change, there were a number of success stories and a variety of solutions offered up by both panel and audience members.

I was invited to be on the panel because I am the current “show runner” of a television series that has successfully employed people of all ages for more than seven years: “Diagnosis Murder.” The show’s star, Dick Van Dyke, is admittedly over 50. The character he portrays is smart, funny, active, employed and healthy. He even makes mistakes from time to time, as people of all ages do. But the series never makes fun of the character just because he’s of the white-haired generation. This is in large measure due to Van Dyke’s gentle insistence that we portray the character with dignity and integrity.

Throughout each season, with the support of CBS, we hire actors and directors of varying ages, race and gender. When I put the writing staff together, I hired the very best mystery writers in town. Collectively, this staff has won every award there is to win in television: the Emmy, the Edgar, the Humanitas and the Writers’ Guild Award. And they are all past the MTV generation.

There is no question that our society in general does not appreciate the value of its older members. And this is certainly reflected in our industry. Those who have been successful in fighting this discrimination through litigation or political activism have brought public awareness to the problem and they deserve our recognition and thanks.

But there are other ways in which we can tackle this problem.

One of the members of the audience at the symposium suggested using purchasing power to show Madison Avenue that older America is worth courting. Instead of boycotting products, she suggested an organized effort to buy products from companies that support programs that present older people in a positive light.

Another suggestion from the audience was to find funding to put together a documentary on older America to help dispel outdated images of who that generation is.

It is true that trying to find or maintain meaningful employment in an industry that cheerfully admits to chasing after the 18- to 25-year-old demographic can be disheartening. But those of us who have chosen to go into the entertainment field have opportunities to address these problems in creative ways that may not be open to people in other industries.

The best way to make sure that older people are written in a realistic, three-dimensional way is for our writers to do just that. Any compelling character, no matter what his or her age, will be accessible to a wide audience.

One of this year’s most successful movie releases, “‘Space Cowboys,” about a gang of older astronauts, has earned more than $100 million in worldwide box-office revenue to date.

In addition to the traditional marketplace, the new digital technology is opening up numerous other markets for us to pursue. As broadband grows, more and more stations will be coming into the home. Every new station will need product. That means more jobs in general but, even better, it means that certain stations can target specific audiences. Some of those audiences, needing to be served, will undoubtedly be older.

The avenues for job opportunities are different now from the past, and it may take some time to find the right strategies to pursue them. But I believe they are out there and they are expanding.

And, of course, in addition to all the commercial ventures, there are, and always have been, noncommercial venues that give writers, actors and directors of all ages the chance to try out new material and to grow as artists.

The most important thing for all of us, no matter what our age, is to continue to define ourselves. If we continue to write, act in, produce and direct projects that are meaningful to us, they will be meaningful to others. Remaining true to our voices has always been our best defense.

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Chris Abbott is an executive producer of “Diagnosis Murder.” Other credits include “Little House on the Prairie,” “Cagney & Lacey,” “Magnum, P.I.,” “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” and “Legacy.”