[Commlist] Call for Papers: Ageing on Screen in British Film and TV Drama: Representation, Industry and Audience.

Christa van Raalte and Christopher Pullen (both of Bournemouth 
University) are seeking contributors for a new edited book collection, 
examining ageing on screen in British film and TV drama since 2000, with 
a particular focus on representational issues, industry/production 
contexts and audience interactions.
According to the Office of National Statistics, one in six of the UK 
population is currently aged 65 or older, with this proportion expected 
to rise to one in four by 2050 (parliament.uk), yet the representation 
of ageing characters still only forms a minority of screen time.  Olsen 
et al (2023) state that only a quarter of characters in recent British 
films are over 50, with 90% of those relegated to supporting roles. 
While there is no equivalent data of British TV, the most recent data 
from the Annenberg Foundation suggests that in 2017, fewer than 10% of 
speaking characters in US television drama were over 60.  Given such 
small numbers it is to be expected that the quality and variety of 
representations across such roles might be limited, and narratives that 
focus on the embodied experiences and subjectivities of older people are 
few and far between, often relying on stereotypes of old age to engage a 
mainstream audience.
Historically, British film and TV drama have predominantly offered an 
enduring archetype of the older citizen as resolute, cantankerous and 
often comical, often nuancing the psyche of the post-war era. Examples 
range from the brusque older characters found in the Ealing comedy films 
(1940s/1950s) and the early films of British social realism, such as 
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) and Billy Liar (1963), to the 
memorable and often eccentric seniors in  soap operas such as 
Coronations Street (1960-) and Crossroads (1964-1988), and sit coms such 
as Dad’s Army (1968-1977) and Last of the Summer Wine (1973-2010).
However, since the start of the twenty first century, we have 
experienced a rise in the representation of the capable, rebellious, and 
productive older character in TV and film.  We have seen them appear as 
ensemble cast-members in comedy detective drama, such as in New Tricks 
(2004-2015), and as prominent characters in the ironic comedic social 
realist drama Shameless (2004-2013). In television shows ranging from 
healthcare dramas such as Doc Martin (2004-2022), to romantic comedy 
such as Last Tango in Halifax (2012-20), to crime drama such as Channel 
4s recent Truelove (2023), we have seen elder-centred narratives come to 
the fore, revealing the resilience and indomitable spirit of ageing 
characters, often appearing as role models to the young. British films, 
meanwhile, have offered a range of striking representations from the 
camaraderie of the older ensemble cast in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 
(2011) and its sequel, to the individuals at the centre of films such as 
Philomena (2013), The Lady in the Van (2015),  The Duke 2020 , Living 
(2022) and recent release One Life (2023).
We have also seen the persistently politicised work of older producers, 
screenwriters, and directors who continue to engage with contemporary 
audiences - offering self-reflexive work that frames their ageing, such 
as Ken Loach in I am Daniel Blake (2016) and The Old Oak (2023), 
Gurinder Chadha in It's a Wonderful Afterlife (2010) and Viceroy's House 
(2017), ) and Jimmy McGovern in The Street (2006-2009) and The Accused 
(2010-2012).
 Such representations have framed the process and experience of ageing 
in terms of the wisdom that comes with older age, and of the 
contribution made to family and community, but also in terms of social 
isolation, failing health and the degradation of mind and body. Some 
foreground the past and memories of youth, while many focus on the 
remaining time that any older character may possess to achieve their 
goals, whether that may be to begin a new career or relationship, or to 
reflect and prepare for the last stages of their life. These texts and 
characters speak both to a general audience, potentially impacting 
society’s impressions and expectations of older people, and to aging 
audiences, for whom these cultural texts may help to shape their own 
self-perceptions.

The editors are seeking submissions that critically reflect on 
productions since 2000, examining on-screen representations of old age 
and aging, the experiences and responses of aging audiences, or older 
individuals as producers, directors, actors, scriptwriters – or in other 
industry roles).
These proposals might include (but are not exclusive to) discussions of 
aging in relation to:
- gender
- sexuality
- ethnicity
- migration
- morality
- memories
- friendship
- mentorship
- social care/health
- family
- labour
- mortality
- community
- intervention
- self-reflexive agency
 They might also include a specific focus on representations of ageing 
as a process, not limited to old age but particularly from middle age 
onwards.
 SUBMISSION DETAILS/DEADLINES:
Abstracts of up to 500 words and a biography of up to 200 words should 
be uploaded here by 30th April 2024: 
https://forms.office.com/e/1Ek94YHBYA . Decisions will be returned by 
mid-July 2024.
First full drafts of 5000-6000 words (including references) are expected 
by mid-October 2024, with final drafts to be completed by March 2025, 
with a likely publication date of Winter 2025.
 QUESTIONS should be posed to Christa van Raalte 
((cvanraalte /at/ bournemouth.ac.uk) or Christopher Pullen 
((cpullen /at/ bournemouth.ac.uk))

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