Happy Valley Creator Warns TV's Focus on Young Viewers Neglects Older Generation
Sally Wainwright, the acclaimed writer behind series like Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack, has cautioned that television's pursuit of younger viewers could lead to older audiences switching off. Wainwright, 60, who honed her skills on ITV's Coronation Street, highlighted the risk of losing loyal older viewers as the industry prioritizes capturing the attention of the younger generation.
During her appearance at the Edinburgh TV Festival, she noted that long-running soaps, such as Coronation Street, have experienced declining ratings due to their shift towards storylines appealing to younger viewers. Wainwright pointed out that this focus on youth has led to a feeling of repetitiveness and similarity among storylines, often revolving around romance.
An Ofcom report from 2023 revealed a consistent decline in viewership for popular soaps like Coronation Street, EastEnders, and Emmerdale. In response to these trends, broadcasters like the BBC were cautioned in 2019 about the need to remain relevant to young audiences.
While efforts were made to attract young viewers, recent polling by Beano Brain showed that many youngsters consider the BBC "uncool," ranking it lower in terms of street credibility compared to brands like Sainsbury's and Ikea.
Wainwright not only highlighted the risk of alienating older audiences but also criticized the overproduction of certain series, resulting in exaggerated melodrama. She cited the increased frequency of soap opera episodes per week, leading to heightened and sometimes unbelievable storylines. The writer questioned if this trend has caused the shows to lose their grounding.
Wainwright, a Bafta awardee for Happy Valley, expressed her preference for working with familiar actors, including Sarah Lancashire from her own series. Despite contemplating retirement, Wainwright revealed she has too many project ideas to leave the industry.
She also lamented that her proposed series about Amy Johnson, the pioneering aviator who flew from England to Australia in 1930, struggled to garner interest from broadcasters.
To summarise, Sally Wainwright cautioned that TV's focus on younger viewers can alienate older audiences and potentially lead to exaggerated melodrama in certain series. She highlighted the challenges faced by long-running soaps and the broader industry's efforts to engage with different age groups.