Sitcoms 'shun middle-aged'

TV comedies have been criticised for ignoring the middle-aged.

Comic Melvyn Stutter says his age group is poorly-served by sitcoms, and has written one to help redress the balance.

Fortysomething Stutter also stars in Radio 4's Getting Nowhere Fast, about 'menopausal flower children' trying to make headway in the modern world.

And he told BBC staff magazine Ariel that this - his first sitcom - could counter the 'under-serving' of his age group.

He said: "We have to sit and watch TV comedy finish around Coupling and jump straight to Victor Meldrew - and no on seems to know why."

Getting Nowhere Fast is on Radio 4 on Friday mornings.

Published: 29 Nov 2001