BritBox’s “Riot Women” features women forming a rock band. On Peacock’s “The ’Burbs” and Netflix’s “How to Get to Heaven From Belfast,” they delve into criminal investigations and uncover dark secrets. Meanwhile, Netflix’s “The Hunting Wives” portrays women committing crimes and working hard to conceal them. On CBS, the titular heroine of “Matlock” might be leading an operation to take down Big Pharma.
As women get older, they are often overlooked. However, this year’s Emmy contenders spotlight shows about middle-aged and senior women who are having a blast while getting into all sorts of trouble.
“Matlock” creator and showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman highlights how her lead character, played by Kathy Bates, uses the tendency for older people to be ignored to her advantage. In the show, Madeline Kingston, a sharp litigator, deceives everyone by pretending to be the mild-mannered Southern grandma, Madeline “Matty” Matlock. Her plan involves infiltrating a high-end New York law firm potentially involved in the opioid crisis, a tragedy that claimed her daughter’s life.
Urman notes that as the second season wrapped up, Matty realized the abundance of opportunities still available to her, reflecting the character’s optimistic outlook.
“I want the show to be ultimately optimistic and enjoyable,” Urman states, emphasizing that although there’s a serious undertone, the show isn’t inherently dark.
Urman also acknowledges the need for realism. Matty is in her late 70s, and maintaining a double life would be challenging over time. Writers address this by incorporating physical limitations, like the exhaustion from an all-nighter. “Everyone ages differently,” Urman says, “and she is very sharp now.”
“Mortality and age are factors,” Urman explains, “but that’s not where this character is at 77. Showing someone so engaged with the world is vital as life expectancy increases.”
Matty benefits from her supportive family, including her husband Edwin (Sam Anderson) and grandson Alfie (Aaron Harris). She also finds companionship in younger colleagues like Skye P. Marshall’s determined attorney Olympia Lawrence, who helps fill the void left by her daughter’s death.
In contrast, Peacock’s “The ’Burbs,” created by Celeste Hughey, features Keke Palmer as Samira Fisher, an attorney and new mom who moves to her husband’s childhood home in the suburbs. Feeling uneasy, Samira suspects her partner, Rob (Jack Whitehall), hasn’t disclosed everything about his teenage years. Her only hope to uncover the truth lies with a trio of Xoomers who have time to gather for wine and gossip.
“They’re all outsiders dealing with their own shame and secrets,” Hughey says of the diverse group of friends that includes Julia Duffy’s widow Lynn, Paula Pell’s Marine veteran Dana, and Mark Proksch’s eccentric loner, Tod Mann.
“It wasn’t extremely intentional to include older ages,” Hughey remarks. “I wanted to create a quirky team of misfits.” She compares the group to Dorothy Gale and her friends from Oz.
Hughey, who aims to surprise her audience with this murder-mystery comedy, shares that it would have been easy to stereotype Lynn as a nosy neighbor, but instead, she becomes the helpful neighbor everyone hopes to have.
Hughey didn’t want the characters to serve as a Greek chorus.
“Each character has a distinct voice,” Hughey explains. “Writing them with unique tones makes them feel like real people.”
