Lady Computer Geeks

[inamac]

lil_shepherd pointed out that Primeval's new techie, Jess, isn't really up to the standard set by Garcia (Criminal Minds) or Abby (NCIS), both of whom are spunky, super-intelligent ladies who give the female audience some point of identity when they're not ogling the male crumpet. Jess seems to occupy the space vacated by first season Abby as a (lack of)

Comments

[lukadreaming]

I think age is an issue all through the Primeval casting. With Cutter and Danny we at least had two actors over 40, even if they were lying about Nick's age in the publicity material for S1. The recent interview with Adrian Hodges in Digital Spy reported him as saying that they wanted to go younger when casting Matt.

That issue is magnified about 100 times for actresses. Jess grew on me a tad by the end of the eo, but the girly-girl wearing a pelmet is beyond tiresome.

[inamac]

I do wonder whether this is the 'ITV alternative to Dr Who' type casting - RTD had a thing about evil mother-figures (which thankfully Moffatt seems to be getting over). That or the fact that it's written by guys reliving their youth and not wanting to be called in for their tea.

[lukadreaming]

The latter, I suspect . . .

Moffatt, though, has gone for the kiddy casting big-time. From William Hartnell, who looked like your granddad, to Matt Smith and yet another girlie in a pelmet . . .!

[fjm]

I've heard rumours of a film of Christopher Brookmyre's All Fun and Games Until Someone Loses an Eye.It will be interesting if they cast to the proper age or try to cheat and cast a younger woman.

[inamac]

I suspect they may stick with the text on that one - as it's unlikely to have much of a teen audience.

[lapswood]

I also thought Jess was more of an eye candy edition then a strong female role model. I miss Sarah even tough I though her role was under utilised last season. These days, a strong female of more mature years always gets to play a baddie or a bitchie boss in a show like this.

I'll keep watching to see how Jess develops though as I'm hoping to see more of her and how there will be inevitable sexual tension between her & Connor! ;0)

[inamac]

Having now seen Jess' pad I can only speculate on how someone her age earned that much money (there may be flashfic...)

Connor always struck me as the sort who would be seduced by an older woman - but probably not on primetime TV.

Though he did resist the Cleavage of Doom.

[lapswood]

Having watched 4/2 this afternoon on HDD I can see that they seem to be pushing Jess towards Becker but I'm sure it's not going to end up that way by the end of the season. ;0)

[la_marquise_de_]

This is why I like the Swedish Wallander. It has a number of competent older women.

[nineveh_uk]

Ditto - it's a striking contrast to the average British series in the way it has lots of women in both major roles and more minor ones (the witness who saw something who would often be cast as male or very stereotyped woman in the UK).

[lil_shepherd]

Yes, indeed. An excellent series. It's such a pity that the DVDs are so prohibitively expensive.

[valydiarosada]

I was made redundant shortly after my 40th birthday, and I spent the next ten years doing rather dull, short term contract work in the private sector, while seeking that elusive goal, a permanent position. I finally did get a permanent (interesting) job - with the Civil Service.

While I agree that there are older women in senior positions in the public sector, my experience of the private sector is that ageism rules and youth is venerated. As my current job entails dealing with my opposite numbers in the private sector, I do encounter older men in senior positions, but I rarely encounter a woman much over the age of 40. From what I see, if you haven't made it by 35, you're a failure.

Having said all that, I've never seen Primeval... :)

[inamac]

Yes, the private sector tends to move so fast that when women do take time out to have kids it's much more difficult for them to get back in again - you;d be forgiven for thinking we were still in the 20th Century...