The Crabby Old Ladies of Television — We Love Them (6)
Back in 1962 — yep, 60 years ago — CBS debuted The Beverly Hillbillies. The fish-out-of-water Clampett family ran for nine years, and during that time, we got accustomed to the wisdom of Granny Clampett. It may not be the first time we met a curmudgeonly old lady telling it like it is, but it is one of the earliest.
This type of character has been part of sitcoms ever since. Whether it was Cloris Leachman as Maw Maw in the underappreciated Raising Hope or Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty) on Golden Girls, the smart mouthed even-more senior senior citizen, we knew they were good for a laugh at least once an episode, and usually more.
These women present a consistent profile — older than most of the other characters, generally widowed, and by design, unfiltered. From Endora (Agness Moorehead) on Bewitched to the current Meemaw (Annie Potts)on Young Sheldon, and the fabulous Rita Moreno in the One Day At A Time reboot, the crabby old(er) lady is a television staple.
However, it’s not just the sitcoms that have brought that element into the shows — the dramas do, too. The grand dame of them all is, of course, Violet Crawley, the dowager countess of Downton Abbey, portrayed by Maggie Smith. She is indeed the comic relief, and spares no one with her insight, observations and her dry wit. I believe there is not a comment or quip that isn’t right on — and often hilarious. As viewers, we completely welcome her witticisms. Not quite her match — but she certainly could have been — was Shirley MacLaine, as Martha Levinson, on the same show. Quick-witted and sharp-tongued — those were the hallmarks of both of these women.
Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey, made his foray into American history with The Gilded Age — and brought with him Agnes van Rhijn. What a character she is — and it’s a role Christine Baranski was born to play — although, in truth, she can do anything. While not quite the same age range as the dowager countess, Agnes nevertheless fills that function quite beautifully. Her uncanny comic timing, and the ferocious barbs make her unforgettable. The various plotlines have little to do with her, but in many ways, she is central to the series.
The British seem to embrace this type of character. Take Sanditon, Masterpiece’s production of an unfinished Jane Austen novel. The marvelous Anne Reid plays Lady Denham, who is also unflinching in her criticism and outspokenness. She carries it off with aplomb. Even in smaller roles, i.e. Mrs. Pumphrey on All Creatures Great and Small, played first by Diana Rigg, then by Patricia Hodge, has a way of putting things that a crabby old lady carries off better than a dignified younger person. Similarly, Lady Danbury has that position in Bridgerton.
Do you have a favorite senior lady who speaks volumes in mere sentence — and makes you laugh?
