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Anja Kruse Condemns 'Youth Mania' in German TV, Criticizes Influencer Casting

Her Stern interview revives concerns about age bias in German television shaped by youth-focused commissioning.

Overview

  • The 69-year-old says older performers are being sidelined and recalls that during COVID-19 they were treated as an uninsurable risk, which she calls "nonsense."
  • She argues influencers are being placed in scripted roles at the expense of trained actors, insisting social reach does not equal on-camera quality.
  • Kruse points to theatre as her ongoing focus, citing continued artistic development and immediate audience feedback.
  • Her remarks contrast current practices with the 1980s era when Die Schwarzwaldklinik regularly drew more than 20 million viewers.
  • Peers including Michaela May, Gesine Cukrowski and Jutta Speidel have voiced similar concerns about limited roles for older women, with no broadcaster response reported.