Live Long and Write

Is there anyone in network broadcasting who has noticed that “The Sopranos,” the hippest, edgiest and arguably best show on television, was created and produced by a writer over the age of 50 (“Godfather to This Bunch of Gangsters,” by Paul Lieberman, Jan. 14)? One cannot throw a bagel in Jerry’s Deli without hitting a writer or producer who is no longer permitted to work because he or she has committed the unpardonable sin of reaching the age of 50.

The fact that David Chase felt compelled to withhold his age from interviewers 10 years ago says it all. The ageist policies of the networks are not only squandering a valuable creative resource, but insuring that the quality of their product will remain substandard because of the glaring inexperience of those who are entrusted with the running of their shows.

PATTY MILLER-MARSHALL

Agoura Hills