Alarming Report Shows Decline in Contributions by Women Writers and Directors in British TV Industry

The representation of women writers and directors in British TV has taken a step backwards in the past six years, according to a concerning report from the Diamond project, which is supported by broadcasters. The study analyzed diversity data from 2016 to 2022 and found that the proportion of female British scribes contributing to UK TV shows dropped by over 10% to below one-third, while director contributions fell from 26.9% to 25.3%.

The research revealed a significant decline in the number of female writers working in the industry in 2020/21, which was attributed to the disproportionate impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly on those in higher positions. Female writers, directors, and producer-directors were also less likely to be employed on peak-time programs. Comedy had particularly low representation for female writers at 30.2%, while children’s and entertainment genres fared poorly for female directors at 26.2% and 21.2% respectively. However, drama had better representation for women writers at 54.4%, partially due to their involvement in long-running dramas.

Diamond uses a “contributions” measure to account for shows with multiple writers or directors. Despite one in three directors identifying as female, the proportion of director contributions was significantly lower, indicating under-utilization even when employed. This pattern was observed across all British broadcasters. For example, Paramount, which owns Channel 5, had 47.5% female writers in 2020/21, but only 22.4% contributions.

The Writers Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) called for an independent inquiry to investigate systemic issues of discrimination within the industry. The WGGB and Directors UK initially requested the report from Diamond. Directors UK CEO Andy Harrower emphasized the need for clearer commissioning targets, the hiring of under-represented talent, and a supportive career progression structure by broadcasters.

While the report showed some progress for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) directors and writers, with a one-third increase in numbers over the six-year period, the proportion of BAME writers on UK shows decreased after reaching a high of 15.6% in 2020/21. However, contributions from LGBTQ+ writers saw a significant rise from 8.9% to 31.6%, with gay men being well represented.

Deborah Williams, head of the Creative Diversity Network overseeing Diamond, expressed disappointment in the failure of initiatives aimed at diversifying writers and directors. She emphasized the need for opportunities for underrepresented groups to create shows at the higher-budget, peak-time end of the scale.