In a groundbreaking development marking a pivotal shift in Hollywood’s gender landscape, recent findings by ReFrame, the gender parity coalition initiated by the Sundance Institute and Women in Film in 2017, unveiled a striking trend.
For the first time, most of the top-rated television and streaming series showcased women in leading roles.
According to the comprehensive ReFrame Report on Gender & Hiring in TV, a significant surge in female representation was evident. Out of the top 200 scripted series graced screens during the 2022-23 season, an impressive 108 shows (54 percent) featured women in prominent lead roles. This figure reflects a substantial increase from the previous year’s 45.5 percent. A noteworthy development was the ascent of women of color to the top spot on the cast list of 39 shows, a notable increase from the previous year’s 21.
Beyond lead roles, the supporting casts of shows demonstrated an encouraging diversification. A substantial 76 percent of ensembles in 152 shows consisted of individuals from underrepresented gender identities, with an inspiring 64.5 percent of these ensembles incorporating at least 25 percent women of color.
In creative contributions, gender parity in writing was achieved, with 50.08 percent of episodes penned by women, marking an increase from the preceding 48.4 percent. Further, the share of attacks directed by women rose from 36 percent to a commendable 40 percent. Nonetheless, there remains room for improvement in the pilot direction domain. Among 113 pilot helming assignments, only 31 were undertaken by women, with just three of them attributed to women of color, all within the realm of streaming services.
The positive momentum continued, with the percentage of female showrunners seeing an uptick from the previous season’s 29.5 percent to a promising 32.5 percent. In a notable stride, the presence of women showrunners of color increased from 3.5 percent to 9.5 percent. The influence of women writers was particularly evident, with their involvement in scripting the majority (55 percent) of episodes on network TV, half (50 percent) on streaming platforms, and 39 percent on cable television.
ReFrame’s steadfast commitment to evaluating staffing in scripted television has been ongoing since 2018. Through meticulous analysis of data from IMDbPro, and its partners, the organization grants the prestigious ReFrame TV Stamp to productions that meet its stringent criteria for gender-inclusive hiring across vital positions in both the cast and crew. For the current season, 94 out of the top 200 shows earned the coveted ReFrame TV Stamp. In addition, 13 additional series submitted themselves for consideration and achieved this accolade. The complete list of Stamp recipients is readily accessible on IMDb’s dedicated ReFrame portal.
In a notable parallel development, the Emmy nominations of this season reiterated the gender-inclusive trend. While a majority of the nominated comedies, including “Abbott Elementary,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “The Bear,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and “Wednesday,” met the Stamp’s criteria, only one among the eight nominated dramas, “Yellowjackets,” secured the stamp, marking a decline from last year’s three nominees.
Andria Wilson Mirza, Director of ReFrame, underscored the remarkable progress evident in scripted television’s journey towards gender parity, both in front of and behind the camera. While celebrating these strides, Mirza emphasized the need for continued vigilance. She expressed concern over the fate of one-third of the shows that received the Stamp this year, subsequently being canceled. As the industry enters a renewed development and production phase, she stressed the imperative of maintaining the momentum and ensuring that women’s hard-earned gains are not compromised.
The ReFrame Report extended its scrutiny to major media companies, evaluating the percentage of Stamp-earning shows across their production and distribution portfolios. A notable change was observed in Apple’s standing, which led the previous year with an impressive 80 percent Stamp achievement. However, the 2022-23 season witnessed a decline in this figure. On the other hand, Netflix, Disney, and NBCUniversal emerged as frontrunners, boasting nearly 60 percent of their shows with the coveted Stamp this season.
More Project Casting Entertainment News:
Adam Sandler Casts His Own Family for Upcoming Netflix Film
The entire Sandler Family is coming together for an upcoming Netflix movie by Adam Sandler. In his latest project titled “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzv…
How the SAG-AFTRA Strike Will Impact Film Sales During Fall Film Festivals
Amid concurrent strikes led by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the landscape of Hollywood is undergoing preparations for an atypical fall festival s…
Kerry Washington’s Journey: From Resisting Acting to Embracing Extraordinary Scripts
Kerry Washington, renowned for her captivating performances, reflects upon the junctures in her life when she considered walking away from Hollywood, only to be…
