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Number of women-directed TV shows lowest for 40 years
Fewer than one in 10 British TV shows are directed by a woman, a new report shows, and the numbers are decreasing
The number of British TV shows that are directed by women has barely increased since 1973, the Chair of Directors UK Women's Working Group said today.
Beryl Richards, who has won two Bafta awards and directed episodes of shows including Spitting Image and Wild at Heart, explained that a report in 1973 showed that eight per cent of TV shows were directed by women. In findings gathered during 2013, Directors UK found that between 2011-2012, only eight per cent of the UK's entertainment and comedy programmes were directed by women, a decrease from 12 per cent since 2002.
In fact, since 2002, some of the country's most popular and high-budget shows, such as Luther, Being Human and Vera have never been directed by a woman, despite having a turnover of several male directors.
Entertainment programs have the lowest number of episodes directed by a woman as well as the most significant decrease in the last two years. Over the last decade:
• Five per cent of entertainment and comedy shows were directed by women
• Between 2011 and 2012 this dropped to two per cent
• The number of female directors in charge of sitcoms dropped from 19 to 19 per cent between 2011 and 2012
Nicki Parson, who is part of the 32 per cent of women directors behind reality talent shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and The Voice UK said: "I never think of myself as being a 'female' working in television, I'm just a multi-camera director."
Among detective and crime series the numbers of shows directed by women has dropped to fewer than one in 10, down two per cent from the past 10 years. The figures are worse for sci-fi and fantasy programmes, of which four per cent were directed by women. In 2011-2012 there were none.
Susanna White, who has directed war dramas including Parade's End, Generation Kill as well as the hit HBO series Boardwalk Empire, said: "Being female is irrelevant. Much like any director I want to deliver the best creative work I can on compelling subjects."
Directors UK are now calling for 30 per cent of all orginal programmes to be directed by women by 2017. They suggest the change can happen through monitoring directors hired and encouraging a shift in behaviour amongst those hiring freelance directors.